How did the silk road come about? Originally the purpose of the Silk Road was to
establish trade routes between the Middle East and Europe. The Han Dynasty was in rule
of China at the time and the Han’s ruled from 206 BCE to 220 AD. Zhang Qian was sent
to the west by Emperor Wu in an attempt to establish trade routes with Central
Asia. Along his travels, Qian discovered many separate, already established, trade
routes. His communication with these major traders was a significant factor in the rise of
the Silk Road (Whitfield 12-17)
The Royal Road was the main route established before the Silk Road. Zhong Qian found
the system that connected Susa to Sardis. The Royal Road was formed by King Darius of
the Persian Empire. This road was exactly what China had envisioned, but the Han
Dynasty had something much larger in mind.
The maritime Silk Road is often an overlooked part of the trade route. It is believed that
more trading was done overseas than on the Silk Road itself. The sea routes mainly
Arab, Persian, and Indian ships took were dangerous. Many ships went missing never to
be seen again. In the late fifteenth century new navigation routes were discovered
making it possible for European ships to reach farther east. Since China did not really
participate in the sea trade, their goods were still exchanged through European ships
(Wriggins 9). They traded things like their Chinese porcelain, this trade created a global
