AROUND THE AP WORLD DAY 72: THE SILK ROAD(S)
Introduction to Unit 2: The Networks of Exchange
Overview of Trade Routes
- The Silk Road is highlighted as the most significant trade route, likened to a pop star in the world of trade routes.
- The speaker expresses a controversial opinion that the Silk Road is overrated compared to other historical roads like Incan or Roman roads.
Key Aspects of the Silk Road
1. Trade Cities
- The Silk Road led to the emergence of major trade cities across Asia, which are crucial for understanding its impact on commerce. Examples include Kashgar in Western China and Samarkand in modern-day Uzbekistan.
2. New Technologies
- Innovations such as caravanserais (protected inns) provided safety for traders and their goods, enhancing trade efficiency. Bills of exchange emerged from Tang Dynasty practices, facilitating easier transactions with paper money rather than heavy coins. By 1200, these bills were widely used across China and eventually reached Europe by the 1600s.
3. Goods Traded
- A variety of valuable items were exchanged along the Silk Road including porcelain, gunpowder, steel, champa rice, compasses, paper, and even diseases like the bubonic plague. Additionally, knowledge such as algebra and astrolabes flowed into China from Islamic regions.
4. Spread of Religions
- Buddhism spread into China and throughout East Asia during this period alongside Islam's expansion into South and Southeast Asia; both had significant cultural impacts on these regions.
Conclusion
- The speaker emphasizes that despite its perceived lackluster nature compared to other routes, the Silk Road functioned as a vital circulatory system for land-based trade during this era and sets up discussions about Mongol influence in future sessions.