The Development of the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty

The Silk Road was a huge complex trading network made up of many small sub networks. It was used to transport goods between China, India, Near East and Europe. By examining the different civilizations/political powers that were involved and the commodities that were traded, it is possible to see what stimulated the development of the Silk Road. It is important to look at the civilizations involved because a strong economy is required for trade to flourish. Political stability is also an important factor since trade is vulnerable to war and bandits. The second important point which must be looked at is commodities that were traded. The supply and demand for commodities is what motivates trade, analyzing the commodities traded could reveal the factors which promoted the trade of goods.…