Silk Road 2.1

• What is the popular fascination with the Silk Roads primarily about?


  Economic and cultural exchange across Eurasia
• How has the term "Silk Roads" been used in modern times?


  As a metaphor for Central Asian oil pipelines and adventure travel
• Who coined the term "Silk Roads"?

  Ferdinand von Richthofen
• What was Richthofen's original concept of the Silk Roads focused on?


  The movement of silk overland from east to west
• What aspects of the Silk Roads are still subject to scholarly debate?


  The history and definition of the Silk Roads
• What are the key themes in the history of the Silk Roads?


  • Movement and resettlement
  • Interactions across borders
  • Artistic exchange
  • Spread and mixing of religions and cultures
• What archaeological discovery is associated with the nomadic pastoralists in the Altai mountain region?

  The frozen tombs of the Pazyryk culture
• Who are the horsemen identified with the Pazyryk tombs?

  The Scythians
• What evidence suggests connections between the Pazyryk tombs and China?


  Burial goods such as Chinese silk and bronze mirrors
• What is the earliest known pile carpet found in a Pazyryk tomb dated to?


  252–238 BCE
• What motifs are present in the earliest known pile carpet from the Pazyryk tomb?


  Achaemenid (ancient Persian) motifs
• How did the Xiongnu contribute to the beginnings of the Silk Roads?


  By establishing the first great Inner Asian empire
• What was the nature of the societies among Inner Asian peoples like the Xiongnu?


  They were mixed societies incorporating sedentary elements
• What goods flowed from China to Inner Asia during the Xiongnu period?


  Horses and camels
• What was the significance of the Han Dynasty's expansion into Central Asia?


  It shifted the balance of power in favor of the Chinese
• What evidence suggests that the Silk Road trade continued after the decline of the Han Dynasty?


  Interactions across Eurasia in subsequent periods
• When did Buddhism begin to spread into Central Asia and China?

  During the 2nd century CE
• Who were key figures in the transmission of Buddhism to China?

  Central Asians with linguistic skills
• What role did the Sogdians play in the Silk Roads?


  They were the first great merchant diaspora
• Where did the Sogdians originate?


  Samarkand and the Zerafshan River Valley
• What was the significance of the Sogdian letters found near Dunhuang?


  They documented a Sogdian network extending into central China
• How did the Turks influence trade during their control of Inner Asia?


  They promoted trade into Eastern Europe and the Byzantine Empire
• What major religion did the Sogdians help transmit to the Uyghurs?

  Manichaeism
• What evidence of east-west interaction is found in tombs along the northern routes connecting China and Central Asia?

  Coins from Sasanian Iran and Middle Eastern metalwork
• How did the Tang Dynasty influence cultural exchange?


  Foreign culture became popular among the Chinese elite
• What significant event occurred in the second half of the 8th century regarding Arab control?


  The establishment of the Abbasid Caliphate
• What impact did the Abbasid Caliphate have on Islamic civilization?


  It contributed to a new period of prosperity and cultural development
• How did the Mongol Empire affect travel across Asia?


  It documented the travel of Europeans across Asia for the first time
• Who were the famous travelers documented during the Mongol Empire?

  John of Plano Carpini and Marco Polo
• What were the major influences on artistic production in the Middle East during the period of the Mongol Empire?


  • Imitation of Chinese ceramics
  • Transmission of blue-and-white pottery decoration from the Middle East to China
• What was a major intellectual center mentioned in the study material?

  China
• What impact did the establishment of silk production centers in Central Asia and northern Iran have?


  It reduced reliance on imported Chinese silk.
• During which centuries was there considerable evidence of Chinese ceramics importation into the Persian Gulf?


  8th through the 10th century
• How did maritime trade affect the transmission of Chinese goods?


  It grew as Muslim merchants established themselves in southeast China.
• What was the impact of the Chinese connection on artistic production in the Middle East?


  Ceramicists developed new techniques to imitate Chinese wares.
• What decorative style moved from the Middle East to China?

  Blue-and-white pottery decoration
• What period marked the apogee of developments in trade and artistic exchange?

  The Mongol Empire period
• Who were the famous European travelers documented under the Mongols?

  John of Plano Carpini, William of Rubruck, and Marco Polo
• What role did Genoese merchant families play in China during the Mongol Empire?


  They took up residence in Chinese port cities.
• What was the significance of Kublai Khan's reign in China?


  It was a period of extensive exchange of artisans and technical specialists.