Key Idea: The Silk Road linked China, Central Asia, Persia and Europe from 750 to 1500. It grew under the Tang, boomed under the Mongols, then declined as unity broke and trade moved to the sea.
Who kept the road busy
- The Tang dynasty (618 to 907) guarded routes with garrisons and made Chang'an a trading capital.
- Travellers such as Ibn Battuta (the Rihla) and Marco Polo described the cities they saw.
- Merchants, missionaries and pilgrims carried goods and religions along the same routes.
- Chinggis Khan united the Mongols from 1206; Tamerlane (1370 to 1405) revived Samarkand.
Why trade boomed: One power ruled the route (Pax Mongolica). Yam relay stations and paiza safe-passage passes. Hubs at Khanbaliq, Sarai and Tabriz. Religions and art styles moved freely.
Why it declined: Mongol unity broke, above all after 1405. Rival states brought back tolls and borders. Better ships made sea trade cheaper and safer.
Safe roads make trade grow: when one power protected the route, goods and ideas flowed; when it split, merchants took to ships instead.
Why did Marco Polo matter to Europe? His account of Kublai Khan's China opened European eyes to Asia.
What were the yam and the paiza? Mongol relay stations and passes that protected merchants.
Which date marks the final loss of unity? Tamerlane's death in 1405.
What besides goods travelled the Silk Road? Religions such as Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, and artistic styles.