| A | B |
|---|
| Zhang Qian | He was sent on a mission to the area west of China in 139 BCE. He was told to find people who would ally with China to fight off the nomadic group, Xiongnu. However, he Zhang Qian was captured by the nomadic group on his way to the west. He eventually escaped with his new son and wife and went as far west as Bactria. Once again, on his way back to China, he was captured by the nomadic group but escaped a year after. He failed to get any allies for China. Even though he did not get an ally for China, he learned a lot and decided to do something about it. He started trade between China and Bactria. His knowledge obtained throughout his journey resulted in the start of the silk roads and a relationship between China and western lands. |
| Monoon System | The mariners from Ptolemaic Egypt figured out about the monsoon winds. The winds were a major factor for sailing and shipping in the Indian Ocean. Once they found out how the winds blew, they were able to trade more reliably and safely. As a result, merchants made regular trade routes through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. This allowed economic development and brought benefits. The Hellenistic rulers were smart because they put taxes on trade and therefore had an income. |
| Bactria (for Greeks and Chinese) | Bactria is the place where the Roman and Chinese Empire would trade. In 128 BCE, Zhang Qian travelled to Bactria for an alliance but instead he saw goods that could be traded. |
| Silk Roads | Started by Zhang Qian around 100 BCE. They are trade routes that linked lands like China and Rome. People worked hard to promote trade and the silk roads helped that. The Silk Roads get its name from the Chinese silk that was traded heavily |
| Sea Lanes | A sea lane is a route for ships that are trading and using the ocean. The Ptolemies paid close attention to the sea lanes. They started to link the sea lanes from the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea and to the Indian Ocean. |
| Trade Goods | Trade goods were the things that were being traded. For example, China traded their goods like textiles and bamboo articles. |
| Wang Mang | He reigned China during the Han Dynasty from 9 - 23 CE. He was an usurper who had tried to redistribute the land throughout China. It failed and during the last years of the Han Dynasty, the large landowners gained positions in the government. |
| Epidemics | Epidemic disease broke out in the Han and Roman Empires during the second and third century CE. Smallpox, measles, and bubonic plague were the most destructive diseases. The diseases decreased the Roman empire's population by more than 1/4th. For example, both countries lost over 15 million people. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius ldied because of one of the diseases. The epidemics caused social and economic change. Trade declined and as a result, the Chinese and Roman economy became self - sufficient. |
| Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples | The nomadic people started to accustom themselves to the Chinese culture after the fall of the Han Dynasty. They started to build permanent settlements and started to irrigate land. Intermarriage occurred and the nomadic people took Chinese names. Eventually, the nomads enrolled in education and became great at Chinese literature and philosophy. Overtime, the distinction between Chinese people and the nomads diminished and a new dynasty was created. |
