Question

Which of the following is the significance of 'Silk Route'?

• A. The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk carried out along its length.
• B. Diseases, most notably plague, also spread along the Silk Road.
• C. Not only goods but also philosophies, technologies, religions, etc., were exchanged along this route.
• D. All of the above.

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

All of the above.

The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West. It was central to cultural interaction between the regions for many centuries. The Silk Road refers to both the terrestrial and the maritime routes connecting Asia with the Middle East and southern Europe. The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk carried out along its length, beginning in the Han dynasty (207 BCE220 CE).

Trade on the Road played a significant role in the development of the civilizations of China, Korea, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, Iran/Persia, Europe, the Horn of Africa and Arabia, opening long-distance political and economic relations between the civilizations.

Though silk was the major trade item exported from China, many other goods were traded, as well as religions, syncretic philosophies, and technologies. Diseases, most notably plague, also spread along the Silk Road. In addition to economic trade, the Silk Road was a route for cultural trade among the civilizations along its network.