Unit7TheSilkroad

Unit7 The Silk road The Silk Road refers to a transport route connecting ancient China with Central Asia, West Asia, Africa , and the European continent . It appeared as early as the second century and was traveled mainly by silk merchants. The term “ Silk Road “ , or “die Seidenstrasse”in German , was first noted down by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen at the end of the 19th century. The Silk Road began in Chang an(present-day Xi an,capital of Shaanxi Province ) , passing through Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia , West Asia , and to lands by the Mediterranean . There were no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilization in earlier history. In about the seventh century BC, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the east , yet knew littleaboutit.BeforetheSilkRoad,according to archeologicalfindings,therehadalreadyexistedan intermittent(断断续续的) trade route on the grasslands from the Yellow River and the Indus River drainage areas to the Euphrates and the Tigris, and the Nile drainage areas .Yet real communication between China , Central and West Asian countries Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road . The Silk Road functioned not onlyas a trade route but also as a bridge that linked the ancient civilization of China , India , the Mesopotamian plains , Egypt and Greece . It also helped to promote the exchange of science and technology between east and west. The Silk Road served as the main channel for ancient China to open up to the outside world , as well as for fresh impulses from other cultures to enter the country which contributed a significant share to the shaping of Chinese culture. Zhang Qian , Trail Blazer The pioneer who blazed(开拓) the trail of the Silk Road was Zhang Qian ( c. 164-114 BC ) , a general of the Western Han Dynasty ( 206 BC - AD 25 ) . In Zhang Qian s time, the Chinese had little knowledge about Central and West Asian countries , Africa or Europe although they were aware of the existence of many different countries and cultures in faraway place the west. During the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 140 - 135 BC), there were 36 small kingdoms in the Western Regions ( present-day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia ) . All of them were later conquered by the Huns , who then posed a direct threat to the Western Han andblockedthedynasty spathwest.Underthese circumstances ,Emperor Wu appointed Zhang Qian to lead a team of more than 1 0 0 envoys(使者) to the Westem Regions . The mission was to unite the Indo-Scythic people against the Huns , who once killed their chieftain (首领 ) . Zhang Qian s team set out in 138BC.No sooner had they entered the Hexi Corridor ( northwest of present-day Gansu Province ) , than they were captured by the Huns . After beingheld under house arrest for over ten years , Zhang Qian and only one other remainingenvoy managed to escape and return toChang an in 126 BC. Their accounts about t