Sleepy History - The Silk Road

Episode Date: November 17, 2024

For centuries, a vast and vibrant trade route connected the East and West. Its stories contain legendary names, like Marco Polo. Not only did it spread rare goods across the world, but ideas and belief systems too. It was known as "The Silk Road." Explore the history, culture, and legends of this iconic network of exchange, as you drift off into a peaceful sleep tonight. Narrated by: Jessika GösslWritten by: Alexandra TurneyAbout Sleepy History Delve into history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit www.slumberstudios.com.

This is Sleepy History. production of this show. Check out our premium feed. This is the sleepy history of the Silk Road, narrated by Jessica Gerstle, written by Alexandra Perhaps the most famous road in history wasn't actually a single road. It was a trade route, where goods like silk and spices were exchanged. But what we now know as the Silk Road was so much more than that. Who were the interesting and intrepid characters who braved these mountain passes and long stretches of challenging terrain thousands of years ago? Why were they traveling across China and beyond? Why were they traveling across China and beyond? What hopes and promises made a journey like that worthwhile?

We'll seek answers to these questions and more tonight. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of the Silk Road. Imagine a vast expanse of desert in western China beneath a deep blue sky. Many centuries ago, the Silk Road passed through here. In this desert landscape stand the ruins of a stone gateway, the Human Pass. The pass was an important location on the ancient Silk Road, a trade route that spanned across western China and far beyond. But before we look at the bigger picture, let's linger here for a moment, in the ruins of the human past. This remote place provides insight into the history of the Silk Road and the people who once traveled along it. The human pass was built by Emperor Wu of Han around 121 BCE.

It was also known as the Jade Gate because of all the jade caravans that passed through. For hundreds of years, this place was the last outpost on Chinese territory for caravans heading west on the Silk Road. Countless people would have passed through here over the centuries, transporting goods. And while the caravans are long gone, something else survived – a bag of letters. The letters were discovered in a watchtower near the Human Pass and are believed to have been written around the 4th century CE. One of these letters is particularly insightful, as it gives us a glimpse into the life of a Silk Road migrant. The author is a Sogdian woman named Mune who was living in the Chinese

city of Dunhuang. That was quite away from her homeland present day as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Pakistan. Mune's letter is addressed to her husband and begins politely, as was the custom, to my noble lord and husband. But then she describes her struggles in his absence, how she and her daughter have been left alone in a foreign city. At the end of the letter, Mune tells her husband, I would rather be a dog's or a pig's wife than yours. Unfortunately, it seems the letter never reached him. It seems the letter never reached him.

But despite Mune's complaints, we shouldn't be too quick to judge her, or her husband, who was likely a Silk Road merchant. Life along the Silk Road could be dangerous and uncertain. Bandits were a threat, and travel often involved crossing expanses of harsh, inhospitable terrain. In addition, the early fourth century was a period of political upheaval in China, a time of fighting and famine. Who knows what happened to Miu-Ni's husband, or Miu-Ni herself, trying to build a life for herself and her daughter in a faraway land. We can only imagine, and hope, that the family will one day reunite. Mune's story is just one of many on the Silk Road. Over the centuries, all of human life happened along this route.

People loved and fought, discovered new technologies and religions. trade deals, everything from silk, tea, and spices, to horses and gunpowder. The Silk Road, in its simplest definition, was a trade route that connected China with the West. It's generally agreed that it first opened in the 2nd century BCE during the Han Dynasty. Now, defining the exact origins of such an ancient, complex network is a little tricky. network is a little tricky. But one incident, the story of the Heavenly Horses, is a key event in the history of the Silk Road. And it helps us to understand how the trade route So, let's start there. In the year 138 BCE, the Chinese Emperor had a problem. Surrounding the country's northern and western borders was a tribal confederation of nomads, who were known as the Xiongnu. These powerful warriors posed a real threat to China.

So, the Emperor decided to send an emissary on a mission. on a mission. The job was to travel west and search for allies, people who could potentially help China to defeat the Xiongnu. The Chinese emissary, a man named Zhang Qian, had quite a journey. As he traveled across Central Asia, he encountered many different cultures, including a civilization that the Chinese referred to as the Dayuan, or the Great Ionians. The Dayuan people lived in an area roughly comprising present-day Uzbekistan. Many of them were descendants of Greek colonists, brought to the area by the army of Alexander the Great. Even before the Silk Road, people were traveling and migrating across huge distances. When the Chinese emissary, Zhang Chen, reached Dayuan, he was very impressed by what he saw. Not just the people who were civilized, wine-cultivating city dwellers, but their horses.

The horses back home in China were more like small ponies, but these ones were tall and powerful, with strong hooves. They came to be known as the Heavenly Horses. And understandably, the Daiyuan weren't keen to give them up. But after a two-year war, China acquired the horses. They were then used in battle to defeat the nomadic tribes on the border. So the horses were an example of trade by force, but trade nonetheless. From this point onwards, China became increasingly interested in exploring West and expanding their trade networks. If they could obtain hundreds of heavenly horses, what else might be out west? The Silk Road was officially opened in 130 BCE, prior to the War of the Heavenly Horses

and the Chinese Army's defeat of the nomadic tribes. But after these military victories, it became safer for people to travel west. Increasing numbers of traders set off in caravans, looking for new opportunities. And the Silk Road soon became a major route for international trade. The starting point, or rather, the easternmost point, was the Chinese city of Xi'an. From there, the route followed the Great Wall of China, went around the Taklamakan Desert in northwest China, over the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan, across Afghanistan, and then through Iran, Iraq, and the Levant, which includes countries like Syria.

From there, goods could be shipped across the Mediterranean Sea. Now, as we try to picture the Silk Road, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it wasn't a paved road, but rather a caravan route. The name Silk Road makes it sound grander than it actually was. than it actually was. Secondly, it would be more accurate to talk about the Silk Roads in the plural. The main route covered about 4,000 miles. So not many traders would have traveled along the entire route. Goods would have been passed from one trader to another and then another. When we think of the goods that were exchanged on the Silk Road, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, silk.

China has been producing silk for thousands of years. It's a natural fiber which comes from the cocoons made by the larvae of the silk moth. When this fiber is harvested and processed, it becomes a delicate, shimmering material. it becomes a delicate, shimmering material. It can then be used to create beautiful textiles. Prior to the opening of the Silk Road, the production of silk was confined to China. Then, with the growth in international trade, people from other countries became keen to acquire silk for themselves and to learn how to produce it. China exported its silk quite willingly in exchange for other luxury items like precious

stones, ivory, and fur. But the art of silk production, or sericulture, remained a closely guarded secret. The ancient Romans loved silk, an expensive material they could only acquire through trade. Understandably, they were mystified by its production. Perhaps it came from tree leaves, they thought. While silk was popular, not everyone in ancient Rome approved. Pliny the Elder complained that the import of this luxury good was destroying the economy. And Seneca the Elder criticized silk as being decadent or even immoral.

He wrote, I can see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes. In the year 14 CE, the Senate banned Roman men from wearing silk as it was thought to dishonor them. The material was to be worn by women only. As we imagine the ancient Romans adorning themselves in this exotic foreign material. Consider this.

The silk originated from China and arrived in Rome via the Silk Road, a route spanning multiple countries. There was an enormous geographical distance between Rome and China, and trade generally took place between intermediaries. So Romans only had a vague perception of what this distant land was like. They referred to China as Serica, meaning Land of Silk. To the average Roman, China must have seemed so far away as to appear almost mythical. And yet, the precious material that arrived in Roman marketplaces was proof of China's existence, and proofently in discussions about the Silk Road. Even today, now that the material is widely available and no longer mysterious, it retains a certain fascination. It's no wonder it's come to symbolize an entire trade route.

However, silk was just one of the many goods traded on the Silk Road. And while it was one of the most sought-after products, there are a couple of other Chinese exports which had an even more significant impact. Paper, for example. We often think of paper originating in ancient Egypt in the form of papyrus. But technically, the credit goes to China, where paper was invented in the early 2nd century CE. The Chinese were initially secretive about their invention, just as they were with silk. But as paper production techniques were refined, this high-quality product became another valuable export on the Silk Road.

With the trade of paper came the spread of literature, calligraphy, cartography, and religion. In fact, the oldest dated printed book is a Buddhist text from 9th century China, the Diamond Sutra. It was highly influential in East Asia. And thanks to Chinese paper and the diffusion of paper-making technology, all kinds of ideas began to spread even further. From poetry to astronomy, paper expanded people's horizons, sparking cultural shifts wherever it went. But even more powerful than paper was another Chinese export, gunpowder. It may have been invented as early as the first century CE. A Taoist text on alchemy describes powders that fly and dance when mixed together.

wasn't officially invented until much later, we know that gunpowder was in use in China for at least a few hundred years before it appeared in Europe. It might have been introduced during the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. But another popular theory is that gunpowder, along with silk, paper, and other useful goods, came to Europe via traders on the Silk Road. If this is the case, it's no exaggeration to say that the Silk Road revolutionized warfare. exaggeration to say that the Silk Road revolutionized warfare. Without this trade route, European history would have played out very differently. So far, we've mentioned just a few of the most significant goods that were traded on the Silk Road. But during centuries of activity, many and artifacts made from bronze and gold. and gold. And moving from west to east were horses, camels, and a range of other animals. Textiles and weapons were traded too, as well as grapes and the grapevine.

The exchange of these goods would have transformed societies. In the short term, of course, there were economic gains for the merchants involved in the trades. They were able to make a living and support their families, but the impact of the trade route went much further. Across Asia and Europe, the Silk Road gave people access to new experiences and new ways of living. new experiences, and new ways of living. And it wasn't just material goods that spread from country to country. The Silk Road also allowed ideas and knowledge to travel.

In some cases, it even helped them to survive. For example, by the 9th century, the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle had been all but forgotten in Europe. Along the Silk Road, however, in thriving cities like Bukhara in Uzbekistan, libraries preserved these important texts. Scholars translated the works into Arabic and came up with their own interpretations. In fact, when the Christian West later rediscovered the philosophy of Aristotle, it was mainly through Arabic translations. Islamic thinkers also made important contributions of their own. In Silk Road cities, the field of mathematics evolved significantly. The system we use today is founded on the work of Arabic language scholars such as Al Khwaizmi. This Persian polymath came up with an influential treatise on algebra, just one of his many achievements. Although the word algebra already existed in Arabic, it originally referred to a surgical treatment, the setting of broken bones.

Al-Khwasmi was the first person to give algebra a mathematical meaning. And interestingly, he also gave us another word. Algorithm derives from al-Huāizmī. His name became somewhat mangled over the course of multiple translations. Still, this in itself shows how ideas spread and thus survive as they're passed between different languages and cultures. Western knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, among other fields, clearly owes a debt to the Arab world. But scholars like al-Huwaizmi were in turn dependent on other sources, including works

from India and China. After all, ideas don't exist in a vacuum. Every thinker is influenced by someone else, often from somewhere else. So, we can think of the Silk Road as an intricate map, not just a physical route, but a vast network of ideas that spread through translations and books over the centuries. And just as the Silk Road facilitated the exchange of academic knowledge, it also allowed other ideas to spread. Most significantly, perhaps, the expansion of religions. Buddhism in particular flourished on the Silk Road, as monasteries were established along the trade route in Asia. While we often think of religion and commerce as two separate things, on the Silk Road, they were closely linked.

For instance, Buddhist monks would accept material gifts from merchants. And in exchange, the monks would offer spiritual guidance and somewhere to stay for the night. For weary Silk Road travellers, monasteries must have been welcome resting places. From the wide diffusion of religious artworks and archaeological remains, we can see just how far-reaching the Buddhist influence was. One example is the Barmian Valley in Afghanistan. In around the 6th century CE, two colossal statues were carved into a cliffside, the Buddhas of Bamiyan. Of course, it wasn't just Buddhism that spread across this oak road. Judaism and the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism also expanded thanks to the trade route. And so did another major religion, Islam.

Through trade and military conquests, Islam soon became one of the dominant faiths on the Silk Road. As often happens when one religion becomes dominant, others are lost or fall into decline. Zoroastrianism, for example, declined as a result of religious persecution. However, the rise of Islam undoubtedly led to many positive developments too, especially in the realms of culture and science. Many of the places we think of as the great Silk Road cities in countries such as Uzbekistan and Iran were transformed by Islamic culture. For example, take the city of Isfahan city of Isfahan in central Iran. In the center stands the most magnificent building known as the Shah Mosque. With its massive blue dome, towering minarets, and hundreds of thousands thousands of mosaic tiles, the mosque is an architectural wonder. It was built under the order of Abbas the Great in the early 17th century. By this relatively late stage in history, the Silk Road, or at least, the Silk Road as we traditionally think of it,

was no longer active. Nonetheless, the Shah Mosque symbolizes the legacy of the road. The trade route sped up the process of religious expansion and gave rise to creative expression on an epic scale. The Silk Road itself has inspired many creative works, not least the travelogue of a Venetian merchant who was perhaps the most famous of all Silk Road travelers. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254. When he was 17 years old, he left Italy, along with his father and uncle, and headed east. He wouldn't return for 24 years.

Marco Polo was a merchant, and like many others, he sought new business opportunities on the Silk Road. But he was also an explorer, embarking on a journey that would have seemed extraordinarily adventurous at the time. After sailing to the Holy Land, Marco Polo traveled by camel to Persia and then continued overland until he reached the palace of the Chinese emperor Kublai Khan in Chengdu. If those names sound familiar, it's probably because of a poem written by the English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge centuries later. It begins with these famous lines, In Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pleasureome decree. The poet Coleridge was one of many in the West inspired by the journey of Marco Polo, a journey that was recorded in unusual circumstances.

When Polo eventually returned to Venice after his extensive travels along the Silk Road and a successful diplomatic career in China, he shared his story. But not, as you might expect, by writing the account himself. Having got caught up in a war, Polo spent several months in prison in the Italian city of Genoa. There, he told a fellow inmate all about China be a writer who turned the stories into a book, The Tales of Marco Polo. While some have expressed doubts about the book's accuracy, there's no doubting its popularity or influence. its popularity or influence. European readers lapped up tales of the exotic east, stories of the Mongol Empire, and all the incredible things Marco Polo had seen including, apparently, a unicorn. It was most likely an Indonesian rhinoceros, but just as surprising as what's included is what's left out.

There are some notable omissions in the tales of Marco Polo. With no mention of tea or the Great Wall of China, some have questioned whether Polo ever went to China in the first place. Perhaps he made it all up. However, his travel log also contains details that seem convincingly authentic, such as descriptions of the monetary system in China. And while the book was designed to entertain, it also seems to have been intended as a source of practical information for other traveling merchants. There are warnings about wild animals and areas where food and shelter are in short supply. And there are also tips about trading opportunities, And there are also tips about trading opportunities, what goods can be found in various cities along the Silk Road and beyond.

Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road in the 13th century. By that time, the route had been active for more than a thousand years, uniting Europe with China and all the lands in between. In the 14th century, the Silk Road was still in use, which may explain the rapid spread of the plague and the Black Death, a pandemic that ravaged Europe. Some experts believe that the disease originated in Asia. It was then brought to Europe by fleas living on rats, which traveled on trade ships and caravans. Then, in the mid-15th century, an event took place that would change the Silk Road forever. forever. The city of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul, fell to the Ottomans.

The Ottoman Empire imposed taxes and restrictions which essentially amounted to a boycott. Western traders were forced to look for alternative trading opportunities. So in a sense, the Silk Road closed in the 15th century. But it could be argued that some things in history are a matter of perspective. For example, most historians would agree that the Silk Road began in China in the 2nd century BCE. But some might say that technically it began even earlier with the construction of a highway known as the Royal Road. This network was built by the Persian ruler Darius the Great in the 5th century BCE. It predates part of the route that would later become the Silk Road. So, using the same reasoning, did the 15th century really mark the end of the Silk Road?

Maybe it's not so clear-cut. Even though part of the route was disrupted, in other areas, trade continued and cities flourished. And in one way or another, silk rode goods like tea, spices, and of course, silk, still made their way west. There was demand for these items items and money to be made. Even if the Silk Road was shut down, its influence endured. As we come to the end of the Silk Road and the end of our story, let's reflect on the legacy of the Silk Road. By bringing so many different cultures into contact, and over such a long period of time, the Silk Road transformed the history of Europe and Asia. It even paved the way for the Renaissance.

Road, they brought with them not just silk or gunpowder, but also ideas, beliefs, and a wealth of knowledge. The Silk Road was a near-global network, building the foundations for the modern era. building the foundations for the modern era. Once people had grown used to living in a connected world, there was no turning back. And finally, here's one last reflection. Something to ponder as you drift off. These days, in the age of the internet, it's easy to take certain things for granted. With just a click, we can buy almost anything. And whatever the distance, it takes relatively little time and effort for the package to

reach us. But it hasn't always been this simple. For most of history, international trade has required lengthy journeys. Journeys that would alter the lives of the merchants and their families. So, as we end our history of the Silk Road, imagine a caravan filled with goods. trundling across the desert towards distant mountains, moving slowly towards a new land and untold possibilities. Thank you. Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta Kriva Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Thank you. Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Thank you. Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Sveta, Amin. Thank you.