Silk Road Trade
Introduction
The Silk Road was a connection of trade routes that linked China and the Far East and the Middle East and Europe. The road was launched during a period when Han Dynasty officially commenced trade with the west in 130 B.C.Silk Road enabled the transportation of ideas and commodities between Rome and China. Some of these commodities included silk, gold, wool, and silver. The road covered a distance of 4000 miles along the Great Wall of China to the northwest region, Crossing Afghanistan and bypassing the Takla Makan Desert, climbing the mountains of Pamirs. The name Silk Road originated from Chinese silk, a product that traders carried along with the trade networks. The traders used camels and the seaway to transport their products. However, the trade had both positive and negative impacts on the people.
Commodities
Various commodities traded along the China Silk Road. China imported weapons, jewels, precious stones, jade, horses, and manufactured goods. Goods available for export included silk, lacquerware, paper, tea, and rice. Horses were also imported and used in wars against nomads. Precious metals silver and gold came from the Roman Empire, while Central Asia produced silver metal and coins. Central Asia and Eastern Mediterranean produced curtains, blankets, carpets since they had sheep. The exchange of food commodities was also part of the trade, both imports, and exports. Foodstuffs such as rice and millet were exported while the Chinese imported sesame, cucumbers, carrots, beans, watermelons, figs, wheat, among others. Therefore, the trade enabled the merchandisers to acquire different products in exchange for what they had in plenty.
Mode of Transport
Traders used various modes of transport to move their commodities efficiently. They used camels to move goods over the land because camels were able to survive in difficult desert situations through Central Asia. Additionally, camels had the advantage of carrying a large capacity of up to 500 pounds at a time. The merchants and sailors also used the ocean to transport their products. This means that the sailors had to be aware of the wind patterns and the systems of the storm to effectively sail across the ocean. The Merchants relied on the Southwestern wind, which pushed them to the east to move from the Red Sea to India during summer and return to the Red Sea during winter. Thus, both camels and ocean facilitated the transfer of products hence enabling trade activities to occur.
Effects of Trade
The trade led to various effects resulting from the exchange of commodities. The trade made it possible for more goods to be readily available in many locations. China was the only supplier of silk across Asia. Other products that were transported and traded along the Silk Road included glass beads from Rome, spices from Indies, ginger, silk, and lacquerware from China, furs from Caucasian steppe, and slaves from different places.
Animals were significantly affected in a negative way as carvings of camels from caravans trading in China were put in graves.
There was an exchange of diseases from one place to another occurring on both the routes used by the camels and the sea routes. There was a plague in the Roman Empire that destroyed 10% of the population just before the ending of the second century.
The exchange of faiths was another effect of the trade because it saw Buddhism being introduced to China as a result of trading with India. Sogdians interpreted Sanskrit sutras into Chinese and stretched Buddhist faith as they did business between India and China. Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Manichaeism were also part of the faiths that spread to the areas they went to
. The trade led to exchange in technology as skills and innovations spread across the regions. For example, the expertise of making fabrics from silk, books, gunpowder, and stained glass were vital revolutions that spread to the west. The skill of making paper arrived Samarkand in the 8th century.
Conclusion
The Silk Road trade had both a negative and positive impact on the traders. The business made it possible for people to access goods and skills from other people and, in return, give out what they had.