Silk Road Flashcards

Silk Road

An extensive network of ancient trade routes that connected the East and the West, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures from approximately 130 BCE to 1453 CE.

Han Dynasty

The dynasty in China during which formal trade along the Silk Road was established under Emperor Wu (141-87 BCE).

Zhang Qian

A diplomat whose missions to Central Asia opened up the routes for trade and diplomacy.

Pax Mongolica

A period of peace during the 13th and 14th centuries that made the Silk Road safe for travelers.

Key commodities traded on the Silk Road

Silk, porcelain, tea, paper, gunpowder, horses, grapes, glassware, and precious stones.

Cultural exchange along the Silk Road

The spread of religions like Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, as well as scientific and technological knowledge.

Decline of the Silk Road

Caused by the spread of diseases like the Black Death, the discovery of maritime routes, and political shifts such as the fall of Constantinople.

Gunpowder

A significant Chinese invention that revolutionized warfare in the West after being traded along the Silk Road.

Heavenly Horses

A type of horse imported to China from the Fergana Valley, essential for military expansion.

Greco-Buddhist art

An art style that emerged from cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, blending Greek and Buddhist artistic elements.