The Silk Road trade led to the introduction of western civilization and helped in the development of the economy. It’s considered as the most important trade in the history of trade as it led to the beginning of globalization. Before the development of the Silk Road, a trade route originated in the 14^th century AD in Chang’an and ended at the Mediterranean in the west. It linked China with the Roman Empire. The major trade product was silk. However, the route not only traded goods but it also exchanged cultures of India, China, Arabia, Rome, and Greek. The trade route is said to have been opened by Zhang Qian during the Han Dynasty. It’s during this dynasty that the trade spent its childhood and development. As the dynasties changed, there was a rapid development of the economy and society. Hence the trade managed to stretch throughout the region. It led to the emergence of new trading items in the silk routes. Items from the West included horses, gold, silver, and weapons while those from East included silk, tea, porcelain, and spices.

The trade substantially developed during the Achaemenid period as the long-lasting empires led to trade stability throughout the region. Thus there was an emergence of long-distance roads which in turn led to the trade. The Parthian leadership led to the establishment of long-distance trade from China up to the Mediterranean through the Parthian lands. Hence the Roman period saw the continued development of the trade throughout the Near East. As a result of the developments, the trade routes opened up along the main routes, and thus the trade intensified. The trade routes were named silk routes which later led to the term Silk Road as a general term for the trade in the region. The routes had developed throughout the region stretching over East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, East Africa, and Southern Europe.

The Silk Road can be thus said to be an ancient network of trade routes which connected East and West Asia and later stretched to Africa and Southern Europe.

 
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