Silk Road Timeline

130BC Silk Road is officially oppened

138BC 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 Europe

638AD Christianity arrives in China

682AD Islam reaches Africa and Europe

700AD Paper making reaches Asian and Europe

750AD Peak of movement along silk road

1100AD Maritime trade grows. Italy begins producing silk

1400-1500AD Centre of silk trade moves to france

1368AD Ming Dynasty begins, bring foreign aid to an end