History of the Silk Road

Abstract

It is often mentioned that the "Silk Road" was a trade route between theEast and the West. Conceptually, it represents the history of communicationbetween China and the West: goods and merchants frequently travelledalong this route. The meaning of the Silk Road and its formation processand scope of influence has been documented in different records, and hadan impact on academic research in several countries: in the field of researchon the history of China, the study of the Silk Road is a subject that manyresearchers have tackled and discussed. Early historical chronicles have beenanalyzed and discussed as well as documents and unearthed artefacts foundalong the Silk Road; these studies involve political, cultural, and economicaspects. Research has not been limited to China, but has also interested thecountries which were along the Silk Road and those which were affected bythe Silk Road culture. The Silk Road acted as a cultural bridge between Eastand West: it did not only promote commerce but also cultural exchanges.For example, Buddhism, as one of the religions of the Kushan kingdom,reached China thanks to this route.