China, for example, supplied West Asia and the Mediterranean world with silk, while spices were obtained principally from South Asia. These goods were transported over vast distances— either by pack animals overland or by seagoing ships—along the Silk and Spice Routes, which were the main arteries of contact between the various ancient empires of the Old World. Another important trade route, known as the Incense Route, was controlled by the Arabs, who brought frankincense and myrrh by camel caravan from South Arabia. Cities along these trade routes grew rich providing services to merchants and acting as international marketplaces. Some, like Palmyra and Petra on the fringes of the Syrian Desert, flourished mainly as centers of trade supplying merchant caravans and policing the trade routes.
In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, however, new elements were introduced that began to transform the economic foundation of Western Civilization: a revival of trade, considerable expansion in the circulation of money, the emergence of specialized craftspeople and artisans, and the growth and development of towns. The revival of commercial activity was a gradual process. During the chaotic conditions of the Early Middle Ages, large-scale trade had declined in Western Europe except for Byzantine contacts with Italy and Jewish traders who moved back and forth between the Muslim and Christian worlds. By the end of the tenth century, however, people with both the skills and the products for commercial activity were emerging in Europe. Venice sent wine, grain, and timber to Constantinople in exchange for silk cloth, which was then peddled to other communities.
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa. The land routes were supplemented by sea routes, which extended from the Red Sea to coastal India, China and Southeast Asia. Extending 4,000 miles (6,500 km), the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade along it, which began during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). The central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BCE by the Han dynasty,[1] largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian,[2] but earlier trade routes across the continents already existed. [citation needed] In the late Middle Ages, transcontinental trade over the land routes of the Silk Road declined as sea trade increased,.
Since then, Hong Kong emerged as an important entrepot by the early twentieth century. The location as an entrepot prompted merchants to invest in industries relating to entrepot trade, including banking, insurance and shipbuilding. The government also spent more on infrastructure, including transport and communication systems, to support trading activities. Shanghai Similar to Hong Kong, Shanghai’s location has been influenced by Western colonialism and it was designated as a treaty port in 1842 (Abbas, 2000). The city then gradually developed into the leading industrial and commercial centre in the national economy by 1920.
Qin dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China. During its reign over China, the Qin dynasty achieved increased trade, improved agriculture, and military security. This dynasty also introduced several reforms such as: currency, weights and measures were standardized, and a better system of writing was established. They allowed the construction of ambitious projects, such as a wall on the northern border, now known as the Great Wall of China. The aristocracies of the Qin were largely similar in their culture and daily life.
During the time period between 300 C.E. and 1450 C.E., the Silk Road served the same purpose while experiencing diminutive changes. For example, the items exchanged between these civilizations changed over time because of advancements in technology with new innovations being bartered. The Silk Road always aided trade and circulated goods between Arabian, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Persian, and Roman civilizations. The end of the Era of Division through the Sui dynasty (300-618), the Tang dynasty (618-907), and the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties (907-1450) were three key periods of time that the Silk Road flourished and altered the most.
CCOT: Interactions On the Silk Road Between 200 BCE and 1450 CE, interactions on the Silk Road changed the amount of trade and altered the Silk Road, but what remained the same was the spread of ideas and inventions, religions, and disease along the Silk Road. In the span 200 BCE to 1450 CE, the interactions on the Silk Road change the amount of trade and the usage of the trade route. Around 200 BCE, the Silk Road was created for trading between Rome and China. As time progressed it began to branch out to include other countries. Near the end of this period it was expanded to include Europe.
Access to commodities such as fabrics, spices, and gold motivated a European quest for a faster means to reach South Asia. It was this search that led the Portuguese down the coast of West Africa to Sierra Leone in 1460. Due to several technological and cultural advantages, Portugal dominated world trade for nearly 200 years, from the fifteenth to the sixteenth centuries. While, in the fifteenth century, the rest of Europe was decimated by the Black Plague, Portugal was protected by its physical isolation. Additionally, Portugal had an unusually strong national identity, due to its natural geographic borders, allowing the pooling of the considerable economic resources necessary to fund these ambitious explorations.
In the follow pages I will be proving that Trade in ancient India was a major part of their culture. I will be proving this by 3 sub-questions; why trade was important in ancient India, Why was trade important in ancient India, How did the trade affect ancient India. Trade was important in ancient India because of many reasons, such as an almost constant flow of money of the economy, news, weapons, and all sorts of new things from other country like east Africa, Egypt and Rome. One of the Most iconic artefact of ancient India it’s the Silk road, (until the kushan period which after it was classed as unsafe from thieves etc.) this was how India first trade but sea trade was popular.
This opened up trade routes between Asia and Europe with most of the goods originating or passing through Southeast Asia. Along with the exchange routes came more people and ideas into Southeast Asia and ultimately increased the cultural and economical development. (Upshur, 2002) The second contributing factor was the trade policy of Southern Sung China. The Chinese government needed revenue to support their efforts to please the northern invaders. For this reason the Chinese government encouraged exporting of porcelain and other goods to Southeast Asia.