Silk Roads Dbq

The Silk Roads were a network of trade routes that connected various regions and civilizations in Asia, Europe, and Africa. It contributed to the economic, cultural, and political exchange between these regions for many centuries. Civilizations that were part of the Silk Roads benefited from increased trade, access to new goods and ideas, and cultural diversity. However, at the end of the Middle Ages, the Silk Roads began to decline. Some may argue that this decline was a result of a lack of manufacturing, but in spite of that, new threats, new technologies, and new political policies all played a significant role in the decline of the Silk Roads since they affected various aspects of trade and transportation.

New threats at the end of

According to Ibn al-Athir, a Muslim writer who describes the recapture of Jerusalem in 1187 AD, Muslims captured Jerusalem by crusades since the Franks had weakened their empire before (Document #1). The takeover of Jerusalem not only disrupted the political balance in the region but also impacted the trade routes along the Silk Road along with other regions which resulted in political tensions and conflicts that disrupted the flow of goods and people along the Silk Road. According to Ibn al-Athir who describes Tartar invasion of 1220-1221 AD, the Tartar, a mongol group, became a threat to Islam and the Muslims since they conducted brutal invasions (Document #3). The TarTar invasions not only caused widespread destruction and loss of life but also disrupted the trade routes and created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity for traders along the Silk Roads. The insecurity caused

Based on a description of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled China from 1368-1644 AD, published in the textbook World History, Patterns of Interaction, China set up political policies of isolation that directly contributed to the decline of the Silk Roads (Document #4). These policies kept trading routes limited and restricted interactions with foreign merchants and civilizations, ultimately leading to a decrease in trade and economic prosperity along the Silk Roads. As indicated in “Closed Country Edict” of 1645 AD showing the policy the Tokugawa government followed from World History Pattern of Interaction Primary Sources, Japan implemented similar policies of isolation, closing off their borders to foreign trade and contact (Document #10). As a result, the Silk Roads experienced a decline in trade and cultural exchanges during this period. Political policies hindered the flourishing trade and cultural exchange that once characterized the Silk Road. Isolation and restricted trade limited the flow of goods and ideas along the Silk Roads, leading to its decline as a major trade