Silk Road Dynasties

Shang Kingdom

1600 BCE

In the Shang Kingdom, jade was highly valued, and they imported jade from an area of Xinjiang using the silk road

Shang Kingdom

1046 BCE

Zhou Dynasty

1045 BCE

It iz known that by around 600 BC, gold, jade, and silk was being traded between Europe and Western Asia and the advanced states of the Zhou Dynasty. Civilizations active in the Silk Road trade included Ancient Greece, Persia, Yuezhi, and the Qin State that controlled the eastern part of the Hexi Corridor

Zhou Dynasty ENDS

221 BCE

Han Empire

206 BCE

The people in the Han Empire traded silk within the empire from the interior to the western borders, but the internal trade was stopped by the attacks of small nomadic tribes on the trade caravans.In order to protect their internal trade routes they sent General Zhang Qian as an envoy to build relationships.

Sogdian Traders

200 BCE

The Sogdians dominated the Silk Road trade.They were the Silk Road's most prominent merchants and middlemen for more than 1,000 years. They established a trading network across 1,500 miles from Sogdia to the Chinese empires.

Han Empire END

220

3 Kingdoms Period

220

After the Han Empire, people traded silk within the empire from interior borders. However, due to the Han dynasty separating it started arguments and ceased trading.

3 Kingdoms Period END

581

Tang Dynasty

618

In the early Tang Dynasty era, the Silk Road route in Xinjiang was controlled by Turkic tribes. They allied with small states in Xinjiang against the Tang.The Tang Dynasty later conquered the Turkic tribes, reopened the route, and promoted trade. Trade with the West INCREASED HIGHLY.

Tang Dynasty ENDS

917

Song Empire

960

The Song Dynasty wanted to regain the land of the Western Xia, they thought that they perhaps reestablish the same profit Silk Road trade that benefited the Han and Tang dynasties, however it didn't work.

Sogdian Traders END

1000

Song Empire ENDS

1279