The Characteristic Components of International Trade along the Silk Road - Essay Example

Silk Road What were the characteristic components of international trade along the Silk Road in the Pre-Mongol era; the traders, their means of transport, their goods, their geographical range, the currency they used and so on? To what extent was this trade dominated by the major empires situated at either end of the Silk Road? Introduction International Trade is not a new concept but rather societies and countries have continued to trade since the beginning of time. Trade along the Silk Road, however, holds great prominence in history since it ensured a movement of goods at great distance and at such great quantities. When the Silk Road was initiated by Han Wudi, he was inspired by the love of the Romans for the silk produced in China. Later other goods such as Indian spices, pottery, animals, jewels etc found their way through the Silk Road and this route became the most prominent aspect of the history of not just Asia but also Europe. This paper will attempt to explore the characteristic components of international trade along the Silk Road while also discussing the impact of major empire on the evolution of Silk Road. Characteristics of International Trade via Silk Road The Silk Road catered to a variety of people. It ensured effective movement of goods, ideas, religions and cultures. Considering the Silk Road as an important aspect of international trade, some of its characteristic components are discussed below. The Traders The traders of the Silk Road facilitated trade between the Eastern and Western World. Trade along the Silk Road began with the Indian, Chinese and the Bactrian Traders. Later the Sogdian traders realized the growing importance of the trade route and started using it for their own trade purposes. Arabs and Persians were among the last people to use the road as a means of international trade. Means of Transport The network of road consisting of the Silk Road housed different terrains; some of them too rough to allow for transport of goods. Traders often had to change routes in order to complete their travels in wide spanning desserts and mountain ranges. In order to tackle such difficult terrains, traders used caravans to travel from one place to another. Using caravans was more practical for the traders since it allowed them to travel in groups and avoid being robbed by bandits roaming on the Silk Road. These caravans consisted of mainly animals and buggies transporting the goods from one place to another. This was a time when industrialization had not taken place and thus animals were the main source of transportation. Goods Transported via Silk Road As the name implies, the main good transported via the road was silk itself. Silk was produced by the Chinese and was in great demand by the Romans. The Romans were impervious to the knowledge of the manufacturing of silk and thus silk was a valued item. Other goods imported from China to Rome and other regions included ‘satins, musk, rubies, diamonds, pearls, rhubarb’ (Woord, 13-14). Along with this, other items of prominence transported via the silk road included precious gems such as animal hides (horses, ox, buffalo etc), iron, almonds, honey, soaps, cotton, rice, henna, spices, herbs and certain drugs etc (Pegolotti’s Merchant Handbook). In general, the demand for Eastern products such as silk, gems, paper, and spices was higher as compared to demand of Western products. Along with transporting goods, the Silk Road also served an important purpose of diffusion or arts and religion from one place of another. This road was responsible for the spread of Buddhism and Islam. As important people travelled along the route, they took their knowledge of science and arts with them and taught people of other areas their arts. Thus this road served as a cultural mode of transmission also. Geographical Range of Silk Road The importance of Silk Road began in the time when inter-continental trade was only limited to road networks and sea trade was not possible. The Silk Road was officially opened in the 1st century BC as a means of connecting eastern countries like India and China with the Western world including countries like Bactrian, Parthian and Dayuan. The Silk Road extended to 4,000 miles of land and included not just Central, South, East and Western Asian and Europe but also North and East Africa and Mediterranean Areas. Major Stops of the Silk Road included Yarkand, Turfan, Kashgar, Dunhuang and Merv Oasis. Countries that extensively used the road as a means of international trade were India, China, Arabia, Europe and Persia. The Silk Road is a combination of three major routes connecting a wide range of geographical areas. These routes include the northern route, the southern route and the south-western route. The northern route connected Chang’an with the Black Sea, the southern route extended to India and Afghanistan while the south-western route went over to the Mediterranean Region and Persia. Currency The currency used for trade mainly included silver coins from different regions including Rome and Sassanid. Since silk was the major item of trade, it was also used as a form of currency within the Silk Road. However, Wang argues that barter system was a more feasible way of trading along the Silk Road (Wang, 32). The Impact of Major Empires Major Empires on either side of the Silk Road greatly impacted the exchange of goods. Since the exchange of goods was beneficial for both the sides, the rulers of such empires invested heavily in facilitating trade by building roads and bridges for easy movement. The Chinese Emperor, Han Wudi was responsible for opening up the Silk Road when he realized the implications of such a route. When his emissary, Zhang Qian travelled towards the West, he brought information that later made the route possible. Other empires further facilitated trade in order to allow them to benefit from luxurious products (Bentley and Ziegler, 146). It was mainly the rich class in the Western world who had the power to buy imported goods brought along the Silk Road. Even though the Roman Government was against the concept of importing goods from China as it resulted in heavily outflow of gold, the love for silk and luxury among the Romans continued (Whitfield). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that that the Silk Road is one of the earliest forms of international trading. It began at a time when there were no railway tracks and thus trades and middlemen were dependant on using caravans that often were attacked by bandits. This was a time when foreign exchange was not properly developed therefore barter system was the most efficient system followed by gold and silver coins. A variety of products were imported and enjoyed by the rich class including silk, spices, jewels etc. Work Cited Bentley, Jerry and Ziegler, Herbet, “Traditions and Encounters”, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002 Pegolotti’s Merchant Handbook, https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/pegol.html. Wang, Helen, “How much for a camel? A New Understanding of Money on the Silk Road before AD 800”, in S. Whitfield (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004: 24-33. Whitfield, Susan, Life Along the Silk Road. Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press 1999: 27-54. Wood, Frances, “The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia”, Berkeley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 2002 Read More