The Birth of Trade Routes: The Han Dynasty's Ambitions In the 2nd century BC, the Han Dynasty aimed to resolve conflicts with Xiongnu tribes. Emperor Wu sent envoy Zhang Qian to form alliances and discovered superior horses from the Da-yuan people in Central Asia. This led to purchasing these horses, enhancing military capabilities against threats and ultimately opening trade routes that connected China with Europe through what became known as the Silk Road.
Silk Road Commerce: A Cultural Exchange Hub The Silk Road facilitated extensive trade between East and West, primarily for silk but also included goods like tea, spices, porcelain, paper, gunpowder among others. Roman demand for silk created a significant trade imbalance until Byzantine Emperor Justinian sought silkworms from China to establish local production. Western merchants introduced their own products into Eastern markets while cultural exchanges flourished along these routes.
Legacy of Exploration: Marco Polo & Beyond Marco Polo’s travels along the Silk Road brought knowledge of Asian cultures back to Europe in his writings after spending years at Kublai Khan's court. His experiences highlighted how this ancient network not only enabled commerce but also shared ideas and even diseases across regions. However, following Ottoman conquests which disrupted land trades by closing off access westward prompted Europeans towards maritime exploration during the Age of Discovery.