Trade Routes in Medieval Asia

Explore trade routes in medieval Asia in this lesson through a video on the Silk Road and a map of Asian trade routes from the 13^th century. Students will participate in a silent discussion analyzing trade routes across medieval Asia.

Engage

Learn about trade on the Silk Road in this featured Quick Talk.

Analyze

Medieval Commerce in Asia

Genre: Map | Creator: William Shepherd | Date: 1911

Background

This map of 13th-century Asian trade routes was created by the cartographer and professor of history William Shepherd for his 1911 Historical Atlas. It details the land and sea travels of John of Pian del Carpine, William of Rubruck, and Marco Polo, illustrating the path of the Silk Road from the Middle East across central Asia.

Collaborate

Silent Discussion

Pose the following question to students:

What details did you identify concerning the main trade routes across Asia?

Students will engage in a silent discussion, which will provide an opportunity to generate, share, and reflect on ideas with their peers. Students will write all comments on the board.

Have students silently write, read, and react to comments.
Students may add related comments, draw lines to connect comments, add stars or other symbols to indicate their reactions to peer comments, or draw an image to represent their comment.
Call on students to share takeaways, new ideas, or appreciations from the silent discussion.

Teacher Resources

Think Like a Historian

Use this additional sourcing information to further contextualize the source in order to deepen students’ analysis and evaluation.

Summary

The Silk Road linked Western empires with Persia, India, and China, making travel faster and safer for merchants and travelers. This expanded trade between empires and encouraged the cultural diffusion that spread language, religion, art, and more.

Purpose

This map of travel routes through Asia was created to illustrate the routes taken by merchants as well as by the individual explorers Marco Polo, John of Pian del Carpine, and William of Rubruck.

Intended Audience

Included in a Historical Atlas, published in 1911, this map was intended for the academic study of medieval trade routes through Asia.

Source Considerations

The word caravanserai originates from two Persian words: Caravan-a group of travelers-and Seray-home. Hundreds of caravanserais operated along the Silk Road and varied from small establishments to large fortress-like complexes.

Scaffolding and Differentiation

Use the following information to provide reading comprehension support.

Organization

Students may be confused by the level of detail presented in this map. Encourage students to zoom in on the map and reference the map key for better understanding.

Media

Students may be confused by the fact that the Silk Road was not a single path through central Asia. Explain to students that as indicated on this map, the Silk Road was actually a network of connected routes.

Analyze and Discuss

To extend discussions, consider asking the following questions.

What details did you identify concerning the main trade routes across Asia?
- (Answers will vary but might include details such as cities, mountains, rivers, nations, or even the desert that the trade routes cross.)
What conclusions can you draw as to how the trade routes indicated on the map would allow different cultures to interact with one another?
- (Answers will vary, but students may discuss how the trade routes brought people from incredibly diverse backgrounds together by creating an established path across central Asia. Without the trade routes and the caravanserais that were built along them, far fewer people would have been able to make the journey.)

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Explore trade routes in medieval Asia in this lesson through a video on the Silk Road and a map of Asian trade routes from the 13th century. Students will participate in a silent discussion analyzing trade routes across medieval Asia.