ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANCIENT CHINA SILK ROAD CHINA MEETS

ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANCIENT CHINA

SILK ROAD: CHINA MEETS THE WEST • Ran from China to the Mediterranean Sea • A series of routes covering 4, 000 miles • Crossed a variety of regions: • Started in North China Plain and moved west along Great Wall • Then ran between the Gobi Desert and the Nan Shan Mountains • Next ran around the edge of the Takla Makan Desert and over the Pamir Mountains through Persia and Mesopotamia • It turned north and went toward Antioch where goods went on ships across the Mediterranean to Greece, Rome, Egypt and other lands.

A ROUTE FOR GOODS • No one trader traveled the entire route • With each trade along the road, the price of goods went up • Called Silk Road because silk only made in China and it was traded along road • Wealthy people in Rome and far away places willing to pay a lot of money for silk • The Chinese traded it for glass, horses, ivory, woolens, and linen from Rome

A ROUTE FOR IDEAS • More than goods traveled the Silk Road – religions, ideas, and philosophies did too • Example: Buddhism traveled to China from India • Buddhism was a major religion in China by the end if the Han dynasty

OLD TRADITIONS, NEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS • The Han dynasty was a period of going back to traditional Chinese ideas • The teachings of Confucius returned • The Civil service exam was based on Confucius teachings

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE • During the Han dynasty language and literature flourished • Chinese poets wrote poetry • Chinese scholars put together the first dictionary • First History of China written: Sima Qian wrote a history of China from mythological time to the emperor Wudi called Historical Records

ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY • During the Han dynasty China became the most advanced civilization in the world! • Because government was so stable, they could focus on improving society. • Some inventions: • • iron farming tools- plow Vast irrigation systems New ways of farming Paper

PAPER • Chinese first wrote on wood scrolls • Then wrote books on silk • A. D. 105 paper invented from tree bark, hemp, and old rags • The invention of paper influenced learning and the arts • The use of paper spread across Asia and into Europe

OTHER PRACTICAL INVENTIONS • During the Han Dynasty many practical Inventions were created: • Wheelbarrow • Fishing reel • Rudder • Collar and harness • People of China call themselves “the children of the Han” because if these many accomplishments!