Nearly every product that reaches our hands these days has already been on an impressive journey around the world. 97% of our clothes are produced abroad, typically in garment factories like those of H&M in Asia or Nike in Brazil. The automobiles made by American companies like Tesla or GM all have parts that originated in countries like China, Germany, and Hungary. And whether you’re typing away at work or scrolling for fun, you can rest assured that the parts in your electronic device have spent some time in countries like Korea and China before reaching you.
Most of us donโt consider this at the time of purchase, especially when buying from a US-based company like Apple, Nike, or Ford. If this interconnectedness were to suddenly disappear, however, we would certainly be aware of the poor product choices and astronomical prices we would instantly face. The process that we now refer to as globalization is as intrinsically linked to today’s world as its member countries are to one another, and this can all be traced back to the wondrous and at times brutal trail from Asia to the Mediterranean known as the Silk Road.
How the Silk Road Originated
One of the most precious commodities of the BCE days was a luxurious fabric known as silk, the production of which was a closely-guarded secret that the Chinese were able to keep for centuries. Outsiders did not know how silkworms were used to create this gorgeous shimmering material, but the people of Rome did know that they absolutely had to have it, as silk became a status symbol and even a sort of mania amongst the Roman elite. Shrewd traders saw the imbalance between supply and demand, and they began working out ways to bring this material west.
How the Silk Road Functioned
A Chinese merchant did not simply load up his silks and journey across the desert sands on camelback until he reached Athens. Goods changed hands many, many times, with transactions usually conducted at major commercial centers, markets, and eventually ports. After bartering or using gold to make a purchase, the goods were then passed along down the next stretch of the route, often in caravans protected by guards. There was not one “Silk Road,” but rather a vast network of trails that reached (and created) major cities throughout Asia, Persia, India, northern Africa, and southern Europe.
How the Silk Road Expanded
The Silk Road grew not only geographically, but also in the scope of its products and influence. Every participating country contributed to this exchange, and traders were soon swapping silks for spices, spices for pearls, and pearls for Western horse breeds. People all over were delighted by these new goods, and proud to share their own contributions.
Communication on the Silk Road
Prior to this period, communities and countries had been relatively isolated and guarded. Stories of the outside world would arrive via a chance explorer or nomadic tribe, but interactions between different cultures and speakers of other languages were generally few. In this budding frenzy of commerce, however, everyone was thrown together and forced to communicate. The assortment of languages was an obvious challenge, and different sectors of the Silk Road routes developed their own lingua franca. Chinese was standard towards the East, Persian was the language of business in the Middle East, and other zones required a plethora of interpreters and translators to hash out deals.
The Exchange of Ideas and Cultures
As time passed, the exchanging of goods grew into something much more complex, as the traders, merchants, and customers were now not only sharing products, but their languages, ways of life, and even religions. Agricultural methods like terrace farming were revealed, as were new crops like peaches and grapes. The work of artists and artisans reached new audiences, who marveled at calligraphy from Persia and never before seen styles like Greco-Buddhist art. Technology like gunpowder production spread and eventually changed our world, for better or for worse, forever.
Globalization and the Legacy of the Silk Road
The Silk Road left a remarkable legacy, breaking the historical pattern of suspicion and hostility that normally accompanied encounters between different cultures and peoples. Instead, a newfound curiosity emerged, eventually leading to the development of tolerance and acceptance toward diverse cultures and people. Buddhism spread from India to China and beyond. The teachings of Islam from Arabia found new homes in Southeastern Asia and Africa, where they continue today as strong as ever. This new openness and exchange of ideas paved the way for globalization by fueling the growth of global commerce and our shared collective intelligence.
