Chapter 8: Commerce and Culture

Both the Silk-Roads network across Eurasia and the trans-Saharan trade routes began during the post-classical era. The Silk-Roads brought together pastoral and agricultural people. They also brought together large civilizations. This network also provided certain unity and coherence to Eurasia history and it's distinct stories about the separation of civilization and people. For 2,000 years goods, ideas, technologies and diseases made their way throughout  Eurasia on several routes of the Silk-Roads.Eurasia is divided into two parts an inner and outer zone. They both represent different types of environments. Outer Eurasia consist of warm, well watered areas, great for agriculture, which made it welcoming for civilizations of China, India, Middle East and the Mediterranean. Inner Eurasia lies farther north. Has dry climate, it makes it that much harder to have agriculture with that type of climate.Pastoral people lived in these lands, they herd their animals from horseback, the people within the region had for centuries traded with and raided their agricultural neighbors to the south. The demand for silk and cotton textiles from India was popular in the Roman Empire. As the supply of silk increased it began to expand throughout Eurasia trading routes.During the Tang dynasty Buddhist monks in China received purple silk robes. It mean high honor. Peasants sometimes gave up the cultivation of food crops. They began to just focus on producing silk, paper, porcelain, lacquerware or iron tools. Most of these things were destined to enter the markets of the Silk Road.People began to realize that the long-distance trade was where they will benefit the most, and a lot started to participate. The absence of a writing language was the obstacle for the pastoral people, to be involved in a highly literate religion like Buddhism that's why it slowly progressed among them. The reputation of the Monk's was seen as a miracle worker, rainmaker, and fortune teller. His personal relationship with Shi Le had lead them to construct hundreds of Buddhist temples. Buddhism spread across the Silk- Road from India to Central Asia, China and beyond that. It also changed. Buddhist monasteries in the rich oasis towns of the Silk Road found themselves much involved in the secular affairs.Not only were good and culture part of the Silk- Road, but diseases came along with it too. People were exposed to diseases that they had little immunity to or none at all. A lot people died during this time as well. The Indian Ocean was the representation of the largest sea based system of communication and exchange. It stretched from southern China to eastern Africa. Transportation was lower on the sea roads, unlike the silk-roads. Ships carried a lot more than a camel would. The Silk- Road couldn't transport many good so they strictly transported luxury good for the few that could afford them.