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What effect did the Silk Roads and other networks of exchange and trade have on the development and power of the four world zones?

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What effect did the Silk Roads and other networks of exchange and trade have on the development and power of the four world zones?

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Afro- Eurasia had a large scale trade network, the Silk Road. "Because of the Silk Roads, Afro-Eurasia was much larger in population, much more technologically dynamic, and also much more interlinked through trade and exchange

than the other three world zones were" (The First Silk Roads, P11). In comparison, there were trade networks existing in the Americas, but the distances were huge and thus were on a much smaller scale compared to the Silk Road. This led to Afro-Eurasia quickly dominating the rest of the world zones when they eventually collided.

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What are some of the goods that were in high demand and traded throughout the Afro-Eurasian world zone?

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What are some of the goods that were in high demand and traded throughout the Afro-Eurasian world zone?

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Ceramics, textiles, foods, spices, and high-value art were some goods that were exchange" (The first Silk Roads 10.)

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Why was the linking of different civilizations through networks of exchange and trade an important process?

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Why was the linking of different civilizations through networks of exchange and trade an important process?

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"ensured that collective learning reached further and embraced more people and greater diversity than ever before"(The first Silk Road 5).

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The Silk Roads allowed for the exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases across Afro-Eurasia. How would this be detrimental to the culture and civilizations in other world zones?

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The Silk Roads allowed for the exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases across Afro-Eurasia. How would this be detrimental to the culture and civilizations in other world zones?

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This would be detrimental to the culture and civilizations as new diseases would devastate the people of other zones who had no existing immunity to diseases which came across the ocean. "the population of the Roman Empire fell from perhaps 60 million to 40 million by 400 CE, while that of China may have dropped from 60 million to 45 million by 600 CE" (The First Silk Roads, P9). Tens of millions of lives being lost means that the culture and collective learning of a civilization will have a major stunt in development, and that is partly why civilizations from the Americas don't have as much influence today.

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Why did the Silk Roads revive after the seventh century CE?

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Why did the Silk Roads revive after the seventh century CE?

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"The same time, Arab merchants benefiting from the stable and prosperous Abbasid administration in Baghdad (750–1228) — began to engage with their Chinese counterparts in lucrative commercial enterprises, leading to a revival of the Silk Roads

"(The First Silk Road 11).

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Why did the Silk Roads decline after the third century CE?

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Why did the Silk Roads decline after the third century CE?

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"During the third century CE, the Silk Roads fell into disuse as both the Chinese and Roman empires withdrew from the network. Silk Roads trade was at least partly responsible for this, because it led to the spread of disastrous epidemic diseases"(The First Silk Road 9).

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What innovations in transportation technology made trade on the Silk Road possible?

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What innovations in transportation technology made trade on the Silk Road possible?

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vibrant market economy in China, in which agricultural and manufacturing specialization, population growth, urbanization, and technological innovation encouraged high levels of trade. New financial instruments (including printed paper money) were devised to facilitate large scale commerce"(The First Silk Road 11)

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What characteristics were important for the smooth operation of the Silk Road and which empires maintained these characteristics?

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What characteristics were important for the smooth operation of the Silk Road and which empires maintained these characteristics?

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The explosions of trade was made possible were ports, money and roads. The creations of the Silk Roads was made possible by China connecting with  the rest of Eurasia. Demand for elegant gown from wealthy women and a peaceful time in Europe were needed.