The Silk Road or Silk Route is a network of trade and cultural transmission

routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian
continent connecting the West and East by merchants, pilgrims, monks,
soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the
Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.[1]
Extending 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres), the Silk Road derives its name from
the lucrative trade in Chinese silk carried out along its length, beginning
during the Han dynasty (206 BC 220 AD). The Central Asian sections of the
trade routes were expanded around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, largely
through the missions and explorations of Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang
Qian.[2] The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products
and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade
route.[3]
Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the
civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe, the Horn of
Africa and Arabia, opening long-distance, political and economic relations
between the civilizations.[4] Though silk was certainly the major trade item
from China, many other goods were traded, and religions, syncretic
philosophies, and various technologies, as well as diseases, also travelled
along the Silk Routes. In addition to economic trade, the Silk Road served as a
means of carrying out cultural trade among the civilizations along its
network.[5]
The main traders during antiquity were the Chinese, Persians, Somalis,
Greeks, Syrians, Romans, Armenians, Indians, and Bactrians, and from the
5th to the 8th century the Sogdians. Following the emergence of Islam, Arab
traders became prominent.
Silk Road
Map of Eurasia with drawn lines for overland and maritime routes
Main routes of the Silk Road
Route information
Length:

4,000 mi (6,000 km)

Time period: Around 114 BC 1450s

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name
Corridor
Type Cultural

Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan

Criteria

ii, iii, iv, vi

Designated 2014 (38th session)

Reference no.

1442

State Parties China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, India, Turkey, Persia, Republic of

Venice
Region

Asia-Pacific

Part of a series on
Trade routes
Amber Road Hrvejen Incense Route DvaravatiKamboja King's Highway
RomeIndia Royal Road Silk Road Spice trade Tea route VarangiansGreeks
Via Maris Triangular trade Volga route Trans-Saharan trade Old Salt Route
Hanseatic League Grand Trunk Road

Greek art from Europe flowed into India whereas Buddhism from India
reached out to the world through the Silk Route. Chinese travelers like Fa
Hein (Faxian), Hiuen Tsang (Xuanxang) and others visited India through these
ancient routes and Marco Polo witnessed the grandeur of the Chinese
civilization while traveling through the silk route. The Arabs took the
knowledge of mathematics and medicine from India and China and worked on
it to bring up new sciences like Algebra, which were adopted by Europe in
due course. New cities and empires grew along the Silk Route and world
power shifted from hand to hand. History of the world was re-shaped along
this route and world population for the first time started exchanging ideas on
a scale that was unheard of. The habits, cultures and livelihoods of the world
population were influenced by knowledge and ideas brought from different
lands. Obscure cities like Lhasa became the seat of religious power and
emerged as one of the finest cities in the remotest corners of the Himalayas.
The advent of Silk Route is one the most remarkable events in world history.
Almost all Ancient Trade routes across Asia and Europe merged with the Silk
Route at some point and the whole network of trade routes became the
worlds first international cultural phenomenon.