What is the reason for the silk road?

Answer 1

The silk road was one of the most important trade routes during the age of exploration. This route extended from China to the Mediterranean Sea. It was a route along which merchants bought and sold their goods. It is also how different arts spread as well as Buddhism.

Answer 2

The historical significance of The Great Silk Route lies in the fact that it not only promoted trade and cultural exchanges between the two continents - Asia and Europe, but also encouraged invasions of the countries lying along the Silk Route by such famous invaders like - Changhiz Khan, Timur Lang, Mehmud of Ghazni, etc.

Answer 3

The Silk Road is a modern term. It refers to the trade routes that linked the east south and west of Asia, parts of north and East Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe which covered 6,500 km. There was a land route from northern to southern China which was then continued via the sea to Indonesia, around Indochina and to India. There were a land route from central China to Eastern India and one from western China to western India. These involved sea routes around India and from India to Arabia, East Africa and Egypt. The route to Europe went through Central Asia, the Middle East and Turkey and continued by sailing the Mediterranean. Thus, this network went through most of Asia and connected it to Africa and Europe.

Spices, precious stones and other goods were traded through these routes. The so called road got its name from silk because this was the most lucrative trade, one which made China very rich. It was very expensive. The Romans tried to limit purchases of silk as it caused a drain of gold. The trade continued in the milled ages and a period of disruption along of this road helped to stimulate exploration of the sea buy the Europeans to reach the spices of India and the silk of China via alternative routes. The route led to contact between many different peoples and the spread of religions. Rural peoples along it became more prosperous. It also caused period of creation of military states along the route. The Mongol empire had its political centres along the Silk Road.

Answer 4

Because the silk of the Orient was one of the valued products travelling to the West.