The Silk Road refers to the ancient trade route that started from the political, economic and cultural center of ancient China-the ancient capital Chang 'an (now Xi City) connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. It passes through the Longshan Mountains, the Hexi Corridor, Yumenguan and Yangguan, reaches Xinjiang, along the oasis and Pamirs, passes through Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa, and finally reaches Africa and Europe.
It is also the main road for economic, political and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. Its original function was to transport silk produced in ancient China. Therefore, when German geographer ferdinand von richthofen named it "Silk Road" for the first time in 1970s, it was widely accepted. (Excerpted from UNESCO's statement on the joint application for the Silk Road)
The source of 1
The development of ancient civilizations in Asia, Africa and Europe
The Silk Road usually refers to the commercial road in the northern part of Eurasia, in contrast to the ancient tea-horse road in the south. Zhang Qian opened the Silk Road for the first time in the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty and Ban Chao of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and extended it again. After the Romans conquered the Seleucid Empire in Syria and the Ptolemy Dynasty in Egypt, the Romans obtained China's silk through the Rest Empire, Guishuang Empire and Aksum Empire. The Silk Road, which was first opened in Zhang Qian in the Western Han Dynasty, is called "hollow journey". At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the Silk Road was interrupted under the harassment of Xiongnu. In 73 AD, Ban Chao in the Eastern Han Dynasty reopened the Western Regions which had been isolated for 58 years, and this route extended to Europe and the Roman Empire for the first time. The Roman Empire also reached Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty along the Silk Road for the first time. This is not only the first communication between Europe and China, but also the complete Silk Road route at the beginning of 2 1 century. Among the goods traded on this long road, China's silk is the most representative, hence the name "Silk Road". The Silk Road is not only a trade avenue for exchanging needed goods between ancient Asia and Europe, but also a road to promote friendly exchanges between Asian and European countries and China and to communicate cultural friendship between the East and the West. Some famous figures in history, such as Zhang Qian, Ban Chao who devoted himself to the military, Yongping who worshiped Buddha, and Xuanzang who learned from the West, all have stories related to this road.
Since Zhang Qian's voyage to the West, the commercial exchanges between China and Central Asia and Europe have increased rapidly. Through this avenue that runs through Asia and Europe, China's silk, silk, satin, silk and other silk products are continuously transported to Central Asia and Europe. Therefore, the Greeks and Romans called China the country of Ju Lushi and China the nation of Ju Lushi. The so-called "Cyrus" means "silk" 2009+09.119.10101kloc. On the basis of years of research, German Hurtsen wrote a monograph "Silk Road". Since then, the title of the Silk Road has been recognized by the world. Generally speaking, the Silk Road is the general name of this east-west traffic line that starts from East Asia and then connects Europe and North Africa through Central Asia and West Asia. The Silk Road is of great significance in world history.
brief introduction
Commercial links between Asia, Africa and Europe (early 2nd century)
The Silk Road in Xinjiang is divided into three routes: south, middle and north. The Silk Road was named after German geographer F von Richthofen in 1877, but he meant "from 1 14 BC to 65438 AD".
Later, historians collectively referred to this commercial route connecting China and the West as the Silk Road. Because it spans more than two thousand years and involves land and sea, it is divided into four periods according to history: pre-Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties, Song and Yuan Dynasties and Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to the route, the overland Silk Road is divided into "Northern Silk Road" and "Southern Silk Road" due to different geographical directions. The geographical landscape of the areas where the Silk Road passes is very different, and people also
the Silk Road
Silk is a representative commodity exported along trade routes in ancient China. As the main commodity in exchange, it is also used as another name for the Silk Road, such as the Fur Road, the Jade Road, the Jewelry Road and the Spice Road. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties (589-896), the Silk Road was unprecedentedly prosperous, and Hu gathered in Chang 'an, the national capital, with tens of thousands of settlers. There were frequent wars in the mid-Tang Dynasty.
The northern land silk road refers to the commercial road from the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River to the western regions, including the grassland forest silk road and the desert oasis silk road. The former existed in the pre-Qin period, while the latter flourished in the Han and Tang dynasties. The Silk Road in the desert oasis has lasted for more than 1000 years, and there are many cultural relics along it, which is the main road of the Silk Road. The Silk Road of Grassland Forest runs from the middle reaches of the Yellow River to the north, across the Mongolian Plateau, across the South Siberian Plain to Central Asia and forks, while the other reaches Persia in the southwest and turns west. Another tributary crosses the Volga River westward and reaches the Black Sea. The two roads meet in West Asia and reach the Mediterranean countries. The Silk Road in Desert Oasis is the main road of the Northern Silk Road, with a total length of more than 7,000 kilometers, which is divided into three sections: east, middle and west. The eastern section is relatively stable from Chang 'an to Dunhuang, but it is divided into three sections west of Luoyang and Chang 'an: [1].
Selected route
the Silk Road
① The northern line starts from Chang 'an (extending eastward to Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty), along Weihe River to Guo County (now Baoji), across Zhangxian County (now Longxian County), across Liupanshan Guyuan and Haiyuan, along Zuli River, across the Yellow River to Jingyuan (now Wuwei), which is an early route with poor supply conditions.
(2) The southern line runs down the Weihe River from Chang 'an (Luoyang in the Eastern Han Dynasty), passes through Longguan, Shangguan (now water), Didao (now Lintao) and Bao Han (now Hezhou), crosses the Yellow River from Yongjing, crosses Xining, and the bigger the fight, the more Guyue (now partial ferry) reaches Zhangye.
(3) The central line and the southern line are separated in Gao Shan, crossing Longshan to Jincheng County (now Lanzhou), crossing the Yellow River, tracing Zhuanglang River and crossing Wushaoling to ancient Tibet. Although the southern line has good supply conditions, it takes a long time to bypass, so the central line later became the main line.
After the north-south third line meets, it will go from Zhangye to Dunhuang via Jiuquan and Guazhou, and from Dunhuang to Congling (now Pamirs Plateau) or Horgos (now Zambur City, Kazakhstan).
the Silk Road
There are two routes from Yumenguan and Yangguan to the Western Regions: from Shanshan, near the north of Nanshan and west of Bohe, to shache, which is the southern line. The southern line passes through the green ridge in the west, and then reaches Dayue's home and rests in peace. From Wang Ting (now Turpan) in front of the automobile market along Beishan, from Bohe to Shule (now Kashgar) as the northern line. The northern line crosses Qingji in the west and leads to Dawan, Kangju and Yangchai. First, from Kuqa (now Kuqa) to the west, through Gu Mo (Aksu) and Wensu (Wushi), over Daling (Bereiliguan), through the ancient city of Akka (the capital of Wusun), and westward to Zhuluo. Because the north-south road crosses Bailongdui, Halashun and Taklimakan Desert, the conditions are harsh and the road is difficult. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, another road was opened north of Beidao. It passes through Yiwu (Hami), Prehai (now Balikun Lake), Beiting (Jimsar), Luntai (Banquan), Gong Yue (Huocheng) and tokmak (tokmak) to the west section of Milos. The western section of the Silk Road in Rome.
(1) South Road is westbound from Lvling, and then divides into two roads from Kukushi Mountain in Vietnam to Kabul in Afghanistan. One goes west to Herat, where it joins the middle road from Cheng Lang, then goes west through Baghdad and Damascus, reaches Sidon or Beirut on the east coast of the Mediterranean, and then goes to Rome by sea. The other line goes south from Peshawar to South Asia.
② The Middle Road (Hanbei Road) runs through the Green Ridge in the northwest of Cheng Lang, one with Nandaohui and the other with Teheran and Nandaohui.
(3) Beixin Road is also divided into two branches. After passing (now Fergana), Kang (now Samarkand) and An (now Bukhara), we went west to Mulu and Zhongdao Society. As soon as we get to Ross, we will go northwest along the Syr Darya River and bypass the Aral Sea.
the Silk Road
From the north shore of the Caspian Sea to Tana on the east coast of the Azov Sea, turn to Kerch by waterway and reach Constantinople (now Istanbul).
The Maritime Silk Road began in Qin and Han Dynasties, flourished in Sui and Tang Dynasties, reached its peak in the early Ming Dynasty, and declined in the middle of the Ming Dynasty due to the maritime ban. The important starting points of the Maritime Silk Road are Panyu (later renamed Guangzhou), Dengzhou (now Yantai), Yangzhou, Quanzhou and Liujiagang. The same dynasty may have two or more starting points. The biggest ports are Guangzhou and Quanzhou. From Qin and Han Dynasties to Tang and Song Dynasties, Guangzhou has always been the largest in China.
Commodity Exchange
Camels on the Silk Road
Just like the name of the Silk Road, silk, like porcelain originating in China, became a symbol of prosperity and civilization in East Asia at that time. There was a time when heads of state and nobles used China silk and porcelain dyed with Phoenician red as a symbol of glory at home. Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan also flowed into Europe and Asia with the caravan. This trade product was widely spread in Eurasia long before silk, and contributed to the promotion of trade exchanges between Europe and Asia. This precious commodity was once a symbol of national wealth in the two river basins. When lapis lazuli reached India, it was regarded as one of the seven treasures of Buddhism by Buddhists there. The spread of grapes, walnuts, carrots, peppers, lentils, spinach (also known as Persian food), cucumbers (known as gourds in Chinese) and pomegranates has added more choices to the daily diet of East Asians. After historical development, the wines from the western regions have been integrated into the traditional wine culture in China. The caravan mainly transports iron, gold, silverware, mirrors and other luxuries from China.
cultural exchange
Ancient China
The oldest known printed matter, the Diamond Sutra of the Tang Dynasty, was discovered in Dunhuang in the 265438+early 20th century. Papermaking has made great contributions to China's leading position in ancient science and technology in the world, but it seems that only some countries in East Asia and South Asia have developed papermaking. With the opening of the Silk Road, paper products began to appear in the Western Regions and beyond. People found ancient paper from the 2nd century in the archaeological site of Loulan. Although paper is also used in Central Asia, there is no evidence of paper industry. Many people think that the westward spread of papermaking has brought great changes to Europe and Central Asia. At first, this change was cruel: the power friction between the Tang Dynasty and the emerging Abbasid Dynasty in Central Asia continued. During the Battle of Juros, which had a strong influence on the political situation in Central Asia, Arabs brought China prisoners of war back to Samarkand along the Silk Road, and some of these prisoners of war were China craftsmen who were good at papermaking. Finally, papermaking spread all over the world.
western part of the country
the Silk Road
The region is densely covered with deserts, and the prosperity of all countries is often inseparable from water. Snowmelt water in Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains is one of the main water sources in the western region. But it is not easy to collect the snow water. After melting, the water accumulated at the foot of the mountain will evaporate or seep into the ground in a short time. Since the Han Dynasty sent troops to open up wasteland in the western regions to develop agriculture, the techniques of karez and well canal, which spread in mountainous areas, have been used by soldiers in the western regions who also need water. And gradually spread to further countries. Whether Karez technology was introduced into the Western Regions from China or Persia has always been a controversial issue. However, well canal technology and well drilling methods have been proved to be introduced to the west from China. According to Historical Records, Li Guangli, the general of the Second Division, led troops to attack Dawan and besieged the city with water cut off. However, "Wancheng Imakiayahito can dig wells" has made Dawan people persist for a long time.
Printing in ancient China was also one of the technologies that spread westward along the Silk Road. Wood blocks and some paper products used for block printing were found in Dunhuang and Turpan. The engraving of the Diamond Sutra in the Tang Dynasty is still preserved in Britain, which shows that printing has spread to Central Asia at least in the Tang Dynasty. During the Silk Road, many European travelers came to China and brought this technology back to Europe. Johannes Gutenberg, a European, printed the Bible by printing. 50600.66666666611466, the first printing factory appeared in Italy, which made this technology convenient for cultural exchange spread quickly throughout Europe.
Religious communication
Western missionaries discovered in the northern part of China in the Tang Dynasty (7th century), just like in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism spread all over western countries along the "Silk Road" sub-tunnels on the north and south sides of Taklimakan Desert. There are different opinions about the introduction of Buddhism into the Western Regions in the early 2nd1century. However, the basic view of academic circles at home and abroad is that Buddhism was introduced to the western regions as early as the 2nd century BC and as late as the end of 1 BC. After Buddhism was introduced to the Western Regions in Khotan in 87 BC, it spread from Khotan to Yecheng, shache, Tashkurgan, Kashi, Aksu, Kuqa and Yanshou from 60 BC to 10 BC, and to Qiemo, Ruoqiang, Milan and Loulan in the northeast.
Zoroastrianism (Zoroastrianism) is China's name for Zoroastrianism in Persia (probably related to Islam, which is hostile to Zoroastrianism in the western regions). ), which spread eastward along the Silk Road in the 5th-6th century BC, is considered to be the earliest religion introduced to the Western Regions. Zoroastrianism was once the state religion of Persia, and it was forced to move eastward after the rise of the Arab Empire. According to records, all countries in the western regions believed in it at that time. In China, with the support of the emperors of the northern countries in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were many shrines in the Tang Dynasty for "Hu merchants to pray". In order to control the development of Zoroastrianism, local rulers set up the post of Sabo, trying to bring religion into the national management system. However, after the Song Dynasty, this religion basically disappeared. Its religious customs have been preserved by Uighurs and Tajiks and become a national cultural custom.
Nestorianism is a branch of Syrian Christian Nestorius Sect. According to historical records, Nestorianism won the favor of the emperor in the early Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin once approved Christians to build temples in Chang 'an, originally named Persian Temple, and later renamed Roman Temple and Daqin Temple. During Tang Gaozong's time, Aroben was regarded as the owner of the town, and later a statue of the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was hung in the church. After the An Shi Rebellion broke out in 755 AD, Nestorianism helped Guo Ziyi quell the rebellion and was later awarded the purple robe. Since 635, Nestorianism has developed smoothly in China 150 years, and it is called the Tang Dynasty together with Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism.
The ancient "Silk Road" has become history, but the contact and collision between Chinese and Western civilizations began in the history of China, and in the subsequent collision, they stimulated and learned from each other, absorbed the nutrients needed for the development of this culture from each other's systems, and nourished each other, so that human beings kept moving forward in conquest and conquest. In today's upsurge of developing the western region, the ancient Silk Road will be full of vitality in the spread of Chinese civilization (modern civilization). If we understand the Silk Road as a technology, rather than a single-level method, it will help us to understand why it is so hard to let go of among many ways of communication.
2 Silk Road on Land
background
Objective: Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty recruited envoys to the Western Regions, prepared to contact the Dayue family who was driven to the Western Regions by the Xiongnu from Hexi, and Zhang Qian, who was eager to make contributions to the country, resolutely recruited them.
What happened: In BC 138, he traveled westward from Chang 'an with more than 100 followers, and was caught by Huns on the way. Detained 1 1 year. He did not forget his mission, escaped successfully and arrived at Dayue's home. At that time, Dayue people had already moved west and had no intention of fighting Xiongnu again. Zhang Qian returned to Chang 'an and only took Hu's wife and an entourage to get married in the Western Regions.
Zhang Qian's Second Mission to the Western Regions: In 1 19 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions for the second time. So Zhang Qian led a delegation, with thousands of cattle and sheep and a lot of silk, and visited many countries in the western regions. Western countries also sent envoys back to Chang 'an. Since then, the exchanges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions have become increasingly frequent.
The establishment of the western regions' capital protection: countries in the western regions joined the Han Dynasty in succession. In 60 BC, the Western Han Dynasty established the Western Regions Duhu, which was in charge of the affairs of the Western Regions. Since then, Xinjiang has been under the jurisdiction of the central government and has become an inseparable part of China.
Ban Chao manages the Western Regions: In 73 AD, Ban Chao in the Eastern Han Dynasty reopened the Western Regions which had been isolated for 58 years. Ban Chao was sent to the Western Regions by the Eastern Han Dynasty. He helped the western countries get rid of the control of Huns and was appointed as the protector of the western regions by the Eastern Han Dynasty. He governed the Western Regions for 30 years, and strengthened the ties between the Western Regions and the Mainland. Ban Chao sent Gan Ying to Daqin (Rome) and Gan Ying to the Persian Gulf. Ban Chao first opened up the Silk Road from West Asia to Europe and Rome. Rome also came to Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, along the Silk Road for the first time, which was the complete route of the Silk Road in the early 20th century. In 2 166, the envoy of Daqin (Rome) came to Luoyang, which was the first direct contact between European countries and China.