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Early Silk Road

Type Object Region Eurasia Time c. -200–1

The Early Silk Road was a network of transcontinental Eurasian trade routes that gradually took shape between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century…

Timeline

  1. c. -500–-200Central Asian oasis city belt · Central AsiaThe Persian Empire and powers such as the Saka and Bactria controlled Central Asian oases, forming indirect trade chains linking East Asia, South Asia, and the Mediterranean; silk, jade, and fine horses passed through many intermediaries, without yet forming a stable channel dominated by the Han dynasty.
  2. -138–-100Chang'an to Fergana · ShaanxiEmperor Wu of Han sent Zhang Qian on missions to the Western Regions, opening the route from the Hexi Corridor to Fergana and the Yuezhi; the Han established the four Hexi commanderies with military-agricultural colonies for defense, shipping silk, ironware, and coins west and bringing Western Regions goods east, politicizing and institutionalizing the corridor.
  3. c. -50–1Parthian Empire and the eastern Mediterranean coast · MesopotamiaParthia controlled trade in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf, becoming the key intermediary between the Han dynasty and Rome; silk reached Syria and Egypt by land or sea, Roman demand for Eastern luxuries surged, and the Early Silk Road network reached its first peak.

Sources