Events
130BC
Silk Road is officially oppened138BC
Han Emperor Wu
the Great sends his
emissary Zhang Qian
to the west, initiating commerce.129BC
Parthians conquer
Mesopotamia. The
Silk Road to China is
now controlled by the
Parthians.28BC
Reign of Augustus Caesar in Rome, Chinese silk is very popular.161BC
Reign of Emperor
Marcus Aurelius in
Rome, Chinese silk
popularity endures.527AD
Reign of Emperor Julian of the Eastern Roman
(Byzantine) Empire. Beginning of Byzantine silk industry.542AD
The bubonic plague, thought to have
been brought through the Silk Road,
decimates Constantinople.500AD
Silk farms are
built in Europe638AD
Christianity arrives in China682AD
Islam reaches Africa and Europe700AD
Paper making reaches
Asian and Europe750AD
Peak of movement along silk road1100AD
Maritime trade grows. Italy
begins producing silk1400-1500AD
Centre of silk trade moves to france1368AD
Ming Dynasty begins, bring
foreign aid to an end
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