Unit 2: The Silk Roads

Introduction to the Silk Roads

• Definition: A vast network of roads and trails facilitating trade and cultural exchange across Eurasia before and during 1200-1450.
• Significance: Enabled trade of luxury goods and cultural diffusion.
• Primary Goods: Mostly luxury items like Chinese silk due to the cost of transportation and the profit involved.

Importance of Cultural Diffusion

• Routes facilitated not just goods but also the exchange of ideas and cultural traits.

Innovations Leading to Expansion

1. Commercial Practices:
   • Money Economies: Introduction of paper money by the Chinese.
   • Credit Systems: Use of credit like "flying money" to ease transactions.
   • Banking: Establishment of banking houses, based on Chinese models, in Europe.
2. Transportation Technologies:
   • Caravanserai: Inns and guesthouses providing safety and cultural exchange points.
   • Saddles: Improved comfort and capacity for camel transport.

Effects of Increased Trade

1. Rise of Trading Cities:

   • Kashgar: Located at the convergence of major routes, became a thriving market and Islamic scholarship center.
   • Samarkand: Known for profound cultural exchanges and religious diversity.

2. Increased Demand for Luxury Goods:

   • As demand increased, production in China, India, and Persia also increased.
   • Proto-industrialization in China due to increased production and reinvestment in industries like iron and steel.

3. Cultural Diffusion:

   • Merchants spread religions like Islam and Buddhism.
   • Exposure to new innovations like saddles.
   • Spread of diseases, notably the Bubonic plague.

Summary

• The Silk Roads were crucial for the exchange of goods, culture, and ideas.
• Innovations in trade practices and transportation aided their expansion and influence.
• The growth of trade led to economic and cultural changes across connected regions.