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#1 Question classmates have answered:
What do you have in mind when you think of the Silk Road? Who were the most famous travelers on the Silk Road?
Tell me something of the following periods:
Han China. (206 BCE-220 CE)
T'ang China (618-907)
(Leave comment) Classmate (Kevin M) 1 answer:
76The Silk Road is the ancient trading route that connected China to Europe, going through the Persian Empire. This was a huge source of income for all parties involved as goods flowed through this path. For China, the start of the Silk road began in the original Han capital of Chang'an known better today as Xi'an. During the Western Han dynasty, this seat of power allowed the Emperors to directly have power over this important source of trade, as well as expand their influence further west. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the power was shifted to Luo Yang, but Chang'an remained a secondary capital.
The Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire at their zenith controlled over 1/2 the world's population in their borders. Only the aggression by tribes wanting to protect their money flow in between the two prevented their actual meeting, though they heard rumors of the other via the Silk Road. Marco Polo is perhaps the most famous of travelers to traverse this passage. Almost everyone has heard of Marco Polo, and his famous trip with the Mongols.
Hi Kelvin, what comes in my mind about the Silk Road is relative to what you said. The phrase was coined by Ferdinand von Richthofen, a geographer from Germany to refer to the trading paths that linked China to the West and East. The Silk Road was not just one route, but a series of paths across Eurasia in different directions. With the growing trade came the formation of power lines to control the business activities in the region. The authority maintained coordinated and eased trading operations between the different areas. Since China was the primary focus due to the silk commodity, the nation witnessed the formation of empires such as T’ang and Han that controlled large numbers of people. Your response clarifies that due to power struggles and the desire to manage the business activities powers would change from one dynasty to another. The description concerning the Silk Road is provided by Marco Polo, a famous explorer and traveller (Liu, 2010). His escapades shed light on the Chinese culture, economy, and politics in an interesting manner that aroused the curiosity of various westerners.
#2 Question classmates have answered:
Did Marco Polo go to China?
(Leave comment) Classmate (Jason C) 1 answer:
I think I also lost it when the first video said husband shared their wife with others. So to answer the question of Marco Polo being in China, the videos have some pretty interesting views selling a claim. Marco Polo wrote about his travels which seemed accurate but the subject matter expert is claiming it is nearly impossible to have one person bring silk from one end of the road to the other. If China fell into civil war, how safe of a passage would the silk road be and thus it eventually collapsed. Then Marco Polo was born after this collapse.
Marco Polo talks about the Mongols which means he has seen them however it may be possible that he was seeking attention due to his rough childhood. Marco Polo’s father also “happened” to be friends with the Khan? It seems kind of doubtful. Maybe he took someone else’s experience and made it his own.
Hi Jason, I concur that the exaggerated claims can make one lose focus on what is essential in the videos. The hyperbole makes the stories given by Marco Polo appear as fantasies and make-beliefs. However, studies prove that he did actually go to China; hence, there is no way of disclaiming that fact (Liu, 2010). As for the experiences, he alone knows exactly what happened. It is essential to capture the minds of the readers; an aspect that he established quite well. Many experts have come up refuting the information given by Marco Polo concerning his encounters. For instance, Professor Moses Rossabi wrote an essay questioning whether the explorer went to China. The scholar provides evidence as to why he believes that Polo’s stories are vague and untrue.
#3 Question classmates have answered:
What was the legacy of the Swedish explorer, Sven Hedin?
(Leave comment) Classmate (Philip G) 1 answer:
There were some fascinating images in the Sven Hedin’s silent film; I hope to find the time to watch it in its entirety at some point. If only Marco Polo had traveled with a similar camera, we could have avoided the previous discussion question altogether.
I believe one of Hedin’s greatest legacies, similar to that of Polo, was the inspiration he gave others to search and explore. With the Silk Road archaeology race and the Nazi affiliation, I could not help but make correlations to the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.
In addition to the inspiration, he also made the Silk Road relevant to researchers, which we likely owe for everything we know about the Silk Road today. Waugh’s annotated bibliography shows a great deal of information written by Hedin, about Hedin, and based on the research and explorations of Hedin. Waugh also points out there are many versions of these works that have been reprinted and translated around the world.
His most tangible legacy would be the Overland Highway to connect Asia and Europe, which Hedin had the vision for and subsequently mapped the route.
Hi Philip, it is true that Sven Hedin makes his accounts believable with the provision of photographs of the places that he travelled. However, who even knows whether cameras were invented at the time of Marco Polo or even whether he went to China. Sven took four expeditions to the Asian region that he depicts meticulously in his maps and books. He describes various political setups and warlords in Mongolia and provides scientific evidence to back up his data (Liu, 2010). Sven makes the explorations of travellers such as Marco Polo come to light and appear more understandable to the reader. He also makes it easier for people to reference his works without the fear of criticism or opposition. I say this because, in Marco Polo’s case, several professionals have stood up to challenge the explorer’s works. Bu in Sven situation, it may be difficult to question his escapades. However, one cannot judge Marco Polo since he rose at a time when civilization and technology did not exist. Hence, he did not have the equipment and expertise like Sven to support his explorations.
#4 Question classmates have answered:
What do you think about the controversies of his findings of cases of manuscripts and relics, dated from the T’ang Dynasty and ended up in British, French and Hungarian collections?
(Leave comment) Classmate (Melissa T) 1 answer:
Hi Melissa, the findings of Aurel Stein are fascinating and relevant since he develops better connections with the people he finds in various regions. I also found it astonishing that he managed to learn several languages. But then again, anything is possible as long as the person is interested in whatever he or she is doing. Learning the dialect made it easier for Stein to retrieve information from the communities as well as their materials. He was also not shy in his methods of obtaining data using any means possible. His explorations are also believable since he provides evidence such as artifacts and real maps of the regions (Liu, 2010). Hence, it is challenging to believe the controversies that arise concerning his information. However, I must say I had not thought of the R. L. Stein idea. It is quite catchy.
Reference
Liu, X. (2010). The Silk Road in world history. London: Oxford University Press.
