Advantages and Disadvantages of Silk Road Trade
By Abhilash Vanam
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of trade? How did trade along the Silk Roads influence the societies that engaged in trade?
The emergence of classical empires cause a great expansion in the scope of long distance trade as large regions in north Africa and Eurasia fell under the rule of classical society. The Han empire unified China and maintained order there while conquering vast portions of land in central Asia while the Parthians took the place of the Seleucids in Persia and extended their reign to Mesopotamia. In Indian, regional states such as the Kushan empire offered prosperity in stability in the absence of strong centralized rule and put in place infrastructure that supported long distance trade. As said empires expanded, merchants and networks began traverse a large network of trade routes from Eurasia to north Africa that collectively became known as the Silk Road due to the fact that silk was one of the primary commodities exchanged on said trade routes.
During this era, the improvement of transport facilities with the construction of roads and bridges and the creation of large imperial states reduced the risks associated with long distance trade and facilitated the growth of trade along the Silk Road. One advantage that trade along the Silk Trade included that it stimulated the emergence of complex societies as result of increased development and administration designed to make trade easier. Furthermore, the Silk Road bought societies all around the world into direct contact and led to the spread of innovations, ideas, and goods that benefitted all societies involved. The Silk Road linked lands from India and Bactria under the rule of Alexander the Great all the way to societies in the Mediterranean Ocean Basin and provided valuable goods to various societies. Spices and silk from southeast Asia, India, and China travelled west to central Asia, Arabia, Iran, and the Roman Empire. Spices served a very important role as then not only improved the quality of food but also served in drugs, aromatics, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, and perfumes that served to generation great revenue at the time. India also exported exotic and valuable items like ivory, coral, pearls, and cotton textiles. Central Asia produced great quantities of large horses and jade that was of great value in China. The Roman Empire produced and spread glassware, artwork, jewelry, perfumes, bronze goods, linen and wool textiles, and decorative times that benefitted societies worldwide.
Along with the spread of goods, the Silk Road also facilitated the spread of ideas and schools of belief, best seen in its' spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity throughout much of eastern hemisphere. The Silk Road served as the conduit for Buddhism's spread and many oasis towns along the trade routes, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Turpan, and Kashgar became the first places in Central Asia were Buddhism was first established. Due to the large influx of merchants from locations in Bactria, Ceylon, and India where Buddhism was population in these locations, Buddhism became a lasting influence on those who found the doctrine of the religion to be pleasing and used it as a means to better facilitate trade with individuals who practiced the religion. Buddhism spread from here to China through foreign merchants who built sizable enclaves during the time of the Han Dynasty. The religion eventually became incorporated into Neo-Confucianism that remained widely popular and China's major religion for centuries. In the case of Hinduism, travelling merchants spread the religion to places in southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia, The spread of Hinduism was also facilitated by maritime trade and interaction. In the case of Christianity, the pre-existing Roman infrastructure allowed for the propagation of this religion throughout the empire and to locations in southwest Asia through the use of Silk Road trade routes.
Despite these advantages, the Silk Road also had many negative effects on many societies that indirectly led to the fall of once prominent classical empires like the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire. One major disadvantage of the Silk Road was its' role in increasing the spread of epidemic disease such as the Bubonic Plague that spread like wildfire throughout much of Asia and Europe and led to the deaths of countless individuals that exacerbated tensions and bureaucratic inefficiency in locations like China and Rome, leading to the fall of once-great civilizations. This resulted in isolation and decreased contact and trade between societies and caused many individuals to die, creating a smaller workforce that was unable to meet the demands of society. As a result, wages skyrocketed and many societies experienced economic decline due to the lack of specialization and labor availability. While the Silk Road did have many advantages, it also had many disadvantages as well.
The emergence of classical empires cause a great expansion in the scope of long distance trade as large regions in north Africa and Eurasia fell under the rule of classical society. The Han empire unified China and maintained order there while conquering vast portions of land in central Asia while the Parthians took the place of the Seleucids in Persia and extended their reign to Mesopotamia. In Indian, regional states such as the Kushan empire offered prosperity in stability in the absence of strong centralized rule and put in place infrastructure that supported long distance trade. As said empires expanded, merchants and networks began traverse a large network of trade routes from Eurasia to north Africa that collectively became known as the Silk Road due to the fact that silk was one of the primary commodities exchanged on said trade routes.
During this era, the improvement of transport facilities with the construction of roads and bridges and the creation of large imperial states reduced the risks associated with long distance trade and facilitated the growth of trade along the Silk Road. One advantage that trade along the Silk Trade included that it stimulated the emergence of complex societies as result of increased development and administration designed to make trade easier. Furthermore, the Silk Road bought societies all around the world into direct contact and led to the spread of innovations, ideas, and goods that benefitted all societies involved. The Silk Road linked lands from India and Bactria under the rule of Alexander the Great all the way to societies in the Mediterranean Ocean Basin and provided valuable goods to various societies. Spices and silk from southeast Asia, India, and China travelled west to central Asia, Arabia, Iran, and the Roman Empire. Spices served a very important role as then not only improved the quality of food but also served in drugs, aromatics, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, and perfumes that served to generation great revenue at the time. India also exported exotic and valuable items like ivory, coral, pearls, and cotton textiles. Central Asia produced great quantities of large horses and jade that was of great value in China. The Roman Empire produced and spread glassware, artwork, jewelry, perfumes, bronze goods, linen and wool textiles, and decorative times that benefitted societies worldwide.
Along with the spread of goods, the Silk Road also facilitated the spread of ideas and schools of belief, best seen in its' spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity throughout much of eastern hemisphere. The Silk Road served as the conduit for Buddhism's spread and many oasis towns along the trade routes, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Turpan, and Kashgar became the first places in Central Asia were Buddhism was first established. Due to the large influx of merchants from locations in Bactria, Ceylon, and India where Buddhism was population in these locations, Buddhism became a lasting influence on those who found the doctrine of the religion to be pleasing and used it as a means to better facilitate trade with individuals who practiced the religion. Buddhism spread from here to China through foreign merchants who built sizable enclaves during the time of the Han Dynasty. The religion eventually became incorporated into Neo-Confucianism that remained widely popular and China's major religion for centuries. In the case of Hinduism, travelling merchants spread the religion to places in southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia, The spread of Hinduism was also facilitated by maritime trade and interaction. In the case of Christianity, the pre-existing Roman infrastructure allowed for the propagation of this religion throughout the empire and to locations in southwest Asia through the use of Silk Road trade routes.
Despite these advantages, the Silk Road also had many negative effects on many societies that indirectly led to the fall of once prominent classical empires like the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire. One major disadvantage of the Silk Road was its' role in increasing the spread of epidemic disease such as the Bubonic Plague that spread like wildfire throughout much of Asia and Europe and led to the deaths of countless individuals that exacerbated tensions and bureaucratic inefficiency in locations like China and Rome, leading to the fall of once-great civilizations. This resulted in isolation and decreased contact and trade between societies and caused many individuals to die, creating a smaller workforce that was unable to meet the demands of society. As a result, wages skyrocketed and many societies experienced economic decline due to the lack of specialization and labor availability. While the Silk Road did have many advantages, it also had many disadvantages as well.