The+Silk+Road

 The Silk Road by Lauren Kelly

Early Western Trade Routes

 * Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire unite the Middle East and northern India
 * Trade routes in these empire were established as far as northern India and the Middle East to move goods through the empires
 * Trade routes came into contact with nomadic groups and clans that lived along these routes
 * Certain Nomadic groups and clans relocated further east, settling along the western edge of China.

Beginnings of the Roads

 * During the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.E.) united most of the Chinese territories, including western areas that faced constant conflict with nomadic raiders
 * The Qin, and later the Han (206 B.C.E.) built walls to protect these areas from the raiders
 * Chinese forces also arrived to oversee the building of the walls and prevent the raids
 * Wu Ti, a Han emperor sent forces and an expedition to these western territories
 * This expedition found out from locals that the Yuezhi Tribe had located further east
 * They were searched for in order to form an alliance and were located in an area around northern India
 * An alliance was never formed but horse breeds were traded, and this breed became a valuable asset to the Han cavalry
 * This caused the Han to see the value in trading with western peoples, and set of routes linking to those in the Middle East established the first Silk Road



<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Importance to the Han Dynasty

 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The value these roads were fast learned, and soon Han money and arms were sent to preserve these routes from raiders and nomads
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Han set up centers of power, such as the city of Wulei in the Taklamakan, to maintain control over the area
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Road became on of the most precious aspects of the Han economy and the movement of good and ideas surpassed many of that time period
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Han continued to protect the routes and eventually came to the height of it's importance during later dynasties

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Importance to China

 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This link between civilizations created a large moments of good and ideas, importing ideas to and from China
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Idea, such as Buddhism, traveled along the road and were able to influence eastern China
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The financial success of the road also brought some financial stability to China
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">First true Chinese connection with the outside world
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Became an innovation in modern trade and helped China develop