The Silk Road in world history
By: Xinru Liu.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780195338102
Subjects: Trade routes -- Eurasia -- History; Cultural relations; Silk Road -- History; Silk Road -- Civilization; Eurasia -- Commerce -- History
Description: The Silk Road was the current name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking East Asia with Central Asia, South Asia, and the Mediterranean world. This network of exchange emerged along the borders between agricultural China and the steppe nomads during the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE), in consequence of the inter-dependence and the conflicts of these two distinctive societies. In their quest for horses, fragrances, and spices, gems, glassware, and other exotics from the lands to their west, the Han Empire extended its dominion over the oases around the Takla Makan Desert and sent silk all the way to the Mediterranean, either through the land routes leading to the caravan city of Palmyra in Syria desert, or by way of northwest India, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, landing at Alexandria. The Silk Road survived the turmoil of the demise of the Han and Roman Empires, reached its golden age during the early middle age, when the Byzantine Empire and the Tang Empire became centers of silk culture and established the models for high culture of the Eurasian world. The coming of Islam extended silk culture to an even larger area and paved the way for an expanded market for textiles and other commodities. By the 11th century, however, the Silk Road was in decline because of intense competition from the sea routes of the Indian Ocean. -- Publisher description.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note:; title: Chapter 1: China looks west; title: Chapter 2: Rome looks east; title: Chapter 3: The Kushan Empire and the Silk Road; title: Chapter 4: The golden age: The Byzantine Empire (310-1453 CE) and Tang China (618-906 CE); title: Chapter 5: The coming of Islam; title: Chapter 6: Religions, languages, and artistic styles of the Silk Road.