Silk Roads Trade and Empires

The video provides an overview of the Silk Roads from 1200 to 1450, focusing on the causes and effects of trade network growth. It discusses the historical context, including the Han Dynasty and the first Golden Age of Silk Roads trade. The video highlights the factors that led to the growth of exchange networks, such as the Mongol Empire's influence and technological advancements in transportation. It explains the relay trade system and cultural exchanges, as well as economic innovations like flying cash and the Hanseatic League's role in European trade. Finally, it examines the effects of expanding trade on city growth and production.

What was the essential question discussed in the introduction of the chapter?

• How did the Silk Roads impact the Roman Empire?

• What were the causes and effects of the growth of networks of exchange after 1200?

• What technological advancements were made during the Han Dynasty?

• How did the Byzantine Empire influence trade?

Which empire's weakening limited access to the East, affecting the Silk Roads trade?

• Roman Empire

• Ottoman Empire

• Mongol Empire

• Byzantine Empire

What was one of the key transportation methods used across the desert in the Silk Roads trade?

• Horse-drawn carriages

• Bicycles

• Steam engines

• Camel caravans

Which religion spread to China from India through the Silk Roads?

• Buddhism

• Judaism

• Hinduism

• Christianity

What financial innovation developed in China allowed merchants to deposit cash and withdraw it in a different location?

• Digital currency

• Flying cash

• Credit cards

• Barter system

What was the role of the Hanseatic League in the context of trade?

• To develop new technologies

• To conquer new territories

• To protect ships from pirates and finance voyages

• To establish new trade routes

Which cities grew as important centers of trade and cultural exchange due to the Silk Roads?

• Rome and Athens

• Cairo and Alexandria

• Kashgar and Samarkand

• Beijing and Tokyo

What was one of the effects of the growth of exchange networks on production in Asia?

• Shift to agricultural production

• Focus on local markets only

• Increased production of steel and porcelain

• Decrease in production of goods

What was a significant effect of the Mongol Empire on the Silk Roads trade?

• It unified the trade routes under one empire

• It halted all trade activities

• It restricted trade to only Asian countries

• It led to the decline of the Silk Roads

What was a major cause for the growth of the Silk Roads trade?

• The invention of the steam engine

• The decline of European demand for Asian goods

• The unity and encouragement of trade by the Mongol Empire

• The isolation of China from the rest of the world