Exchanges on the Silk Roads

Abstract

The Silk Roads was a dream place for both merchants and consumers. A place where cultural flow was a natural occurrence and different cultures could blend with prosperity and freedom. This global marketplace took hundreds of years to start but once it did it became a major factor in our past. Despite its name, the Silk Road's merchants traded different merchandise not just silk. Although, trade traveled through different routes it contribute to the cultural and economic development of the societies that were involved. The Silk Road was a conduit for technology and ideas as well as material goods (Duiker, Spielvogel, 222). Due to the combination of people, products, and mood of transportation the Silk Roads became the melting pot between the Mediterranean and China. Among the most significant changes was the transfer of religion. But along with this incredible new trading route came unintended consequences in the spread of disease, danger and the natural elements.

Exchanges in the Silk Roads

The Silk Roads was home to thousands of traders from all over the world. It traded different products from different cultures to different people. As they traveled the long journey through the many routes they carried their own culture and traditions with them. These cultures and traditions were passed along to traders, merchants, and people they met along the way. Not only would they pass their traditions and beliefs, they would sometimes adopt other beliefs as well. This was a major influence on the Silk Roads.

Despite its name, the Silk Road's merchants actually traded a wide variety of manufactured products and agricultural commodities. Silk, spices, gold, ivory, iron, precious stone and glass to name a few were all carried by caravans through these roads. It's believed that the Romans had their first encounter with silk in one of their campaigns against the Parthians. The Romans discovered that silk came from a mysterious tribe in the east, who the Parthians refer to as the silk people, "Seres". Silk, became a craze among Rome elites, leading to a vast outflow of silver from Rome to China and provoking Tiberius to grumble that "the ladies and their baubles are transferring our money to foreigners." (Duiker, Spielvogel, 135). Although the trades between the Chinese and the Romans were in abundance they never traded between themselves. They always used the Parthians as their middlemen to exchange the goods.

One of the most significant cultural transfers of the Silk Roads was that of religion. The two most common religions that entered China by the way of the Silk Roads were Christianity and Buddhism. Buddhism emerged from India, but the Hindu culture discriminated the Buddhists and as a result the Buddhists took the Silk Road to China. This caused China to come in contact with Christianity and a road for missionaries was made that help spread God's truth. Another religion that quickly spread through the Silk Roads by the Arab Merchants who brought the Muslim scholars on their trading caravans was the Islamic religion. The Islamic religion also used the Silk