The Silk Road

Abstract

Abstract The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction looks beyond the initial exotic impression conveyed by the phrase 'silk road' to sketch the historical background against which the silk road flourished, and consider the significance of old-world intercultural exchange to Eurasian and world history generally. This VSI outlines the dynamics of Central Eurasian history that promoted silk road interactions, especially the role of nomad empires; and highlights the biological, technological and cultural as well as economic exchanges on the silk road. It also discusses the ideological connotations and abstract uses of the concept and disputes the common assertion of a 'silk road decline' from around 1500.

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