Silk Road Quiz 2

Kushan Empire

• Founded by the Yuezhi; prosperous as empire

  controlling Silk Road trade from 1st to 3rd century CE

• Did not have writing, but used scripts of conquered

  people: Greek letters, Kharoshti script

• Supported Buddhism, and contributed to spread of the

  religion

Parthian Empire

• One of the Empires in First Silk Road Era

• A crucial cultural and economic bridge between Rome and East Asia via the Silk Road

• Rivals to Rome and controlled trade routes in the Silk Road

Sasanian Empire

• Restored Persian culture

• Created a tightly organized bureaucracy, which improved military effectiveness and allowed for better taxation and infrastructure.

• Served as a vital hub on the Silk Road, influencing art and culture in China, India, and medieval Europe.

Tang Empire

• Golden age of Chinese civilization and Empire in the Second Silk Road Era

• The capital, Chang'an, was likely the world's most populous and diverse city, attracting foreign merchants, artists, and diplomats from over 400 countries.

• Expanded its influence over Central Asia, Korea, and Vietnam, securing the Silk Road to protect trade routes that reached as far as Rome.

Tilia Tepe (in Afghanistan)

• Revealed six burial mounds (1st century BCE – 1st century CE) belonging to a nomadic royal family, yielding over 20,000 gold ornaments

• The artifacts demonstrate a blend of cultures, including Roman coins, Chinese bronze mirrors, and, most prominently, Greek deities and Hellenistic styles

• These findings fill a gap in the understanding of the early Kushan Empire

Parthian shot (an archer on horseback shooting backward)

• A devastating military maneuver used by Parthian cavalry to defeat heavily armored foes like Roman legions

Uses of silk

• Currency and Trade

• Luxury Apparel

• Artistic and Writing Surface

• Gifts

• Textile Art

• Fishing lines

• Bowstrings

• Musical instrument strings

Mahayana Buddhism

• the Great Vehicle

• a major branch of Buddhism (influenced East and North

  Asia)

• advocates salvation to all, not just oneself

Yungang Cave-temples

• The site showcases the integration of foreign Buddhist art with local Han culture

• Masterpiece of Early Buddhist Art

Bodhisattva

• a being destined to gain full enlightenment but postpones it in order to save suffering beings

• has princely attire

Karma

signifies the universal law of moral cause and effect, where intentional actions of body, speech, and mind shape present experiences and future rebirths

Dunhuang Sealed Library

• holds documents in over 20 languages and scripts, providing evidence of the cultural exchange along the Silk Road.

• contains invaluable secular documents covering history, mathematics, medicine, and folklore, as well as official records of local life, taxation, and trade.

Zoroastrianism

• serving as the state religion of Persian empires

• focused on the struggle between good and evil, influenced other religions

Manichaeism

• Founded by prophet Mani

• influenced by Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism

• spread from Persia, through Central Asia, to China, and west to the Roman Empire

Constantinople

the vital western terminus of the Silk Road, acting as the primary bridge between Asian trade networks and European markets

Hagia Sophia

• crucial landmark at the western terminus of the Silk Road

• representing the immense wealth, power, and religious authority of the Byzantine Empire.

Name: Bronze belt plaque with human combat and animals

Country/Place: Han Dynasty

Period: 3rd century BCE – 3rd century CE

Medium: Bronze

Significance: cultural artifacts that represented the identity, status, and power of nomadic peoples in Northern China and the Eurasian steppes