Ancient China and the Silk Road

Impacts of the Silk Road on Ancient China

Standard 6.36

• Describe how the desire for Chinese goods influenced the creation of The Silk Road and initiated cultural diffusion throughout Eurasia, including the introduction of Buddhism into ancient China.

Words You Need to Know

• trade route - a path merchants follow to different places to buy and sell trade goods.

• bandits - nomad groups who would often rob merchants as they traveled from place to place.

• exotic - rare and unique

• caravan - large groups of merchants who traveled together for protection from bandits.

What is the Silk Road?

Good question. Why don't you watch this video to find out? I'll have you answer some questions about it after you watch.

Multiple Choice

The Silk Road was a trade route extending from China (Asia) to which place listed below?

• Europe

• Africa

• India

• America

If you see a map with lines going from Asia to Europe, it's probably the Silk Road

Multiple Choice

Why were merchants willing to take the risk of travelling on the Silk Road?

• There was no risk

• They were ordered to by the emperor

• They could become wealthy

• They loved to travel

Multiple Choice

According to the video, which civilization "cherished silk" and bought lots of it from merchants traveling along the Silk Road?

• Mespotamia

• India

• Rome

• Egypt

How did this affect China?

• The Han Dynasty in China becomes rich through trade.

• This helps keep their economy strong helping to keep things peaceful for over 400 years.

• This money helps pay for the development of new technologies.

• China opens up to the

• rest of the world for

• the first time.

How Did Contact Between China and Europe Change the World?

Not only were China and Europe able to get items they wanted, but had never had before from each other, parts of their cultures also began mixing together and causing each to change and become a little more like the other.

This is called Cultural Diffusion, and it makes the world the way it is today. Our culture is a mixture of pieces of lots of other cultures.

Poll

Which of the following is your favorite example of cultural diffusion in Portland?

• Sushi

• Soccer

• Anime

• Tatoos

Words You Need To Know

• Eurasia - this word is used to talk about both Europe and Asia at the same time.

• Cultural diffusion - diffusion means spreading. Cultural diffusion means parts of one culture spreading to another area or another culture and becoming a part of their culture.

How Do We Know Cultural Diffusion Happened?

Sometimes, noticing cultural diffusion would be as easy as seeing people in Europe beginning to wear silk that came from China. Other times, the change goes much, much deeper. It can even happen with a religion.

This happens in China and changes their culture forever toward the end of the Han Dynasty as a new religion comes to China from India.

The Fall of the Han Dynasty

• The Han Dynasty had a lot of good rulers, such as Han Liu Bang and Han Wu Di (Wudi). However, some of their later emperors were very corrupt.

• This bad treatment eventually leads to rebellion and the fall of the Han Dynasty.

The Period of Disunion

• When the Han Dynasty collapsed, there was another long series of civil wars (over 350 years) known as the Period of Disunion.

• Because the civil wars lasted so long, things once again got really bad in China (constant war, famine, disease, more poverty)

Buddhism Comes to China

• During the suffering of the Period of Disunion, missionaries from India bring Buddha's teachings to China along the Silk Road.

• Since Buddhism was based on the idea of preventing and curing suffering (of which there was a lot of in China at the time), the religion caught on and has been a big part of Chinese culture ever since.

Buddhism Comes to India

• This change in Chinese culture would have never happened if China did not have contact with India from the Silk Road.

• ​ Chinese technolgies such as paper, printing, and the magnetic compass would never have spread to other countries without the Silk Road.

• Different cultures and civilizations even today have an impact on each other's culture through trade.

Show Me What You Know!!!

Get ready to answer some questions about how the Silk Road and how it changed China.

Multiple Choice

What was the primary trade good that initiated (started) contact and cultural diffusion between China and the other civilizations of Eurasia?

• paper

• silk

• woodblock printing

• iron

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Multiple Choice

Which of these was a major effect resulting from trade along the Silk Road?

• Chinese learned how to make silk

• India adapted the Chinese writing system

• Buddhism spread from India to China

• The Chinese developed dynasties

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Multiple Choice

Which statement accurately describes the diffusion of Buddhism during the Han Dynasty?

• It was introduced to Japan through conquest during the Han Dynasty

• It spread along trade routes created by the Han

• It became the basis of the Han civil service system

• Emperor Wudi forced the people to convert to Buddhism

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Multiple Select

What were some of the things that could be exchanged along the Silk Road? Check all that are true.

• silk

• gold

• religious ideas

• languages

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Multiple Choice

What was the main reason why traders crossed the desert traveling in caravans?

• to make it easier to carry heavy loads

• to make it safer to travel

• to have more people to hunt camels

• to have more people to look for water

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following BEST describes the Silk Road?

• a single road that extended across Asia

• a route that connected western Europe to eastern Europe

• a route that was used to exchange trade goods between Rome to China

• a network of trade routes that extended across Asia

Multiple Choice

Which of the following did NOT travel along the Silk Road?

• Ideas/cultures

• Merchants/trade goods

• Camels and horses

• Average people going on vacation

Multiple Choice

True or False. Without the Silk Road, ancient civilizations would have been able to develop the same technologies easily and develop prosperous trade relationships.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

Based on the map, which types of geographic features did the Silk Road travel through?

(Select all that apply)

• Deserts

• Lakes

• Rivers

• Mountains

Open Ended

How Does Cultural Diffusion Affect You?

Check your clothing (shirt, socks, shoes, whatever but dont take anything off). List one thing you are wearing that comes from another country and tell me what that things is and where it came from (diffusion).

Open Ended

What was the most interesting thing you learned today? Come on, there has to be at least one thing.