The Silk Road, also known as the Silk Route, was a combination of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. It consisted of both land and sea. The Silk Road was considered to have an ancestor called the overland steppe route. “The Silk Road concept refers to both the terrestrial and the maritime routes connecting Asia with Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe. This terms comes from the similar trade routes taken by traders from Arabia, India, China, Tanzania in the south, Asia Minor, and Southern Europe.” (“Silk Road” ). It also became known as the Silk Road because Silk was the main product being traded on the route.
“Silk was reserved for the exclusive usage of the Chinese imperial court for
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It had its own pros and cons, for example, not only did the Silk Road trade goods, but it exchanged different cultures such as, China, India, Persia, Arabia, Greek, and Rome. “Human beings have always moved from place to place and traded with their neighbours, exchanging goods, skills and ideas.” It impacted Arab muslims by allowing them to use the route to travel to China in order to spread Islam. However, some say the tragic bubonic plague, or black death, was transported to Europe by the Silk Road. Therefore, it spreaded the disease into cities along the route causing more people to die. Travelers using caravans struggled with bleak deserts, high mountains, extreme heat and cold. They also faced raiders, imprisonment, starvation, and other forms of deprivation. Those traveling by sea struggled with the uncertainties of weather, poorly constructed ships, and pirates. Travelers were forced to go through these harsh conditions due to the fact that these goods were in such high …show more content…
It ranged from China to Eastern Europe. It played an important role because it helped generate trade and commerce between various kingdoms and empires. The Silk Road also came close to a time where it could have been taken over by the Mongolian Empire, but it continued on. The Silk Roads became more popular and increasingly well-travelled over the course of the Middle Ages, and were still in use in the 19th century. The road lasted for over 2,000 years and left an impact on China’s economy, society, and political