The Silk Road In A Nutshell

“The Silk Road” is a misnomer; named in 1877 by a German geographer, the most ancient and possibly the most famous trade route in history was actually a system of multiple paths of travel between West and East, not only over land but also over sea.  It ran through numerous countries at a time when many ancient civilizations were in their heyday, and as a result helped spread new religions, new people, and new ways of thinking across the world.  Art and philosophy traveled both West and East. It is even thought that Buddhism came to China on the Silk Road.

Going West would have been things like bamboo, paper, gunpowder, jade figurines, spices, mirriors, laquerware, fur, and obviously, silk. Coming back would be gold, musical instruments, raw jade, precious stones, perfumes, slaves, medicines, fruits, and glass.

Though earlier trade routes did already exist, they were expanded in the 2^nd century BC partially due to the misadventures of a certain Zhiang Qian, who on a mission from the Emperor was captured and, upon finally returning to China, brought news of goods – horses and Persion metals – with him from Bactria.

No maps from the time exist – indeed, most traders would not have used them to begin with – but we know that the Road stretched roughly 6,500 kilometers, or nearly 4,000 miles, from China to Rome.

Usually a merchant would sell or barter his goods at a city or town not too far from home (there were many stops along the way where resting and trading could be done - small villages, oasis towns, big cities), and then return. The merchant or trader who bought those goods would then take them and travel further. As things from the East went West (or things from the West went East), they increased in cost. Very few people saw either end of the trail, and it’s possible that none saw both.

There were two main routes that ran over the land. The Northern, the main one for caravans, which began in Chang’an (modern Xi’an) with the next major stop Lanzhou, and then the oasis DunHuang.  At a rough estimate, after DunHuang it would have split around the vast and punishing Taklamakan desert – which the locals call the ‘land once entered is never returned from’ - an area in which two-humped camels would be the main mode of transportation, and ran several roads through the mountains.  Upon reaching Kashgar, an oasis city, the caravan reaches the Pamir Mountains, an area called ‘the Trail of Bones.’ It is a high, cold place that often proved the death of many animals and traders. The next two stops were Tashkent and Samarkand, and East of the Oxus River, the leaderless land was once a particular hot spot for bandits.  All branches of the main path rejoined in or before Turkmenistan.

The Southern route also ran from China, and sometimes met or transferred to the sea.  It joined the Northern line in Turkmenistan and both passed Westward as one road to Hamadan, Herat, and Baghdad. Here, it was usual for the last of the Chinese merchants to leave, and the goods would shift hands as they were sold on to Damascus, Palmyra, Tyre, and Antioch. Last, the last bolts of silk and other items reached Byzantium and even Rome.

Some merchants brought their own wares, and some hired people to do it for them so that they could stay home and continue to work.  Travelers had to brave mountains, bandits, sandstorms, and the harsh climate of the desert. They were taxed when they passed through foriegn countries.  The way of travel was rough. Some rode horses until they reached the desert, but the rest of the way camels were the only way to go.  They rode them, or loaded them up with nearly four hundred pounds of food and supplies. The camels could also sniff out water holes, and sometimes tell when a storm was approaching. However, most people went the whole way on foot.

The route would have seen use in the silk shipping trade until around 1400 AD, but trade along the Silk Road diminished as it became increasingly dangerous to travel, and people started using the safer sea routes.

Links:  6-Part Documentary *  * Hotels Along the Silk Road