How the Silk Road Made the World
Season 1
How the Silk Road Made the World
3 x 60' NHNZ/CCTV (China Central Television)
The Silk Road is one of humanity’s greatest enterprises. For thousands of years across the vastness of Eurasia,
a trade route linking east and west has deeply influenced history. Silk Road trade has helped to build and break empires, fed revolutions and profoundly affected civilisations. Humanity as we know it, and all we have created, owes much to the legendary Silk Road. This is true of objects as basic yet revolutionary as a piece of paper, to the complex metropolis of New York City. Travel through time to witness the evolution of ancient warfare, experience the horror of the Black Death, see the explosive impacts of innovations and live through radical social change. Embark on a dramatic historical journey throughout Eurasia and delve into the captivating tales of this world-famous trade route. Discover How the Silk Road Made the World.
3 x 60' NHNZ/CCTV (China Central Television)
The Silk Road is one of humanity’s greatest enterprises. For thousands of years across the vastness of Eurasia,
a trade route linking east and west has deeply influenced history. Silk Road trade has helped to build and break empires, fed revolutions and profoundly affected civilisations. Humanity as we know it, and all we have created, owes much to the legendary Silk Road. This is true of objects as basic yet revolutionary as a piece of paper, to the complex metropolis of New York City. Travel through time to witness the evolution of ancient warfare, experience the horror of the Black Death, see the explosive impacts of innovations and live through radical social change. Embark on a dramatic historical journey throughout Eurasia and delve into the captivating tales of this world-famous trade route. Discover How the Silk Road Made the World.
Where to Watch How the Silk Road Made the World • Season 1
3 Episodes
- War
E1WarWar explores how the Silk Road influenced conflict, from cavalry warfare to gunpowder. The series opens 2000 years ago, when the Roman Empire seemed unstoppable. However, the Battle of Carrhae saw one of Rome’s worst military defeats when the Parthians used cavalry tactics to their advantage. The style of cavalry warfare developed by Central Asian horse archers would later dominate warfare, made possible by several innovations; the recurved composite bow, socketed bronze arrowheads and a psychological shift towards cohesive groups of soldiers under military command. It was also around this time that the Roman Empire began to covet Chinese silk. Long distance trade between the peoples of Eurasia was nothing new; for thousands of years, similar relations had been impacting societies. - Revolutions
E3RevolutionsRevolutions tells the stories of the objects and events generated by the Silk Road that helped to inspire revolutions. Paper-making spread from China throughout Asia and beyond. After the invention of the first printing press in 1440, millions of Europeans were reading printed content in multiple languages. Paper and the printing press democratised knowledge. Another world-changing implication of east-west trade was triggered by the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, which blocked European access to the Silk Road. Christopher Columbus searched for another route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic and instead landed in the Americas. Jesuit missionaries in China forged close bonds with Chinese intellectuals and introduced Chinese civilization to Europe. Gunpowder transformed mining and helped to make New York a great city.
