The Silk Road is the grand-daddy of them all. This is the big one. This is THE land-based trade network. You know it as a Trade Network, but the Silk Road began as the Han Dynasty was seeking allies to the West to help fight against the dreaded Xiongnu (basically, the bad guys in Mulan). What began as a cry for help developed into a network of trade alliances that eventually spanned Afro-Eurasia.
1. SILK ROAD
2. SAMARKAND
3. KASHGAR
4. BANKING HOUSES
5. CARAVANSERAI
6. CHAMPA RICE
7. BATTLE OF TALAS
8. BUBONIC PLAGUE
9. SOGDIANS
10. PAX MONGOLICA
CLIP #1: THE SILK ROAD (from CRASH COURSE World History)
SILK ROAD=EARLY GLOBALIZATION?!?
SAMARKAND (Quick Travel video by these two dudes… seems to be sponsored by UNESCO…Great look at the architecture of this magnificent city)
KASHGAR (Gateway to China… this dude takes you on a quick tour)
1. TRAVELS TO THE WEST OF QIU CHANG CHUN, 1228, Qiu Chuji (CHINA)
2. YSTORIA MONGALORUM, c. 1240s, John of Plano Carpini (GERMANY)
3. MERCHANT’s HANDBOOK, c. 1343, Francesco Balducci Pegolotti (FLORENCE, ITALY)
4. EMBASSY TO TAMERLANE, c. 1406, Ruy González de Clavijo (SPAIN)
5. TRAVELS OF PEDRO TAFUR, c. 1439, Pedro Tafur (SPAIN)
1. The Silk Road started with the Han Chinese well before this period.
2. The Silk Road was never one “road”, rather a connection of trade routes.
3. The Silk Road served as THE trade route in this period.
4. The Silk Road did not just carry silk. There were goods, technology, religions and diseases.
5. The Silk Road peaks here. In the next period, the Atlantic System and Indian Ocean trade will be more heavily featured.