SILK ROAD: HISTORY, ROUTE, IMPORTANCE AND CURRENT AFFAIRS - HISTORY - 2025

The Silk Road was a set of trade networks that linked Asia and Europe. Although that name did not appear until the 19th century, these routes began in the 1st century BC. Its journey began in China and crossed the entire Asian continent until it reached Europe.

The name of this route comes from the most prestigious product with which it was traded: silk. Different precious stones and minerals, textiles and other highly valued products on the European continent were also transported for sale. In addition, the Silk Road was a route through which cultures communicated and ideas spread.

Silk Road in the 1st century BC - Source: Silk Road in the 1st century AD - ru.svg under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license

The Silk Road began to decline when several of its sections became too dangerous and the European powers then began to look for alternatives. Portugal managed to reach the Indian Ocean by boat, while Spain, in its attempt to do the same, ended up reaching the American shores.

Today, the Chinese government has started an ambitious project that aims to resuscitate this trade route: the New Silk Road. To this end, an infrastructure construction plan has been developed throughout Asia and Europe.

History

It was Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen (1833-1905), a geographer from Poland, who invented the name of the Silk Road for the set of trade routes established in the 1st century BC. He did so in his book Old and New Approaches to the Route de la seda, published in 1877.

That name comes from the most prestigious product that was transported on the route: silk. Its method of production was unknown beyond China and the demand in Europe, especially among the Romans, was very high.

Background

According to many historians, the various peoples of the area already used the Chinese part of the route during the Paleolithic era. In this way, about 7000 years ago the so-called Jade Route was established.

The first expansion of the original trade routes took place with the arrival of Alexander the Great's troops to central Asia, in 329 BC. The Macedonian conqueror raised Alexandria Escate in the Fergana valley, a place that would play an important role in the development of the Silk Road.

The Greek influence in that area of ​​Asia lasted about three centuries. In addition, they were conquering some territories located further east, until reaching Sogdiana. Some discoveries suggest that they could reach Turkestan, which would have been the first to make contact with China.

Han Dynasty

Hounded by the tribes living to the north of his empire, Emperor Wu, a member of the Han dynasty, decided to seek allies in the west. The leader had news about the existence of some important kingdoms in that area and hoped to gain support to defeat his enemies, fearsome thanks to the handling of their horses.

The emperor sent one of his generals, Zhan Quian, to come into contact with those western kingdoms. The military man was unable to sign any type of alliance, but he did bring important information to the Court. Thus, he said that in the Ferghana Valley he had found impressive horses with which they could defeat their rivals.

Wu sent an army to conquer the lands that separated his country from the Ferghana Valley. With this military pressure, they managed to have access to the horses they wanted and, in addition, they began to trade with the kingdoms of the area.

In 110 a. C, Wu sent some representatives to converse with Mithridates II, king of the Parthians (in present-day Iran). From these negotiations emerged the central route of the later Silk Road.

Marco Licinius Crassus

It took another fifty years for the next step in the creation of the Silk Road to occur.

The Roman military man Marco Licinius Crassus made a discovery when he was going to Parthia to try to conquer it: silk. This fabric became in a few years one of the most coveted by wealthy families in Rome.

Floro, a Roman historian, wrote that during the government of Caesar Augustus, between 27 BC. C and 14 d. C, Beings ambassadors arrived in Rome, a town known for its silk production.

Opening of the Silk Road

The efforts of the Han to open trade with Central Asia, coupled with the Roman interest in Asian products and the appearance of other peoples who sought to trade with the West caused that, in the 1st century BC. C will create the Silk Road.

Roman empire

The routes that were already open were expanded when Rome conquered Egypt in 30 BC. From that moment, regular communications were established linking the major commercial cities of China, India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Although the conflict between the Parthians and the Roman Empire hindered trade, during the following centuries it did not stop. The most important powers of the time took measures to protect the merchants who traveled the Route.

However, not everyone in Rome agreed with the trade that was developing. The Senate tried to prohibit the use of silk, since its purchase by the Romans was causing a large amount of gold to pass from the inhabitants of the Empire to Chinese hands.

Despite these attempts, Rome's trade with Asia only came to a halt with the fall of the Empire in the West, in the 5th century.

On the other hand, the Byzantines recorded in their chronicles how two friars had discovered the method of producing silk. Although it was necessary to send thieves to obtain eggs of the worms, this fabric could begin to be produced in the Mediterranean.

Middle Ages

The Silk Road remained relevant during the Middle Ages. In addition to silk, minerals and precious stones, furs and spices were also transported.

Typically, merchants will only complete part of the Route. Each seller carried their products during a section of the route and passed them to another merchant in one of the main cities that lined the roads.

Despite its importance and being widely used, the Silk Road was still dangerous. In the Middle Ages, attacks by bandits who tried to steal goods were frequent.

One of the consequences of this route was that it increased the cultural and informative contact between the different peoples. Islam and Buddhism, for example, used it to expand their teachings.

On the other hand, the Mongols took advantage of the infrastructures created to increase their territory until they formed the Mongol Empire.

The Mongol Empire

It was precisely the strength of the Mongol Empire that allowed the Silk Road to experience a remarkable renaissance. Its power brought with it greater security and stability, something that lasted from 1207 to 1360.

The presence of the Mongols also ended the control that the Islamic caliphate had acquired over trade. In short, transportation and commercial activities increased significantly.

The Mongols saw that this trade represented great profits for them. Many of the products that were transported on the Silk Road were not very valuable to them, but Westerners were very interested.

During this period there were also trips of diplomats and merchants in both directions. In 1287, an envoy of the Mongol Khan toured various European capitals, and at the same time Marco Polo reached China.

An alliance between the French and the Mongols came close to forming, which would have meant that they joined forces in the Holy Land against the Muslims. However, the Mongols eventually converted to Islam themselves.

Decline

The end of the Silk Road as an important commercial communication route coincided with the disintegration of the Mongol Empire. First, because of the disappearance of a strong political unit that controlled the roads and, secondly, because the Route was divided between several different powers.

One of them was that of the Turks, who were gaining ground in present-day Turkey. Another, the Byzantine Empire, now far from its peak. In addition, several smaller states also appeared.

From 1453, the year of the fall of Constantinople into Ottoman hands, the Silk Road practically ceased to be used. The relations of the Turks with the Europeans were very bad and they fought war on numerous occasions. One of the measures taken by the sultans was to prevent trade.

New routes

Wars, insecurity for merchants, and Ottoman obstacles caused the commercial powers of Europe to start looking for new routes to reach Asia. Almost all opted for the maritime routes, highlighting the expeditions promoted by the Portuguese Crown.

The first merchant ship to reach China was Portuguese, in 1513. Later, they proceeded to establish diplomatic and commercial relations. During the negotiations between the two countries, it was agreed that Macao would pass into Portuguese hands. That city became the first commercial port of a European country in the entire area.

The Spanish, for their part, tried to find another route that would take them to the Indian Ocean. The plan was to do so by crossing the Atlantic, in the belief that Asia could be reached more easily than by skirting Africa. The result was the discovery of America in 1492.

Travel

The Silk Road was, in reality, a set of different routes that communicated the Asian continent with Constantinople and, from there, with the rest of Europe.

From China there were about 4000 kilometers to reach the eastern part of Europe. The route was to cross South Asia and the Middle East.

The economic boost that this trade route entailed gave rise to the birth or growth of several cities. Among the most prominent are Samarkand, Bukhara, Tehran or Ankara.

Point

Although the roads intertwined, the best known places from which the caravans departed were Xining, Xi'an and Lanzhou. Even in present-day China, merchants had to traverse the Gansu gorges and penetrate the Taklamakan desert.

Itineraries

The main itineraries were two: the north and the south. It all depended on which cities they wanted to cross.

Both itineraries are reunited to pass through India and Persia. To do this, traders had to cross the peaks of Central Asia, such as the Karakorum. Later, they passed through present-day Uzbekistan, an area where cities such as Samarkanda or Bukhara were found.

Arrival

As with the departure locations, the caravans could also choose between various arrival points.

In the south, they used to pass through Antioch before reaching Constantinople, both in Turkey. From there some merchants chose to continue their way to Alexandria, in Egypt.

On the other hand, you could also go to Kazan, in Russia, for goods that did not have the Mediterranean as their final destination.

Importance for the time

The Silk Road connected Asia with Europe and Africa, which was of great commercial and cultural importance.

Not only merchants, but also religious of all confessions, troops and diplomats passed through the routes that made it up. Also, on occasions, adventurers who later related their discoveries. Some historians consider that it was the first globalization.

Trade route

The Silk Road was, after all, a trade route. The importance of it is that it expanded the possibilities of carrying out commercial activities to places very far from each other.

Most often, Europeans demanded some Asian products, such as silk itself or spices, although the opposite was also the case.

Depending on the time, there were countries that benefited in a special way from the existence of these routes. For a time it was the Mongols, who controlled much of the roads. Later, already at the end of the Middle Ages, it was Italy that obtained the greatest benefits.

On the other hand, the trade that developed thanks to the Silk Road strengthened the Muslim countries. For many of them, it became the basis of their economy.

However, over time, the Silk Road had a negative impact on some European countries. As before in Rome, spending on products arriving from Asia began to be too high.

That was one of the reasons, in addition to the arrival of the Ottomans, for which new routes were sought that would make trade cheaper and eliminate intermediaries.

Great value products

Silk, the product that gave the route its name, was the commercial star for a long time. However, when Europeans discovered how to obtain it, its importance began to wane.

Other merchandise took over. Among them were precious or semi-precious stones, some rare plants, fabrics or even exotic animals. Finally, spices were also transported, which would acquire great commercial relevance in the following centuries.

For their part, Western countries used to send gold, silver and textiles. Most of the time, these products were being exchanged for others in the cities located on the route.

Mix of cultures and ideas

In addition to being purely commercial, the Silk Road had great importance as a facilitator of contact between different cultures. During the journeys, the components of the caravans came into contact with the inhabitants of the area. The exchange between all of them produced some results with considerable impact.

Some religions took advantage of the route to expand. Buddhism, originating from India, became strong in China. Islam, on the other hand, also advanced in many areas.

The Silk Road not only allowed for cultural exchange. Similarly, it led to many inventions becoming popular in Europe. From China, for example, came paper and a discovery that changed the way of waging war: gunpowder.

Marco Polo

Possibly the most famous traveler on the Silk Road was Marco Polo. This Venetian was not, however, the first European to complete the entire route. Other explorers and traders had done it before, including Marco's own uncle and father.

What brought him fame and recognition, more than the trip itself, was the publication of a book in which he detailed everything he had found. The title of this work was Il Milione, although it is better known as The Travels of Marco Polo.

Venetian merchant

Marco Polo came into the world in Venice in 1254. His father was a merchant who had teamed up with his two brothers to create a company. At the time, Venice was one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean and was trying to consolidate its position on various sea routes.

Another important factor was that Venice had its own neighborhood in Constantinople, like the Genoese, its competitors. Marco's father and his uncles traveled to that city and began preparing a trip to Asia.

According to existing sources, Marco Polo did not meet his father until he returned from Asia in 1269.

Trip

Marco's father, Niccoló, and one of his uncles, Maffeo, planned to take another trip just three years later. This time, they took the young man with them. The first stage took them to Acre, from where they left for Jerusalem.

At that time they learned that a new Pope, Gregory X, had been elected. He was in Acre and the Poles decided to return to that city to receive new credentials.

Upon reaching his destination, Marco Polo gained the trust of Kublai Khan, the last great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Such was the cordiality between the two that the Venetian navigator was appointed as one of their advisers.

Later, he was commissioned to be the Khan's emissary, a task he carried out for 17 years and which allowed him to travel a good part of the enormous Chinese territory. Finally, the Poles left the Court of the Khan to return to Venice.

Your book

When he reached his hometown in 1295, Marco Polo became a celebrity. All his countrymen wanted to know what he had seen during his journey.

Like a good part of his life, there are no clear data on how he ended up in a Genoa prison. It seems that it was there that he coincided with Rusticiano de Pisa, who would be the one who would write Marco Polo's book at dictation.

In this work, Marco Polo recounted everything he had experienced during his trip. The result was Il milione (The Million in Spanish), baptized in Spanish-speaking countries as Los Viajes de Marco Polo or as El Libro de las Maravillas.

Present

The great economic growth that China has experienced in recent years has made it one of the commercial and political powers of the planet. Within its strategy, the Chinese government is trying to resurrect, with modern means, the ancient Silk Road.

New Silk Road

The purpose of the Chinese government to revitalize the Silk Road is that the companies of their country have more commercial outlets. His project aims to unite China with the rest of Asia, Europe and Africa.

To do this, China is spending large amounts of money to build new communications infrastructure along the old route. Likewise, it is also allocating funds to make oil and gas pipelines in the countries that are in it.

The New Silk Road was presented as a project in 2014, when President Xi Jinping was at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

This body is made up of some of the countries that, today, are located on the old route: Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, among others.

Likewise, the nations with observer rank were also in the former goods transit zone: Pakistan, India, Mongolia, Iran and Afghanistan. Finally, there are three other countries participating as partners, including Turkey, whose geographical location makes it almost essential for the success of the project.

Planned infrastructures

The Asian giant has among its plans the construction of high-speed trains, as well as modern highways. The route, as was the case with the old one, would begin in central China and would run through Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey until it reached Europe.

Although the European Union, like the United States before, has presented some protests about how China is negotiating bilaterally with each country, there are already several European nations that have joined the project. Among them, almost all those from the east of the continent, in addition to Italy.

At the western end of Europe, China intends to build a port in Portugal. A few years ago, another of the planned infrastructures began to function: a freight train that connects Madrid (Spain) with China, although it has only made the route a few times.

Accession of Italy

The arrival to power in Italy of the Northern League party meant a change in the policy of that country related to the New Silk Road. The leader of that party and Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, decided to support the Chinese project.

This has been badly received within the European Union, since it represented the breakdown of the common negotiating front of the most powerful countries of the organization. The European Union, moreover, had already had to confront the eastern members of the continent for the same reason.

References

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