Trade

   The Silk Road was the an ancient trade route that linked China and imperial Rome. The Silk Road was named for the silk that was carried on it. The Silk Road was about 6000km long, stretching by various routes from the Chinese capital of Chang'an. Passing across the North China Plain, through the Pamirs and the Karakorum Range to Samarqand and Bactria, to Damascus, Edessa, and the Mediterranean ports of Alexandria and Antioch.

   The Silk Road was fist used around 100 BC, after Wu Ti, a Chinese Emperor of the Han Dynasty, subdued large areas of central Asia by conquest and alliance. This enabled caravan traffice to travel these vast distances, which favored high-valued goods: silk from China; wool, gold, and silver from Rome.

   Most caravans would meet up on the Silk Road, rather than traversing the entire route, and trade goods. Ideas also traveled to and from China along the Silk Road. Buddhism came to China from India along the Silk Road. Also, Nestorianism, a sect of Christianity, was introduced form China to Europe along this route.