... far as the rim of the Tarim Basin, making possible relatively secure caravan traffic across Central Asia. The paths of caravan traffic are often called the "silk road" because the route was used to export Chinese silk. Chinese armies also invaded parts of northern Vietnam and northern Korea toward the end of the second century BC. Han control of peripheral regions was generally ... ...
... of a merchant/explorer named Marco Polo. Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy into a merchant family. In 1271, Marco set out with his father and uncle on a journey, along the Silk Road which was an ancient trade route from Rome to China. Marco Polo recorded the details of his journeys in a book titled, The Description of the World. This book was read ... encouraged Europeans to increase trade with these distant lands. After Marco Polo's travels and writings, trade increased between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Europeans sought such luxury items as silk, porcelain, spices, and jewe...
... collapse and the rise of Islam and its conquests would prey on this vacuum. The ravages of the seafaring trade due the plague would lead to the rise of the Silk Road in China once again leading to a huge need for trading merchants which the Muslims would take full advantage of. Rosen offers us a new perspective on why Byzantium fell and the ... ...
... order, such as "Son of Heaven" where the emperor was chosen to rule. He was regarded as a divinity on earth and his word was law. Also, trading became a factor when Silk Road was made. But most of the prosperity of both empires were gained by brute force. Many similar factors led both empires to decline. First of all, their land were just ... ...
