The silk road was the contemporary name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking east asia with central asia, south asia, and the. A new history of the world far more than a history of the silk. The silk roads is part of the genre of popular history books that purports to tell the history of the world through one particular theme or from one particular vantage point, and is better than most of them. This is strictly a economic history of the silk road as a trade system.
The silk road and millions of other books are available for instant access. The spice routes, also known as maritime silk roads, is the name given to the network of sea routes that link the east with the west. In the silk road, valerie hansen describes the remarkable archeological finds that revolutionize our understanding of these trade routes. The book barely touches upon the cultural, religious, and even political history of the silk road and its heartland, central asia.
But if trade, or the promise of wealth, has always been the engine to. They stretch from the west coast of japan, through the islands of indonesia, around india to the lands of the middle east and from there, across the mediterranean to europe. The name silk road comes from a historical network of trade routes started during the han dynasty 206 bc 220 ad between europe, india, china, and many other countries on the afroeurasian landmass. The silk road was a trade route that went from china to eastern europe. For centuries it has played an important role as a crosspoint for civilisations. For more than one thousand years, the silk road or rather roads. This book takes apart that myth and looks at the reality of life in the small trading communities along the silk road. Everything you always wanted to know about the silk road, this is the benchmark book on this chapter of the history of the region.
History of ancient silk road trade routes timeline facts. It stretched from asia to the mediterranean, traversing china, india, persia, arabia. A great run through the history of the trade routes and cultural relationships that tie europe and asia together and the conflicts. The silk road was a network of trade routes connecting china and the far.
It conjures a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from china to rome. At the time, silk was only made in china, and it was a valuable material. A history of central eurasia from the bronze age to the p. The silk road was an ancient network of trade routes, formally established during the han dynasty of china, which linked the regions of the ancient world in commerce between bce1453 ce. In the silk road, valerie hansen describes the remarkable archaeological finds that revolutionize our understanding of these trade routes. The silk road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching across central asia to europe, evokes exotic images of camel trains laden with bales of fine chinese silk, spices, and perfume, of desert oases surrounded by snowcapped mountains, of bustling markets thronging with travellers buying and selling grapes, coriander, baltic amber, and mediterranean coral. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. In history books, the silk road refers to a network of trade routes that connected china to the middle east and europe. The silk roads of the title are the arteries along which people, goods, ideas. This book in the biography from ancient civilizations series covers alexander the. The reality was different, and far more interesting, as revealed in this new history. Traversing snowy mountain passes, vast, forbidding. This is an excellent book which takes a different perspective on history than the usual run of history books. Silk road simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Peter frankopan is a trained historian, and so knows how to synthesise a great deal of information from cultures across asia and europe. Silk road, ancient trade route, linking china with the west, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of rome and china. A captivating guide to the ancient network of trade routes established during the han dynasty of china and how it connected the east and west ebook. The silk road was a network of trade routes connecting china and the far east with the middle east and europe. The route was named for the profitable trade in chinese silk which took place along much of its route. The silk road was an ancient trading route, that stretched across much of asia from china to the mediterranean sea.
Though china is often referred to as the central hub of the silk road, the history of the network began in persia. This book brings the history of the silk road alivefrom its beginnings to the. The term instead refers to a network of routes used by traders for more than 1,500 years, from when the han dynasty of china opened trade in b. He used it to describe the trading routes that first linked china with. What are some good historical books about the silk road. For a different take on the same material, 2 other books you can check out are the silk road. On this highway moved not just trade goods but also ideas, customs, tastes and such basics of life as cooking ingredients. China also received nestorian christianity and buddhism from india via the route. A history of the great trading routes between east. It went along the northern borders of china, india, and persia and ended up in eastern europe near todays turkey and the mediterranean sea. And finally, after the fall of the soviet union, academics in that region became involved increasingly in the study of the trade routes of central asia silk road in rare books. It looks at world history from the perspective of the lands along the silk roads the trading routes which brought silk from china to europe, and gold and silver in the other direction. A new history is a skilled and stylish history of the famous silk road trade routes which crisscrossed the ancient world and had a lasting impact on many cultures. It flows through the heart of asia, but it has officially vanished leaving behind the pattern of its restlessness.
How ordinary people used contracts, 6001400, changing gods in medieval china, 11271276, and, with kenneth r. It is difficult to overestimate the impact the silk road had on the development of civilization in both europe and asia. The silk road is neither an actual road nor a single route. The history and legacy of the trade routes that connected europe and asia examines the crucial trade links between the east and west, and the important cultural effects it had over the centuries. Published by oxford university press 2010 the silk road was the contemporary name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking east asia with central asia, south asia, and the mediterranean world. As renowned cookbook writer and teacher najmieh batmanglij explains, all have their origins along the ancient network of trade routes known as the silk road, stretching from china in the east to the mediterranean in the west.
The silk route was a historic trade route that dated from the second century b. Take an intrepid journey through the history of the silk roads with this visually stunning reference book. It was called the silk road because silk was traded along it. To ask other readers questions about the silk roads, please sign up. Aleppo has stood at the crossroads of trade routes across syria since at least the 3 rd millennium bc, when the city was first mentioned in ancient syrian manuscripts. To find out more about valerie hansen and the silk road. Stories from the silk road about ala american library association. With the rise of the ottoman empire in the western edge of the silk road, and their control over the goods sold to the europeans through the mediterranean sea, the trade routes led a steady stream of goods from the neighboring empires through. The reality was differentand far more interestingas revealed in this new history. An ambitious persiancentric rewrite of world history is full of insight but let. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the silk road like never before, in no time at all. The silk road consists of an extensive network of trade routes that has been around for over 2000 years, connecting the west with the east. Her narrative style is clear and engaging and the details she provides are fascinating.
Silk road small group tour for seniors odyssey traveller. The assumption about the silk road has always been that it was a major trade route between europe and china, where europe got its silk from. The silk road was the contemporary name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking east asia. The silk road was a group of trade routes that went across asia to the mediterranean sea. Shadow of the silk road by colin thubron, empires of the silk road. This let china trade with the middle east and the mediterranean world.
A history of china to 1600, negotiating daily life in traditional china. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The ancient silk road conjures up many romantic images. Silk road was operated by the pseudonymous dread pirate roberts named after the fictional character from the princess bride. The silk road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching across central asia to. The silk road is an ancient trade route that connects china to the west.
Because of that, this book gets rather dull and selective at times. Established when the han dynasty in china officially opened trade with the west in. The linking of asia to europe via eurasia for conquest and trade since at least 120bc is a unique part of the worlds history. The silk road online platform therefore aims to reopen dialogue along these historic lines of communication by collecting and making accessible worldwide scholarship about the silk roads and engaging a global audience in a deeper understanding of the diversity and interdependency of the cultures and peoples along these routes. It is the largest city in syria, and is situated on a plateau in the northwest of the country, some 100 kilometres from both the mediterranean to the west, and the euphrates river to the east, a location that has kept aleppo at. With the new documents, this version gives an even more vivid picture of how the silk road actually functioned. The rich resources of china, tibet, india, persia iran, arabia saudi arabia, turkey, and other countries were exchanged for thousands of years along roads that. Like runciman, frankopan is a multilingual byzantinist whose first books were about the. The silk road is a term used to designate a group of trade routes that stretched from eastern asia to the mediterranean sea. It conjures up a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from china to rome. Books to read about the silk road guide for seniors odyssey.
Youre not quite there on the silk road the same way gibbon put you in the roman agora. The best books on central asia and the silk road region. Books to read about the silk road guide for seniors. This network of exchange emerged along the borders between agricultural china and the steppe nomads during the han dynasty 206bce220ce, in consequence of the interdependence and the conflicts of these two distinctive societies. Without this trade route, the civilization of both continents would almost certainly have developed very differently. The history and legacy of the trade routes that connected. The silk road, a series of ancient trade routes stretching across central asia to europe, evokes. This new history of the world is a strangely myopic one for it. Odyssey travellers 29day fully escorted small group silk road tours take you on a journey across the eurasian steppe, tracing the ancient trade routes collectively known as the silk road. Best books to read about the silk road a list for senior travellers. The silk road is a term used to designate a group of trade routes that. The silk road was the contemporary name for a complex of ancient trade routes linking east asia with central asia, south asia, and the mediterranean world.