Silk Road

Silk Road

Trade from Asia (China)

Vocabulary

• Merchants: a person or company involved in wholesale trade

• Caravans: a group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa.

The Silk Road was a trade route that went from China to Eastern Europe. It went along the northern borders of China, India, and Persia and ended up in Eastern Europe near today's Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Silk spread 4,000 miles.

The Silk Road helped to generate trade and commerce between a number of different kingdoms and empires. This helped for ideas, culture, inventions, and unique products to spread across much of the settled world.

Sold: teas, salt, sugar, porcelain, and spices

Bought: cotton, ivory, wool, gold, and silver.

Multiple Choice

What items did China sell?

• Gold & Silver

• Silk and Tea

• Cotton and Wool

Multiple Choice

How long was the Silk Road

• 4,000 miles

• 100 miles

• Across China

SILK ROAD VIDEO

Merchants and tradesmen traveled in large caravans. They would have many guards with them. Traveling in a big group like a caravan helped in defending from bandits. Camels were popular animals for transport because much of the road was through dry and harsh land.

 Under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty set up by Kublai Khan of the Mongols, trade from China along the Silk Road would reach its peak. During this time the Mongols controlled a significant portion of the trade route, enabling Chinese merchants to travel safely. Also, merchants were granted more social status during the Mongol rule.

Multiple Select

Which groups of people benefited from the Silk Road

• Persia and Fisherman

• Mongols and Chinese

• Merchants and Traders