History of the Silk Road Quiz
Which emperor of the Han Empire sent the first embassy westward to search for trading partners and allies?
- Emperor Wudi's ambassador was named Zhang Qian and he left in 139 BC, ultimately making successful contact with Central Asia.
Who was the first to coin the term "silk road" to describe the flow of goods between East Asia and Europe?
- In 1877 AD, the geographer von Richthofen labeled the network of trade and gave us the term used today: the Silk Road.
Which of the following pairs of deserts did the Silk Road cross?
- Crossing both the Gobi Desert and Taklamakan Desert in Mongolia and China, respectively, the Silk Road traversed some truly dangerous areas.
Approximately how long was the total stretch of the Silk Road?
- Stretching from Rome, Italy, the Silk Road extended to Luoyang in China.
Where was the original starting point of the Silk Road in China in 119 BC?
- Now modern Xi'an city, Chang'an used to be China's ancient capital. The Silk Road's origin moved to Luoyang, China, a few hundred years later.
What were the initial trade goods passed along these routes?
- At first, the Han Empire primarily traded silks for war horses with those in Central Asia to help with their military efforts.
How many main routes made up the Silk Road pathways?
- Branches off the main Silk Road track included treks through Russia, Tibet, India, the Karakorum mountains, and even the ocean to the Middle East.
Around what year was the Silk Road finally made irrelevant, as ocean trade replaced overland treks?
- As trade routes through Mongolia were severed after the Yuan Empire fell, the Silk Road was finally made defunct.
Which religion made it into China, thanks to the Silk Road and its traders?
- Likely starting after 68 AD, traders and religious individuals from India and Central Asian cultures started to bring Buddhism into China.
Who was one of the most famous travelers and explorers of the Silk Road?
- At only 17 years old, Marco Polo trekked the Silk Road all the way to China in 1271, where he became ingratiated with the Yuan Empire and its leader, the Kublai Khan.
