Silk+Road

media type="custom" key="694043" **__ The Silk Road __** By Natasha V.       The Silk Road is a historic trading route from West to East Asia. The 7,000-mile route crossed Central Asia, Northern India, China and the Roman and Parthian Empires. The main route went through much of northern China before entering the heart of the Middle East, after it continues up to the Anatolian peninsula and ends at the Mediterranean. The Silk Road is really a single name for a huge network of roads and pathways that made up a trading route. The merchants, traders, monks, soldiers and nomads among others who traveled this road carried teas, rice, precious stones, spices, pottery and of course silk to and from the great empire of China. Each party brought their stories, goods and cultures to eastern Asia. The Silk Road also brought knowledge and new ideas across continents. The trade route was established officially around 120 B.C. by the Han Dynasty,there was already a small amount of trading when this route was initiated. Cities along this road grew into major trading cities, because of it, they became very profitable from the merchants and traders that traveled the silk road.

Before this for a long time the Chinese government only traded silk inside the empire. But when the Han Dynasty took power they began trading throughout central Asia, but they had one problem.When the trading caravans would travel the region the various tribes living in the empire would attack the caravans and steal their goods.Because of this the Han Dynasty started military defense for these trading caravans. Then a man came along called Chan Ch'ien, he came up with an idea. It was to make alliances with these tribes that romed the empire by trading with them and expanding the trade route to the other continents so that they would be able to trade with the merchants and acquire the goods brought with them, with this brilliant idea the Silk Road was born. So people who traveled this road were now safe. They traveled farther and wider abroad than any other before them. They took silk, among other goods to Europe, Africa and to other Asian countries. The three very different continents were connected,the      Silk Road starting an era of understanding, religion and extrodinary culture that shaped the region.

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