The Silk Road

The Silk Road was a linkage of prehistoric trade routes that were established during the
Han Dynasty of China. It is vital to acknowledge that the Silk Road was established in 130 BCE.
Notably, the Silk Road was extensively traveled by Marco Polo, an explorer, and discussed the
routes in his famous work (Khan Academy, 6 mins). Remarkably, silk was important during this
period due to many reasons. First, silk cloth was one of the most valuable items in ancient China.
It is vital to acknowledge that those who wore silk were accorded an important status symbol.
Surprisingly, only the royal family was allowed to wear silk as it was considered noble. Silk was
also crucial because it was used as money during some ancient Chinese dynasties.
A critical examination of the Silk Road indicates that it helped transport many things
apart from silk and other goods. First, the Silk Road played an essential role in history as it
helped in the spread of religion and other ideas (Bulliet, 205). Due to the existence of the Silk
Road, numerous towns along the route developed into multicultural cities. Additionally, the Silk
Road helped exchange information, which gave rise to new technologies and innovations. Also,
horses were transported along the Silk Road to China, which helped in the rise of the Mongol
Empire.
The Silk Road was also called the Silk Route because it was composed of many road
networks. According to a German geographer, the Silk Road was also known as Seidenstrassen

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(CNN, 23 mins). It is vital to acknowledge that in all the names assigned to the route, the word
silk was used to show that the main transport item was silk.

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Works Cited

Bulliet, The Earth and Its Peoples, chapter 7, Networks of Communication and Exchange
CNN. The Silk road story. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXptcteCeqg
Khan Academy. Early Silk Road. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLeIclx2lAU