How did the establishment of the Silk Road increase trade, the spread of Buddhism, and the connections between China and other regions of Afroeurasia?

Download Primary Source Set: Silk Roads

In this set students analyze primary sources as evidence of three important aspects of the Silk Roads during the earliest years of their operation, from approximately 50 BCE to 500 CE: the existence of multiple roads, particularly the sea route; the formation of the overland Silk Road from the conflict between the Han dynasty and the Xiongnu; and the transmission of Buddhism to China.