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In the centuries around A.D., in Asia, North Africa and Europe, some powerful countries emerged in the Han Dynasty, such as China, Rest in Peace, Guishuang, Sassanian Dynasty in Persia, Gupta Dynasty in India and Rome. At that time, there was a traffic avenue across Central Asia and connecting Europe and Asia. It has played an important role in political, economic and cultural exchanges between these countries. As a large number of China silk and silk fabrics were transported westward through this road, this traffic avenue was called "Silk Road" by European scholars in the19th century. Later, the name was widely accepted. Where the Silk Road passes, there are snow-capped mountains, endless deserts and saline-alkali swamps. Under the condition of underdeveloped productive forces and means of transportation, working people, business travelers, messengers and monks of ancient countries braved quicksand and snow to open up trade routes, which made great contributions to strengthening economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West and enhancing friendship among people of all countries.

The Silk Road and Exchanges between China and the West In the 4th century BC, the Greek Parliament called China "Ceres", which means the country of silk. This shows that China's silk products have long been important export commodities, and that the Silk Road has already begun. However, the recorded large-scale communication in history began with the communication between Zhang Qian and the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty. In 138 BC, Zhang Qian was ordered by Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty to go to Yueshi, and was detained by Xiongnu until 126 BC. In 65438 BC+065438 BC+09 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian West to contact Wusun in the Ili River valley, and at the same time to Dawan (now Fergana Valley), Kangju (about between Lake Balkhash and Aral Sea), Da Yue (middle and upper reaches of Amu Darya), Daxia (Bactria), Rest in Peace (Parthia) and Titi. Sima Qian's Biography of Historical Records in Dawan called his two missions "hollowing out", which means that he embarked on a road that has never been opened up for the first time.

From the 2nd century BC, during the Western Han Dynasty in China, according to the Records of Hanshu Geography, the Silk Road had two roads, north and south. South Road starts from Yumen and Yangguan in China (now Dunhuang West), passes through Shanshan (now Ruoqiang in Xinjiang), goes west along Nanshan (now Altun Mountain and Kunlun Mountain), crosses Qingji in the west of shache (now shache county in Xinjiang), and rests in peace. There are many forks in the Dayue family: crossing Guishui (Amu Darya) to the north and connecting with Kangju and Chae Yeon (between Aral Sea and Caspian Sea); South is connected with India; The southwest is connected with the roads from Kobin (present Kashmir) and Wuyishan (Herat) to Tiaozhi (Lasseny); Go west to Muru, Hekatong, Pailos, EkPlatthana and Taixifeng, reach Antioch in Syria, cross the sea to Greece and Rome, or go south to Alexandria in Egypt via Damascus and Tyre. North Road, from Wang Ting in front of the auto market (now Turpan West, Xinjiang) along Beishan (now Turpan West, Xinjiang) south, along Tarim River west, to Shule (now Kashgar City, Xinjiang), crossing Qingji in the west, leaving Dawan, Kangju and Chae Yeon, passing through the grassland north of Caspian Sea and Black Sea, and connecting with Europe. When Zhang Qian was on his first mission, he got away from Xiongnu, passed through Dawan, Kangju and Da Yue, and went to Daxia, taking the North Road. When he came back, he "merged (alongside) Nanshan" and took the south road. Both the north and south roads are south of Tianshan Mountain.

In addition, there was a third westbound trade route north of Tianshan Mountain in Han Dynasty, which was not specifically recorded. This passage is the road from Junggar Basin to Wusun and Dawan at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain. Zhang Qian's second mission, from the mainland to Wusun, took the route north of Tianshan Mountain. He sent envoys from Wusun to Dawan, Kangju, Yueshi and Daxia. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ban Chao governed the Western Regions. In 97 AD, Gan Ying was sent to Daqin (Rome) and arrived in the Persian Gulf, the western frontier of Rest, to prepare for crossing the sea. However, he was discouraged by other crew members and failed to achieve this goal. This was the westernmost point reached by the envoys of China on the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty.

Before the 3rd century AD, there were two roads to the south of Tianshan Mountain, and the road to the south was more prosperous. From the 3rd century to the 5th century, during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the passage to the north of Tianshan Mountain was the most prosperous.

According to the Records of Geography of Hanshu, there was also a maritime Silk Road to the west in the Han Dynasty: from Xuwen (now Xuwen, Guangdong) and Hepu (now Hepu, Guangxi), it took about five months to reach Duyuanguo (now Da Nang, Vietnam); After another four-month voyage, I arrived in Lu Yi (today's Thailand) without a country. Sail for about 20 days and leave the country (now Dana Sarin, Myanmar); Then walk for more than ten days to Fugandulu (now near Beimu, Myanmar); After sailing for more than two months, I arrived in the country of Huang (now Concord Punan, India) and south of the country of Huang (now Sri Lanka). "The Chinese translation has been returned since then." Cheng Cheng was not the farthest place that China navigators reached in the Western Han Dynasty. The return journey of this road recorded in Hanshu Geography is no longer by land, and it is likely to bypass the Straits of Malacca, and the total voyage time will be extended. When China silk entered India, it was first transported to Bali, Chai Ge (now the port of Bulosi) and Babariken (now near Karachi). From these two ports to the north, it is connected with the Silk Road in Central Asia. To the west, it connects with the trade routes of Syria and Palestine via Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and Euphrates River, and then reaches Rome through Mediterranean shipping company. Starting from India, you can also bypass the Arabian Peninsula, enter Alexandria, Egypt via the Red Sea, and then go to Rome via the Mediterranean Sea. In the case that the Silk Road on land is blocked, this maritime Silk Road is even more important.

The Silk Road and the Sino-Western Trade Silk Road are a commercial artery that spans Asia and Europe, and also a road for political, economic and cultural exchanges between eastern and western countries, among which international trade was the most prominent at that time. "The Biography of the Western Regions in the Later Han Dynasty" said: "There is no end to attacking the post station; Businessmen sell customers, and the Japanese money is stuffed ",which reflects the situation that envoys come and go constantly and vendors keep coming and going." "

China silk is the main commodity of the Silk Road. China is the first country in the world to raise silkworms, reeling and weaving. During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, the working people had woven colorful dark silk and colorful embroidery. Later, Luo yarn and brocade were invented. The silk-making technology in the Han Dynasty has been greatly improved, as evidenced by the exquisite silk preserved in Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha. China's silk export began in the Warring States Period. In the 4th century BC, the Greeks called China the country of silk, indicating that Asian businessmen had shipped silk to Europe. From the Western Han Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, China silk was shipped to the west in large quantities. In order to ensure economic exchanges, the Han Dynasty also took necessary political measures, such as sending envoys and setting up post stations, so as to keep the trade routes smooth.

China's silk was regarded as a treasure in ancient Central Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe. After the exchange between Korea and the Western Regions, silk became popular in Central Asia and West Asia. Rest in peace, especially the princes and queens of Seleucus and Ptolemy. Temples all over the country are also heavily decorated with silk. During the Roman Empire, China silk was widely used in Europe. In Rome, the center of western Rome, and Constantinople, the center of eastern Rome, emperors, senators and even powerful families are proud to wear China silk. The vestments, sacrificial clothes, curtains and altars of Christian churches are all made of silk. State officials wear special forms of silk robes, while secular rich people generally wear ordinary silk robes. A Roman writer in the 3rd century A.D. said: Silk people make precious silk, its color is as beautiful as wild flowers, and its material is as slender as spider silk.

Besides exporting a lot of silk, China also exported iron, nickel, precious metals, bronzes, lacquerware, peaches and sugar cane to Central Asia, West Asia and even Rome. China imports woolen goods, glass, precious stones, agates, spices and cosmetics from the west of Central Asia, especially Dawan. Plants from Central Asian countries, such as grapes, alfalfa, broad beans, pomegranate, crocus, sesame, carrots and cucumbers, have all spread to China. From the Western Regions and Iran, other musical instruments, such as Zan, Pipa and Zan, as well as painting, sculpture and pattern design techniques were introduced to China. Rest and Roman wool and glass also come from the East. The number of trade envoys from Dawan to the West reaches more than ten times a year. They went to Sogdian, Daxia, India to rest in peace, and even went west.

The popularity of China silk and other countries' commodities and the huge profits gained from them have made countries in Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa and Southern Europe struggle for a long time to control trade routes and monopolize trade. Central Asia is at the crossroads of the Silk Road, and the main brokers in Central Asia are the Sogdians. Sogdian, with Malakun (now Samarkand) as its capital, is also called Kangju in China's historical records. They have always been famous for their international trade, and they have made great profits in the re-export trade. But the Sogdians are too young to control and monopolize the Silk Road. After the division of the Alexander Empire, the Silk Road was always in the hands of the Selugu Dynasty until the independence of Daxia and Rest in Peace. This monopoly income plays an important role in Seleucu's finance and economy. After independence, it controlled Central Asia and West Asia and monopolized the transit trade of the Silk Road. At this time Seleucus was embarrassed and lost the hegemony of international trade. Rest in peace has benefited a lot from entrepot trade and export trade. According to "The Biography of the Western Regions in the Later Han Dynasty", it is ten times more profitable. After Anning's death, Sasan controlled the international trade of the Silk Road to Persia, forbidding Sogdian merchants to cross the border and preventing Roman merchants from selling silk in an attempt to monopolize the patent. However, oriental goods still flow to Rome. The Romans imported a lot of goods from India, China and West Asia every year. These goods are sold in Rome at a price 100 times more expensive than in India. Silk is worth as much as gold of the same weight. It can be seen that businessmen in international trade at that time could make huge profits from it.

Since the opening of the Silk Road and the Sino-foreign Friendship Silk Road, the friendly exchanges between China and various ethnic groups in Central Asia, West Asia and Southern Europe have been endless and increasingly close.

In the 2nd century BC, Zhang Qian made his first mission to the Western Regions (from 138 BC to 126 BC), and traveled to Dawan, Kangju and Da Yue. After returning home, he reported to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty about the countries in the Western Regions. In BC 12 1 and BC 1 19, Huo Qubing and Wei Qing defeated Xiongnu twice, took control of Hexi Corridor and forced Xiongnu to leave Mobei. At this time, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions for the second time (from 1 19 BC to15 BC), led a delegation of 300 people to Wusun, and sent envoys from Wusun to visit Dawan, Kangju, Da Yue, Daxia and other countries. China's envoys went to rest, and the king sent generals to lead twenty thousand cavalry to the eastern border to meet them. When Ambassador China returned to China, he also gave the big bird eggs (ostrich eggs) and Li (Roman acrobat) to Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. Other countries also send envoys to communicate with each other; China's friendly relations with foreign countries began with diplomatic envoys, business trips and non-governmental exchanges.

At the end of 1 BC, Dayue introduced Indian Buddhism to China through the Silk Road. According to records, in the second year BC, "Dr. Yue Wang gave a pagoda sutra" ("The Biography of Wei Luxi Rong"). In the first year of Zhanghe, Emperor Zhao of Han Dynasty (AD 87), the latter sent envoys to China to offer lions and Fu Ba (Biography of the Western Regions in the Later Han Dynasty). In the 13th year of Han Yongyuan (A.D. 10 1), King Manqu sent envoys to China to offer lions and big birds (rest birds). In A.D. 148, An Qing, a resting monk, came to China to spread Buddhism. From 148 to 17 1, he translated Buddhist scriptures in Luoyang, and successively translated 35 Buddhist scriptures in 4 1 volumes. He not only spread Buddhist culture, but also played a very important role in the development of translated literature in China. Since then, the envoys have become more closely linked with the people. From the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, Iranian Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Christianity (Nestorianism) were first introduced to China. /kloc-in 0/05, Cai Lun improved papermaking. About forty or fifty years later, Sogdian merchants transported the tattered paper made in China to Central Asia. In the 12th year of Han Yongyuan (A.D. 100), "Monzi (Macedonia) and Dur (Thrace) from the Western Regions sent envoys to China" (recorded in Ji of the Later Han Dynasty) was the beginning of direct communication between China and Europe. In the ninth year of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty (A.D. 166), the Roman emperor sent envoys to China to present ivory and other gifts. In the Five Years of Sun Quan in the Three Kingdoms Period (A.D. 226), Roman businessmen went to Jianye to welcome Sun Quan and other activities are recorded in historical records. All these have directly promoted mutual understanding and economic and cultural exchanges between China and European countries.