Trade Routes

            Chapter seven covers in detail the three major trade routes through Eurasia, the Indian Ocean, and Sahara. The first trade route Strayer looked at was the Silk Roads route, which stretched from China to Eurasia. Travelers would transport goods by camel or horse. Products exchanged along this route were silk, gunpowder, spices, metals, nuts, medicine, paper, and metals. Buddhism was a popular topic of religion shared along the trade routes with the various countries. Besides religion and goods, people were exposed to devastating diseases like smallpox and measles. The second trade route was the Sea Route that took place along the outskirts of land near the across the Indian Ocean. Products were transported by ship. This particular route enabled merchants and docking cities to trade in bulk with other ports. Products of trade included silk, tea, textiles, perfumes, glassware, wine, gold, spices, and timber. With travelers trading from port to port, eventually political and Buddhist ideas were shared mainly from India. Lastly there was the Sand Roads, which had two routes through North and Midwest Africa. The primary source for transporting goods was by camels. People traveling along the Sand Roads traded gold, salt, or slaves.