They stole silkworms, murdering the Chinese who were guarding them. Marco Polo is generally credited with this crime.
The Chinese
he didnt
Europeans never had silk farming. That is one reason they wanted a route to Asia so much.
The Chinese made silk, but it stayed a secret until the Europeans captured a Chinese man and forced him to tell them how to make it. Even today, we wear silk.
silk
Silk
The Europeans wanted to buy the silk, manufactured from the silk worms cocoon's by the Chinese.
The Chinese introduced silk to the Arabs, who passed it on to Europeans.
Spices and silk
Silk, spices,and perfumes
silk
because they were all allergic to silk