The Great Silk Road map :: Map of ancient Silk Road with modern cities and countries The Great Silk Road map Map of ancient Silk Road with modern cities and countries The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. Acclaimed as the "greatest route in the history of mankind", the ancient Silk Road (300 BC - AD 100) formed the first bridge between the East and West and was an important vehicle for trade between ancient empires of China, India, Persia & Rome. Dating back 100 BC, the route was a channel for contact between people and cultures, inspiring the exchange of dialogue, art, religion, ideas & technology. With its richly diverse cultural heritage and its wealth of natural tourism attractions spanning across 12000 kilometers of ancient routes, the Silk Road today offers visitors the opportunity to experience a unique network of destinations, following the footsteps of some of the world's most acclaimed explorers such as Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta.

The Silk Road - Timeline Index Timeline Index The Silk Road The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The term "Seidenstraße" (literally "Silk Road") was coined retrospectively by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 and has since found its way into general usage. It was the major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network. In recent years, both the maritime and overland Silk Routes are again being used, often closely following the ancient routes. The Silk Routes (collectively known as the 'Silk Road') were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years. It gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCEï¿½220 CE).

More on this Website Silk Road displays at the Museum of Natural History, New York City - Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Silk Road Photo from Wikipedia The Silk Road (German: Seidenstraï¿½e) (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The term "Seidenstraï¿½e" (literally "Silk Road") was coined retrospectively by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 and has since found its way into general usage. It was the major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network. silk from the silk worm The Silk Routes (collectively known as the 'Silk Road') were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years.

It gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCEï¿½220 CE). Silk weaving Extending 4,000 miles, the routes enabled people to transport goods, especially luxuries such as slaves, silk, satin and other fine fabrics, musk, other perfumes, spices, medicines, jewels, glassware and even rhubarb, as well as serving as a conduit for the spread of knowledge, ideas, cultures and diseases between different parts of the world (Ancient China, Ancient India, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean). Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and Rome, and in several respects helped lay the foundations for the modern world. Traveling Troupe Although the term the Silk Road implies a continuous journey, very few who traveled the route traversed it from end to end. For the most part, goods were transported by a series of agents on varying routes and were traded in the bustling mercantile markets of the oasis towns.

The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BCE by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian, but earlier trade routes across the continents already existed. In the late Middle Ages, transcontinental trade over the land routes of the Silk Road declined as sea trade increased. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other products were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies as well as the bubonic plague (the so-called 'Black Death') also traveled along the Silk Routes. India played a vital role in the trade, being virtually by the center of the route as well as having unique products such as spices, precious stones, and hand-crafted goods. Tibet As it extends westwards from the ancient commercial centers of China, the overland, intercontinental Silk Road divides into the northern and southern routes bypassing the Taklamakan Desert and Lop Nur.

Chinese The route travels northwest through the Chinese province of Gansu from Shaanxi Province, and splits into three further routes, two of them following the mountain ranges to the north and south of the Taklimakan Desert to rejoin at Kashgar ; and the other going north of the Tian Shan mountains through Turpan, Talgar and Almaty (in what is now southeast Kazakhstan). The routes split west of Kashgar with one branch heading down the Alai Valley towards Termez and Balkh, while the other traveled through Kokand in the Fergana Valley Central Asianan One of the branch routes turned northwest to the north of the Aral and Caspian seas then and on to the Black Sea. Yet another route started at Xi'an , passed through the Western corridor beyond the Yellow Rivers, Xinjiang, Fergana (in present-day eastern Uzbekistan), Persia and Iraq before joining the western boundary of the Roman Empire.

A route for caravans, the northern Silk Road brought to China many goods such as "dates, saffron powder and pistachio nuts from Persia; frankincense, aloes and myrrh from Somalia; sandalwood from India; glass bottles from Egypt, and other expensive and desirable goods from other parts of the world." In exchange, the caravans sent back bolts of silk brocade, lacquer ware and porcelain. Samarkand The southern route is mainly a single route running from China, through Karakoram. Here it is nowadays the international paved road connecting Pakistan and China as the Karakoram Highway . It then continues to Turkestanï¿½Khorasan region, Mesopotamia, and into Anatolia, with southward spurs enabling the journey to be completed by sea from various points. It starts out southwards in China. Crossing the high mountains, then it passes through northern Pakistan, over the Hindu Kush mountains, and into Afghanistan, rejoining the northern route briefly near Merv .

From there it follows a nearly straight line west through mountainous northern Iran and the northern tip of the Syrian Desert to the Levant, where Mediterranean trading ships plied regular routes to Italy, and land routes went either north through Anatolia or south to North Africa. Another branch road traveled from Herat through Susa to Charax Spasinu at the head of the Persian Gulf and across to Petra and on to Alexandria and other eastern Mediterranean ports from where ships carried the cargoes to Rome. Silk Road Definition & History [Silk Route & Trade Routes] Silk Road Trade & Travel Encyclopedia 丝绸之路网站（丝路网站） İPEK YOLU ve YOLLARI ANSİKLOPEDİSİ Definition & History of the "Silk Road," or "Silk Route" (The "Silk Routes" are collectively known as the "Silk Road") Tï¿½rkï¿½e The "Silk Road" is a network of ancient overland trade routes that extended across the Asian continent and connected China to the Mediterranean Sea. For centuries, the "Silk Road" also enabled the transmission of knowledge and ideas between the Eastern and Western worlds.

The summary below is a selection of definitions and entries commonly found on the Internet and in reference books. As students explore this subject in depth, and try to define the Silk Road, they will realize that the Silk Road is a term that varies in meaning (making it an excellent essay topic). Click for Incense, Spice, Silk & Maritime Routes -- "The Silk Road" is made up of an interconnected network of trade routes that have bridged the Asian and Mediterranean worlds since antiquity. -- "The Silk Road" is a series of trade routes between China and the Mediterranean Sea, extending some 6,400 km (4,000 mi). [The total length of all routes can be debated] -- "The Silk Road" is an ancient overland trade route that connects China with Europe. Originally a caravan route and used from c. 100 BC, the 4,000-mi (6,400-km) route began in Xi'an, China, followed the Great Wall to the northwest, climbed the Pamir Mountains, crossed Afghanistan, and went on to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, where goods were taken by ship to Venice and other European cities.

Silk and other items were carried westward, while such goods as wool, gold, and silver were carried eastward. -- "The Silk Road" is a trade route that passed from the eastern borders of Europe through north India, then through the oasis kingdoms at the borders of the Himalaya mountain range and the Taklamakan Desert, terminating in the desert regions of Tun-huang in western China. This route served as the primary path of commerce for the states along its way until the 15th century, when maritime routes became increasingly used. Its significance for Buddhism is that it was the principal path for the early transmission of Buddhism from India to China, and later for Chinese pilgrims travelling from China to India in search of teachings and scriptures. After the 8th century, Islam spread along the Silk Road across Central Asia to China. Scientific developments, knowledge, and new inventions were also shared upon the routes. The rise and fall of empires along the regions of the routes also had an impact on trade and cultural exchanges.

The Silk Routes influence carried over into Korea and Japan, and along the maritime routes which extended to the Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Malacca, Sri Lanka, India, the Persian Gulf, Egypt, Italy, and Portugal and beyond. The "Silk Road" has been proposed for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage. -- "The Silk Road" is a series of interconnected trade routes linking Asia and Europe, consisting of a network of caravan routes running from China across Central Asia to the shores of the Mediterranean. Its starting point was the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an (modern Xi'an) in China; the endpoints were a number of cities on the Eastern Mediterranean. Some of its branches ran into South Asia, while others ended at Caspian or Black Sea ports. Among the modern countries traversed by the various routes are China, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It flourished from the 2d cent. BC to the 15th cent. AD, when sea routes between Europe and Asia were established, though caravan trade continued along the Silk Road into the 17th century and later.

At different times the Silk Road was under the control of the Chinese, Turks, and Mongols. The end of the security provided by "Pax Mongolica" under the Mongol Empire was a factor in the route's decreased usage. The Mongol expansion throughout the Asian continent (c. 1215-1360) had helped bring political stability. Another period when the Silk Road flourished was under the Tang dynasty (618ï¿½907), known as a "Golden Age" of cosmopolitan culture in China which reflected the height of cultural exchanges. Traders usually traversed only a section of the routes, transferring their goods to other caravans at various points along the way. Silk was only one of the commodities traded. Goods from China included gold, silver, iron, weapons, porcelain, lacquerware, tea, paper, gunpowder, and medicines; from India, slaves, animals, furs, fabrics, woods, jade and other precious stones; and from Persia, incense, foodstuffs, dyes, and silver goods. Other commodities that originated in Asia and were traded included spices, ivory, flowers, horses, jewelry, minerals, and individuals with special skills.

From the West, traders brought wool and linen, vessels of bronze and glass, amber, coral, glass beads, coins and bullion, wine, and ambergris. The Silk Road also led to the exchange of knowledge, culture, religion, and technology between the East and West. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Manichaeism, and Zoroastrianism were among the faiths that spread along the route. Algebra, astronomy, Arabic numerals, medical techniques, architectural styles, and a host of primarily Chinese techniques and inventions (e.g., printing and papermaking) spread from East to West, while various construction techniques, seafaring methods, medicinal plants, and cotton cultivation spread from West to East. -- "The Silk Road" is surely one of the oldest routes of international trade in the world. First called the "Silk Road" in the 19th century, it is actually a web of caravan tracks connecting Chang'an (now the present day city of Xi'an in China), with Rome, Italy, beginning in the Han Dynasty during the 2nd century BC. The Silk Road contained several major routes leading westward from Chang'an, with perhaps hundreds of smaller roads and paths.

As it extended westwards from the ancient commercial centers of China, the Silk Road divided into the northern and southern routes bypassing the Taklamakan Desert and Lop Nur, though central routes were also followed. Its fabled travelers included Zhang Qian, Marco Polo, and Kublai Khan. The Great Wall of China was built (in part) to protect its route from bandits. Historical records reveal that the trade routes developed in the 2nd century BC, the result of the efforts of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, who commissioned Chinese military commander Zhang Qian to seek a military alliance with his neighbors to the west. It was not until 97 CE when a Chinese military ambassador was sent on a mission to Rome by the Chinese General Ban Chao, that the Chinese gathered information about the West (although Gan Ying never reached Rome, only travelling to as far as the Parthian coast of the Persian Gulf, he is noted in historical records as the Chinese who went the furthest west during antiquity). One extremely important trade item was silk, manufactured in China and treasured in Rome.

The process by which silk is made, involving silk worm caterpillars fed on mulberry leaves, was kept secret from the west until about the 6th century AD (according to some accounts, a Christian monk smuggled caterpillar eggs out of China). Silk was only one of many items passing across the Silk Road's network. Precious ivory and gold, food items such as pomegranates, safflowers, and carrots went east out of Rome to the west; from the east came jade, furs, ceramics, and manufactured objects of bronze, iron and lacquer. Animals such as horses, sheep, elephants, peacocks, and camels made the trip (there are accounts that after the first century AD, when the Han Emperor Wang Mang was given a rhinoceros, Chinese Muslim navigator Zheng He brought back lions, oryxes, nilganias, zebras and ostriches from Africa -- but a great commotion seems to have occurred when a giraffe was delivered as a tribute from a ruler in Bengal in 1414). Agricultural and metallurgical technologies, information, and religion were also brought with the travelers.

-- "Silk Road" traders exchanged such items as silk (which was especially important to the Romans), ceramics, glass, precious metals, ivory, gems, medical herbs, exotic animals, and livestock. The Silk Road also transmitted language, disease, and genes. Alliances were forged to fight against common enemies. Buddhism made use of the Silk Road in its spread to Central Asia and China. Manichaeism and Islam also spread along the routes. The road, a series of caravan routes with trading posts and oases, extended almost 7000 miles from Rome and Syria to the Yellow River, in China. Oases, like those in the Taklamakan Desert, were stopping points along the Silk Road that ran to Chang'an, an old capital of China (now, Xian) to Constantinople, Antioch, Damascus, and other cities at the western end of the caravan routes. The routes were most frequently used from about the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century B.C. to the 14th A.D. by which time sea routes were replacing the Silk Roads.

-- "The Silk Road" is an extensive intercontinental network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe (and thus a network linking Eurasia). The term "Seidenstraï¿½e" (Die Seidenstrassen, literally "Silk Road") was coined in 1877 by the German geographer, cartographer and explorer Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen. The term, which has found its way into general usage, is derived from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCEï¿½220 CE), and later led to increased trade along the routes, transforming the series of routes into an extensive trans-continental network. In recent years, both maritime and overland Silk Routes are again being used, often closely following the ancient routes. -- "The Silk Routes" (collectively known as the "Silk Road") were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years.

Extending thousands of miles, the routes enabled people to transport goods such as silk, porcelain, furs, perfumes, spices, medicine, jewels, glassware, slaves, and horses. The northern caravan route brought to China many goods such as dates, saffron powder and pistachio nuts from Persia, frankincense and myrrh from Somalia, sandalwood from India; and glass bottles from Egypt. The Silk Road also served as a conduit for the spread of knowledge, ideas, religion and culture between different parts of the world (Ancient China, Ancient India, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean). Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and Rome, and helped lay the foundations for the modern world. Although the term the Silk Road implies a continuous journey, very few who traveled the route traversed it from end to end (such as the famous Venetian Marco Polo). For the most part, goods were transported by a series of agents on varying routes and were traded in the bustling mercantile markets of oasis towns, ancient cities, or ports.

The Central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BCE by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian, but earlier trade routes across the continents already existed. In the late Middle Ages, transcontinental trade over the land routes of the Silk Road declined as sea trade increased. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other products were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies as well as the bubonic plague (the so-called 'Black Death') also traveled along the Silk Routes. -- "The Silk Road" was a network of trade routes from the Far East to the Mediterranean. Its extent stretched from the city of Chang'an (modern day Xi'an) in China to Constantinople. The term "Silk Road" was coined by Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen, a German geographer. The Silk Road was not one road, but a series of roads, some which passed through the oasis towns of Central Asia, and others which traversed the Karakoram mountain range into India. The Silk Road allowed for the exchange of ideas, beliefs, goods and manufacturing techniques across continents.

This connection was made possible by the conquests of the Persians and the Greeks in the West and the unification of the Han dynasty in the East. If one follows the Silk Road from the East, all of the routes began in Chang'an, however, there were various starting points in the West, such as Constantinople, Antioch, Palmyra, Damascus, or Basra. Some of the cities along the routes were: Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Turfan, Urumqi, Kashgar, Samarqand, Khotan, Merv, Bukhara and Hamedan. Many routes crossed along the fringes of the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts. From there, they passed the Oxus River and either went South to India, or North to the Caspian Sea, and the Middle East. The routes were treacherous, and caravans feared attacks by nomads and bandits. In China, this problem was partially dealt with by extending the Great Wall of China along the routes, or having local governments protect the road. The period of Mongol rule in the 13th century, brought "Pax Mongolica," a period of security along the routes.

The history of the Silk Road has many eras. The rise and fall of empires, as well as the dynastic changes in China, affected trade. The first centuries of the Tang Dynasty during the 7th Century were considered the Golden Age of the routes. Kingdoms that came into power along the Silk Road, such as those led by the Uyghurs and Kirghiz in the East, and Arabs in Mesopotamia, also helped bring stability to the routes. Etymology The term "Silk Road" was first used for this ancient trade network in 1877. The person who coined the term "Silk Road" was the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen (who used the German word "Seidenstrasse," which literally means "Silk Road"). The term has found its way into general usage in many languages, i.e. "La Route de Soie" in French. The Han Dynasty (206 BCEï¿½220 CE) is credited with the birth of the Silk Road, when Chinese envoys sought to learn the geography of the regions beyond China. As a result of their explorations, the Han Dynasty opened-up to trade with the territories west of China.

However, modern-day global transportation and communications are also indebted to all peoples who for centuries were part of the intermingling of cultures along the Silk Routes, as demonstrated by the worldwide impact of the Silk Road's rich civilizations, scientific achievements, discoveries, and living legacies of arts and architecture. History of the Silk Road - Silk Road Ride 2012 History of the Silk Road What is the Silk Road The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and WesternAsia with the Mediterranean world, as well as Nort and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese Silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network. The German terms "Seidenstraï¿½eï¿½ and "Seidenstraï¿½enï¿½- ï¿½the Silk Road(s)ï¿½ or ï¿½Silk Route(s) were first used in 1877 by Baron ferdinand von Richthofen, who made seven expeditions to China from 1868 to 1872.

The English term "The Silk Road" has come into general use in spite of the fact it was a network of routes, few of which were more than rough caravan tracks, and silk was by no means the only item traded along them. China traded silk, spices, teas, and porcelain; while India traded ivory, textiles, precious stones, and pepper. The Silk Routes (collectively known as the "Silk Road") were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years. Click here to get a comprehensive impression of history, ancient travellers and geography of the Silk Route!

Extending 4,000 miles (6,500 km), the routes enabled people to transport goods, slaves and luxuries such as silk, satin and other fine fabrics, musk,other perfumes, spices, medicines, jewels, glassware and even rhubarb, as well as serving as a conduit for the spread of knowledge, ideas, cultures, zoological specimens and some non indigenous disease conditions between Ancient China, Ancient India (Indus valley, now Pakistan), Asia Minor and the Mediterranean. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and Rome, and in several respects helped lay the foundations for the modern world. Although the term the Silk Road implies a continuous journey, very few who traveled the route traversed it from end to end. For the most part, goods were transported by a series of agents on varying routes and were traded in the bustling mercantile markets of the oasis towns. Overland routes As it extends westwards from the ancient commercial centers of China, the overland, intercontinental Silk Road divides into the northern and southern routes bypassing the Taklamakan Desert and Lop Nur.

The northern route started at Chang'an (now called Xian), the capital of the ancient Chinese Kingdom, which, in the Later Han was moved further east to Luoyang. The route was defined about the 1st century BCE as Han Wudi put an end to harassment by nomadic tribes.The northern route travelled northwest through the Chinese province of Gansu from Shaanxi Province, and split into three further routes, two of them following the mountain ranges to the north and south of the Taklamakan Desert to rejoin at Kashgar; and the other going north of the Tian Shan mountains through Turpan, Talgar and Almaty (in waht is now southeast Kazakhstan). The routes split again west of Kashgar, with a southern branch heading down the Alai Valley towards Termez (in modern Uzbekistan) and Balkh (Afghanistan), while the other traveled through Kokand in the Fergana Valley (in present-day eastern Uzbekistan) and then west across the Karakum desert. Both routes joined the main southern route before reaching Merv (Turkmenistan).

A route for caravans, the northern Silk Road brought to China many goods such as "dates, saffron powder and pistachio nuts from Persia; insence, aloes and myrrh from Somalia; sandalwood from India; glass bottles from Egypt, and other expensive and desirable goods from other parts of the world."In exchange, the caravans sent back bolts of silk brocade, lacquer ware and porcelain. Another branch of the northern route turned northwest past the Aral sea and north of the Caspian sea, then and on to the Black Sea. The southern route was mainly a single route running from China, through the Karakoram, where it persists to modern times as the international paved road connecting Pakistan and China as the Karakoram Highway. It then westwards, but with southward spurs enabling the journey to be completed by sea from various points. Crossing the high mountains, it passed through northern Pakistan, over the Hindu Kush mountains, and into Afghanistan, rejoining the northern route near Merv.

From there, it followed a nearly straight line west through mountainous northern Iran, Mesopotamia and the northern tip of the Syrian Desert to the Levant, where Mediterranean trading ships plied regular r outes to Italy, while land routes went either north through Anatolia or south to North Africa. Another branch road traveled from Herat through Susa to Charax Spasinu at the head of the Persian Gulf and across to Petra and on to Alexandria and other eastern Mediterranean ports from where ships carried the cargoes to Rome. Desert voyager Adapted to the harsh desert conditions of Central Asia and the Middle East, camels made ideal pack animals for travel along the Silk Road. These hardy creatures thrived on tough desert plants. They could carry more weight than horses or donkeysï¿½as much as 300 pounds (136 kilograms)ï¿½and needed less water. A loaded camel could sometimes go for 15 days without a drink of water. Hmmm. What can we expect on our bikes in mid summer....?

World History Exam #1 at Georgia Southern University - StudyBlue StudyBlue Size: 55 Views: 25 Great Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network.[1][2] Confucious was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Advertisement ) King Ferdinand II of Aragon & Isabella I (The Catholics) : - Brought stability to the kingdoms that became the basis for the Unification of Spain. - Pulled kingdom out of debt - Known for completing the Reconquista - Financed CC's Voyage Reconquista The Reconquering of Spain from the Muslims in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella. This unified Spain into a powerful nation-state. Requerimento Document for indians set up by the spanish in 1513.

Indians were required to recognize the Catholic Church as Spiritual Authority and spanish superior over natives. This was the first attempt of converting Indians and justifying violence through religious passage to heaven. They were required to read it before every battle. It was ironic because it was written in Spanish and the Indians were not entirely sure of what they were reading •An exchange of foods, animals, &diseases between the old (western hemisphere) and the new worlds (easternhemisphere) --> culturaldiffusion. •Major Cause: Exploration/colonizationof the western hemisphere by Europeans looking for “God, Glory, and Gold.” •Major Effect: New fruits and vegetables are introduced to Europe, new animals to the new world. Millions of Native Americans die from European diseases. Prince Henry the Navigator -opened a school for navigation and geography in 1416 -financed expeditions and encouraged exploration SCHOOL AT SAGRES -prince henrys school of navigation advance science of navigation Very famous school of seamen/ships. Brought the best ship builders, cartographers, to teach portugees men about exploration. School mapped out every Portuguese exploration. First seamen in the world.

Myths of Spanish Conquest -americas were under spanish control within a few years -spaniards and natives had perfect communication -indigenous people resigned to their fate and felt conquered -spaniards had technological superiority because of their weapons( disease was main culprit ) -indians were childlike - Encomienda system The Spanish system whereby the Crown granted the conquerors the right to employ groups of Amerindians in a town or area as agricultural or mining laborers as a tribute payers it was a disguised form of slavery. Birth of Global Economy Social Stratification of French Society Protestant Reformation A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches. Counter-reformation a term given to the efforts of those who during the Protestant Reformation were loyal to the pope and supportive of the customary practices of the Roman Catholic Church in order to counter the teachings and practices of the Protestant reformers Martin Luther A german priest who posted his ninety-five thesis, which accused the church of worldliness and corruption. He wanted to cleanse the church of abuses such as the sale of indulgences. His call for reform led to the new rise of protestant churches.

Advertisement - A series of civil wars where aristocracy and monarchy battled for supremacy. - Between the Huguenots and Catholics Defenestration of Prague The hurling, by Protestants, of Catholic officials from a castle window in Prague, setting off the Thirty Years' War. 1618 Thirty Years War A European war of 1618–48 that broke out between the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor and some of his German Protestant states and developed into a struggle for continental hegemony with France, Sweden, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire as the major protagonists Serfdom in Eastern Europe -peasants under feudalism; condition of bondage or modified slavery -could not own land independently -peasants could not move to take advantage of better opportunities -runaway peasants would be hunted down -lords imposed heavier labor obligations, sometimes without pay for as many as 6 days a week -lord was everything- no individual royal officials to help Black Death (bubonic plague) Diseases brought over from the Europeans.

Killed over 90% of natives Allowed Spanish to conquer Aztecs and Incans Resulted in slavery of Africans to work these new lands Helped weaken Mongols (suppress them for a while) Gustavus Adolphus - Military genius from Sweden who brings his army to help Protestants in 30 years War and beats Catholics. - Saves Protestantism in Germany! - Helped to determine the political as well as religious balance of power in Europe. Peace of Westphalia (1648) The treaty ending the Thirty Years' War in Germany; it allowed each prince-whether Lutheran,Catholic,or Calvinist to choose the est. creed of his territory. Absolutism - The theory that the monarch is supreme and can exercise full and complete power unilaterally. - Ruler holds total power. The Divine Right of Kings A belief system that was widely held in the past that a King's right to rule his people is a right granted by God; King had power over everything Enlightened Absolutists Monarchs who claimed to rule rationally and in the best inerests of their subjects. They hired loyal bureaucrats to implement the knowledge of the new age.

Catherine the Great This was the empress of Russia who continued Peter's goal to Westernizing Russia, created a new law code, and greatly expanded Russia Peter the Great (1682-1725) The Romanov czar who initiated the westernization of Russian society by traveling to the West and incorperating techniques of manufacturing as well as manners and dress. State Building Process -territorial conquest- more land= more power -same laws The "Sun King" and member of the Bourbon dynasty whose 72-year reign is the longest in French history Stressed "divine right" theory- that his authority to rule was given to him by God ("I am the State") Built the Palace of Versailles Successful in part thanks to the economic policies of finance minister Jean Colbert Junkers The strongly conservative members of prussias wealthy landowning class English Monarchy Stuart monarch's (most 17th century) attempt at creating absolute monarchy like France -->Century of Revolution with Parliament over monarchy Constitutional Monarchy Government in which a king or queen is the official head of state, but elected officials run the government.

Mercantilism an economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought (importing less than they exported) Adam Smith -Scottish philosopher (1723-1790) who wrote the "Wealth of Nations" in 1776 -He advocated Laisse-Faire (invisible hand) which was a term to describe the self regulating nature of economics -Had 3 Laws of Economics: 1) Law of Self-Interest 2) Law of Competition 3) Law of Supply and Demand Scientific Revolution The sensuous and dynamic style of art during the time of the Counter Reformation. Renaissance The period from 1400 to 1600 that witnessed a transformation of cultural and intellectual values from primarily Christian to classical or secular ones. Francis Bacon and the Scientific Method English philosopher and was a lawyer by training Most known for the scientific method (inductive approach) Anatomy The study of structure and the relationships among structures Philisophes _ A group of French intellectuals who proclaimed that they were bringing the light of knowledge to their fellow creatures in the Age of Enlightenment. Voltaire vs.

Jean Jacques Rousseau Voltaire wrote cleaver, stinging satires on french monarchy, the nobility and the religious controls of Church. Didn't believe in equality. Rousseau wrote people are naturally good but education and laws corrupt them. Didn't trust reason. Compare Contrast Hobbes to Locke - Hobbes thinks humans are inheritly evil and we need government - Locke thinks humans are inheritly good and the individual is most important Salons and Royal Academies **how ideas got around during the enlightenment -salons: place of social gathering, normally in homes, organized by women; sensorship could not touch you- free to talk and vent about what you want---important for political debate Benin Kingdom A large and powerful kingdom of West Africa near the coast (inpresent-day Nigeria) which came into contact with the Portuguese in 1485 butremained relatively free of European influence; remained an importantcommercial and political entity until the 19th century. Chattel an item of personal, movable property, slave Transatlantic slave trade - The trading of African people by Europeans to the 'new world' colonies sub-saharan slave trade -before contact with europe Trans-Saharan Slave Trade During the tenth century slavery found a place in western Africa.

Most slaves had been women, working as domestic servants and concubines. As civilizations began to grow men also became slaves, put to work as craftsmen, miners, porters, etc. The significance of it was that between 1100 and 1400 approximately 5,500 slaves per year made their way across the Sahara desert. With this introduction of slavery across Sudanic Africa cities became centers of manufacturing. The Calas Affair John calas is accused of killing his own son. It was claimed that his son wanted to convert to Catholicism. Calas is tortured into a confession Voltaire is outraged by this case. The lack of religious tolerance The judicial torture was condemned by Voltaire Begins a writing campaign to free Calas Through this campaign Calas was declared innocent post humorously Ottoman Empire Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia ca. 1300. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire was based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) from 1453 to 1922. It encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.

Shah Jahan in Mughal India - The Mughal is a term meaning "Mongol", used to refer to the Muslim empire of India, although its founders were primarily Turks, Afghans, and Persians - Shah Jahan launched fresh territorial expansion. Faced with dangerous revolts by the Muslims in Ahmadnagar and the resistance of the newly arrived Portuguese in Bengal, Shah not only crushed the opposition but also strengthened his northwestern frontier. Janissaries & slavery - Were infantry units that formed the Ottomans' elite Army force - Turkish for "recruits" Europe - Timeline Index Timeline Index Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. Physically and geologically, Europe is a subcontinent or large peninsula, forming the weste... The Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis) or Neandertal was a species of the Homo genus that inhabited Europe and parts of western Asia. The first proto-Neanderthal traits appear in Europe as early as 350,000 years ago. By 130,000 years ago, full blown...

The Löwenmensch figurine or Lion man of the Hohlenstein Stadel is a very early prehistoric sculpture that was discovered in the Hohlenstein-Stadel, a German cave in 1939. The lion-headed figurine, alternately called (by its German names) Löwenmensch... Megalithic Temples of Malta The Megalithic Temples of Malta are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built during three distinct time periods approximately between 3600 BC and 700 BC on the island country of Malta. They have been claimed a... Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthw... The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The term "Seidenstraße" (literal...

Knossos also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spac... Eruption of Thera, Santorini Thera, or the modern island of Santorini, located sixty-nine miles north of the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea, was devastated by a volcanic eruption sometime in the 15th century BC. The eruption was one the the most powerful in the past 10,000 ye... Aeneas, Trojan Hero, Founding Rome Aeneas was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy. The journey of Aeneas from Troy (with help from Aphrodite), which led to the founding of the city Rome, is rec...

Silk Road - People's Daily Online Silk Road stumbleupon The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The term "Seidenstraße" (literally "Silk Road") was coined retrospectively by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 and has since found its way into general usage. It gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), and was the major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network. In recent years, both the maritime and overland Silk Routes are again being used, often closely following the ancient routes. Overview The Silk Routes (collectively known as the 'Silk Road') were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries for almost 3,000 years.

Extending 4,000 miles, the routes enabled people to transport goods, especially luxuries such as slaves, silk, satin and other fine fabrics, musk, other perfumes, spices, medicines, jewels, glassware and even rhubarb, as well as serving as a conduit for the spread of knowledge, ideas, cultures and diseases between different parts of the world (Ancient China, Ancient India, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean). Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia and Rome, and in several respects helped lay the foundations for the modern world. Although the term the Silk Road implies a continuous journey, very few who traveled the route traversed it from end to end. For the most part, goods were transported by a series of agents on varying routes and were traded in the bustling mercantile markets of the oasis towns. The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BCE by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian, but earlier trade routes across the continents already existed.

In the late Middle Ages, transcontinental trade over the land routes of the Silk Road declined as sea trade increased. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other products were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies as well as the bubonic plague (the so-called 'Black Death') also traveled along the Silk Routes. Etymology The first person who used the term "Seidenstraße" (literally "Silk Road") was the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877. The Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive trans-continental network. Routes taken Overland silk routes As it extends westwards from the ancient commercial centers of China, the overland, intercontinental Silk Road divides into the northern and southern routes bypassing the Taklamakan Desert and Lop Nur. The northern route started at Chang'an (now called Xi'an), the capital of the ancient Chinese Kingdom, which, in the Later Han, was moved further east to Luoyang. The route was defined about the 1st Century BCE as Han Wudi put an end to harassment by nomadic tribes.

The route travels northwest through the Chinese province of Gansu from Shaanxi Province, and splits into three further routes, two of them following the mountain ranges to the north and south of the Taklimakan Desert to rejoin at Kashgar; and the other going north of the Tian Shan mountains through Turpan, Talgar and Almaty (in what is now southeast Kazakhstan). The routes split west of Kashgar with one branch heading down the Alai Valley towards Termez and Balkh, while the other traveled through Kokand in the Fergana Valley, and then west across the Karakum Desert towards Merv, joining the southern route briefly. One of the branch routes turned northwest to the north of the Aral and Caspian seas then and on to the Black Sea. Yet another route started at Xi'an, passed through the Western corridor beyond the Yellow Rivers, Xinjiang, Fergana (in present-day eastern Uzbekistan), Persia and Iraq before joining the western boundary of the Roman Empire.

A route for caravans, the northern Silk Road brought to China many goods such as "dates, saffron powder and pistachio nuts from Persia; frankincense, aloes and myrrh from Somalia; sandalwood from India; glass bottles from Egypt, and other expensive and desirable goods from other parts of the world." In exchange, the caravans sent back bolts of silk brocade, lacquer ware and porcelain. The southern route is mainly a single route running from China, through Karakoram. Here it is nowadays the international paved road connecting Pakistan and China as the Korakoram Highway. It then continues to Turkestan–Khorasan region, Mesopotamia, and into Anatolia, with southward spurs enabling the journey to be completed by sea from various points. It starts out southwards in China. Crossing the high mountains, then it passes through northern Pakistan, over the Hindu Kush mountains, and into Afghanistan, rejoining the northern route briefly near Merv.

From there it follows a nearly straight line west through mountainous northern Iran and the northern tip of the Syrian Desert to the Levant, where Mediterranean trading ships plied regular routes to Italy, and land routes went either north through Anatolia or south to North Africa. Another branch road traveled from Herat through Susa to Charax Spasinu at the head of the Persian Gulf and across to Petra and on to Alexandria and other eastern Mediterranean ports from where ships carried the cargoes to Rome. Maritime silk routes As much as 1400 years ago, during China's Eastern Han Dynasty, a sea route, although not part of the formal Silk Route, led from the mouth of the Red River near modern Hanoi, through the Malacca Straits to Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India, and then on to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea kingdom of Axum and eventual Roman ports. From ports on the Red Sea goods, including silks, were transported overland to the Nile and then to Alexandria from where they were shipped to Rome, Constantinople and other Mediterranean ports.

Another branch of these sea routes led down the East African coast, called "Azania" by the Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE, as described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (and, very probably, 澤散 Zesan in the 3rd century by the Chinese), at least as far as the port known to the Romans as "Rhapta," which was probably located in the delta of the Rufiji River in modern Tanzania. The Silk Road extends from Guangzhou, located in southern China, to present day Brunei, Myanmar (Burma) Thailand, Malacca, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Iran and Iraq. In Europe it extends from Israel, Lebanon (Collectively, the Levant), Egypt, and Italy (historically, Venice) in the Mediterranean Sea to other European ports or caravan routes such as the great Hanseatic League fairs via the Spanish road and other Alpine routes. This water route in some sources is called the Indian Ocean Maritime System. Source: wikipedia Do you have anything to say? Name keyterms - The silk road- The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected View Full Document This is the end of the preview.

Sign up to access the rest of the document. Unformatted text preview: The silk road- The Silk Road is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe. The Silk Routes were important paths for cultural, commercial and technological exchange between traders, merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Tibet, Persia and Mediterranean countries It gets its name from the Chinese silk trade, which began during the Han Dynasty. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome, and in several respects helped lay the foundations for the modern world. Mercantilism that holds that the prosperity of a nation is dependent upon its supply of capital and that the global volume of international trade is &quot;unchangeable&quot;. Economic assets (or capital) are represented by bullion (gold, silver, and trade value) held by the state, which is best increased...

Sze Wing Ho Discussion section 31 12/1/10 The Mexican-American War was occurred betwe mexican american war

Question: The extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe, was known as what?
Answer: The Silk Road