The Silk Road

The Silk Road is arguably the most well-known road of commerce during the classical era. Compared to the Sand and Sea Roads, the Silk Road demonstrated extremely high versatility in its ability to transport materials from China to as far as Turkey and Greece. The Silk Road posed major significance for its time in transporting not only silk, but textiles, precious minerals, weapons, precious minerals, foods and spices, as well as sickness, as in the Black Death, and the ideas of Confucian, Islamic, and Buddhist thought.

Since the development of silk-making from silkworms in China, the techniques of silk fabrication spread quickly to India, and through communication along the Silk Road, throughout Eurasia. Considering that China began manufacturing silk as long ago as 3000 BCE, their perfection of the craft is particularly admirable (Strayer 317). Furthermore, it is the extent to which the Silk Road reached through Eurasia that makes it admirable; traders made their way through the treacherous mountain ranges in Asia to Mongolia, India, Persia, and Arabia. The long-lasting nature of the Silk Road promotes its success as well; the Silk Road was a means of trade for over 2000 years.

The long-term effect of the Silk Road is its influence on trade as we know it today. As compared to today, the level of commerce transacted through the Silk Road is relatively small. However, it was a groundbreaking market because it paved the way for new modes of trade and travel. It inspired the spread of items and ideas, and for this it must be given credit where credit is due.