Alexander the Great and his relation to the Silk Road

Introduction

The Silk Road was a well-known trading route of ancient Chinese civilization during the Han Dynasty. Many countries traded through it. It was a 7000 mile route that expanded from China, to central Asia, Northern India, and the Roman empires. The Silk Road also connected the Yellow River Valley and the Mediterranean Sea. This trade route showed the interaction between Asia and Europe. From 200 B.C.E to the 15th century, different empires were developing, which caused the Silk Road to undergo changes and fluctuations along the Silk Road. When little interaction occurred in Europe during the Middle Ages, trade through the Silk Road decreased. The Silk route starts off from the Hellenistic era with the invasion of Alexander the Great. His empir spread all the way to Central Asia to the city of Alexandria Eschate in Tajikistan. This city presently became one of the most important trade sites along the northern part of the Silk Route. The occupation of these nations by the Greeks was the Western link to the resources of Asia; the other half came from the Chinese.

Main body

The Silk Road started during the Han Dynasty in 200 B.C.E. They were the first ones. At first the trade was on a small scale. Silk was a very important good that was traded. Buddhism was also spread from India to China due to the interaction on the Silk Road. Other products traded were porcelain, spices, and rice. Europeans traded wine, gold, and silver. Goods were limited to luxury goods such as gold and silver because they didn't have the technology to carry heavy loads on the narrow roads of the Silk Road. Trade was also limited to the weight of what the merchants could carry. Traders also had to consider the harsh climate Taklimakan desert. It had very little rainfall and sandstorms were very common. As the Silk Road became more developed, bandits tried to steal some goods that were being traded. This resulted in goods to be protected from them. In turn, merchants had to pay extra to trade their goods. The Silk Road was very efficient until 1000 A.D (Curtius, 12).

In 1000 A.D, the Indian Trade rivaled the Silk Road. However, the Silk Road had expanded to many more parts of Asia and Europe. There were more empires developing during this period. The Mongol had also taken control of the Silk Road. They had established the Yuan Dynasty, The Golden Horde, the Chagatai dynasty, and the Ilkhans from 1206 till they were defeated. The Mongols protected traders and their goods in order to preserve order and a sense of safety along the Silk Road. This was a continuity from the Han dynasty. They also traded the same luxury goods that were convenient for the merchants and traders carrying it through the desert. They still traded goods such as precious stones, ivory, glass, furs, ceramics, and bronze objects. Soon Pax Mongolia followed. It was from the 1270s ...