Chapter 24: The silk road

1. Chapter 24: The silk road

2. Opening the silk road • Made because of the Han Empire • Military of the Han didn’t allow people in Northwestern China • Allowed trade routes to the West to be opened

3. Zhang Qian • Known as “Father of the Silk Road” • 138 B.C.E. a Han emperor sent Zhang west with 100 men • Goal was to form an alliance with Western men • Alliance against Northern enemy, The Hun

4. Zhang Qian • Zhang Qian traveled all the way to present day Iran • Taken as a prisoner 2 times • Able to escape both times! • Was not able to form an alliance • The trips were still successful though

5. Zhang Qian • Helped Chinese learn about Western cultures • Discovered places like, Persia, Syria, India, & Rome • Went on a second journey to the West

6. Zhang Qian • Discovered a horse, much more powerful for war • Also discovered grapes • Able to develop trade relationships with central Asian people • Overtime, many trade routes developed, traders mostly valued Chinese silk

7. By a show of hands, how many like to wear silk?

8. Still want to wear silk!?

9. Silk! • Silk is a fiber used to make cloth • Fibers come from cocoon of a silk worm! • Silk is strong, warm, light, & soft • Very valuable for trade, for a while Chinese were the only ones to know how to make it

10. Silk! • Chinese tried to keep the way to make silk a secret • Under Han Dynasty, the release of the secret was punishable by…DEATH!

11. Trade with rome! • Many other cultures wanted silk • Romans were the most intrigued by silk • First time Romans saw silk was during a battle • Enemy waved a silk banner, Romans lost the war

12. Trade with rome! • Chinese silk was a luxury item • Very expensive item, status symbol • Richest Romans could only afford one patch of silk on their togas

13. Trade with rome! • Silk was so highly valued, traders went on the dangerous trip eastward to get silk • Romans would trade gold and glassware for silk • Romans could blow glass into all shapes • Glassware was new to the Chinese

14. The Eastern Silk Road • Silk road was NOT one continuous route • Network of shorter trade routes between stops • Goods would change hands many times before reaching their final destination

15. The Eastern Silk Road • Two major parts of the route: Eastern and Western Silk Road • Eastern Road: Luoyang- Kashgar in the Western part of the Taklimakan Desert • Western Road:Kashgar- Antioch and other Mediterranean ports

17. The Eastern Silk Road • Several dangers faced travelers • Bandits would attack • Encounter severe sand storms while crossing the desert • Travelers would even get buried in the sand on the Northern route

18. The Eastern Silk Road • Travelers were lured off the main path to their death by mirages • An image of something that is not really there such as water • Before entering the desert, travelers formed long camel caravans for protection

19. The Eastern Silk Road • Certain types of camels survive better in the desert • Bactrian camels have double eyelids, and nostrils they can close to keep sand out • Carry enough food & water for the traveler to make it until next stop

20. Goods exchanged • Very expensive for travelers to carry goods over the silk road • Travelers to profit: goods had to be valuable & easy to carry • Silk was perfect: light, valuable • Silk eventually reached the Mediterranean Sea

21. Goods exchanged • Chinese also traded fine dishware (China) • Ornaments, jewelry, cast-iron products, decorative boxes • Chinese would receive: (Central Asia) horses, jade, furs, & gold

22. Goods exchanged • From India through Kashgar: cotton, spices, pearls, ivory

24. Western silk road • Journey from Kashgar began with a difficult path across Pamir Mountains • Travelers suffered headaches, dizziness, & ringing ears • Mountain trails were narrow and dangerous (trail of bones)

25. Western silk road • People and animals were known to slip off cliffs • After Pamir Mountains, trail took travelers through present day Afghanistan • Major stop: Modern day Iraq, eastern bank of Tigris river

26. Western silk road • From Iraq, trail went North to Syrian Desert • Travelers threatened by tigers, lions, scorpions, and flies everywhere • Goods were finally shipped throughout the Mediterranean Ports

27. Goods exchanged • Traders: Egypt, Arabia, and Persia • Perfumes, cosmetics, carpets, metal items, dyes, even slaves to China • Rome greatly valued silk so they traded glass products, vases, necklaces, small bottles

28. Goods exchanged • Romans traded a lot of gold for silk • So much gold traded, Roman emperor Tiberius banned gold from leaving • Tiberius believed wearing too much silk would make people too soft or weak

29. Cultural Exchanges • Trade between East & West changed cultures • Learned how to make products themselves, trade slowed down • By 500 C.E. Chinese learned to make glass & west learned to make silk

30. Cultural Exchanges • Diets, gardening, & agriculture changed • China started to grow grapes, alalfa, cucumbers, figs, walnuts, chives, sesame • West imported roses, camellias, oranges, peaches, and pears

31. Cultural Exchanges • Silk road also spread Buddhism • Religious travelers used the Silk Road to spread Buddhism • Buddhism is still dominant in Asia today