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Discover the Silk Road's influence on trade and ideas between China and Europe, along with Han Dynasty advancements in technology, paper, and medicine. Learn about the impactful innovations that shaped ancient China's civilization.
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Chapter 5 Ancient China Section 4 Achievements of Ancient China
The Silk Road • Silk Road– ancient trade route between China and Europe. The Silk Road opened trade from China all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. • The Silk Road allowed both sides to experience new goods. It ran for over 4000 miles through mountains and deserts.
Route for Goods • Typically travelers passed goods from one trader to the next as they went. The further they went, the more expensive the goods. The Silk Road got its name from silk – a valuable cloth originally made only in China. • Han Dynasty farmers developed new methods for raising silkworms and workers could dye the silk and weave it into clothing. The penalty for revealing this secret was death.
The Silkworm This is the caterpillar which naturally spins silk.
A Route for Ideas • Not only did goods travel on the silk road, but ideas as well. • Missionaries traveled from India to China spreading ideas of Buddhism helping it to become a major religion.
Tradition & Learning • Traditional Chinese ideas flourished during the Han Dynasty. Confucianism and Buddhism were both worshipped. Confucianism was used as a test for the members of civil service. • A renewed interest in learning led to one Han scholar (Sima Qian) to record the early history of China, this helped the people of China learn about their past.
Respect for Learning Han rulers found that during troubled times, many people had respect for their traditions. As a way to bring back this respect, rulers encouraged people to return to the teachings of Confucius.
A History of China Until the time of the Han Dynasty, the Chinese people had very little knowledge of their history. They only knew myths that were passed down. The scholar Sima Qian decided to solve this problem by writing Historical Records, a written history of China.
Han Technology • During the Han Dynasty, ancient China became the most advanced civilization in the world. The Chinese made advances in farming and farming tools. They also invented paper. • In medicine, acupuncture was invented. Also, the Chinese discovered the circulatory system. • In technology, they invented an iron plow, rudder for steering ships, the seismoscope for detecting earthquakes, a compass, and a wheelbarrow for hauling goods.
Han Technology • During the Han Dynasty, ancient China became the most advanced civilization in the world. The Chinese made advances in farming and farming tools. They also invented paper. • In medicine, acupuncture was invented. Also, the Chinese discovered the circulatory system. • In technology, they invented an iron plow, rudder for steering ships, the seismoscope for detecting earthquakes, a compass, and a wheelbarrow for hauling goods.
Invention of Paper • Chinese first used wooden scrolls and bones to keep records. Later they wrote on silk. Then, around 105 AD, the Chinese invented paper. • They made the paper from tree bark, hemp, and old rags. The materials were soaked in water, beaten into a pulp, and dried flat on screens.
Let’s Review • What is the Silk Road? • What are Silkworms? • What problem did Sima Qian solve? • What did the Chinese write on before they invented paper?