Silk Road - Cross-continental travel. As accomplished waterway shipping and domestication of efficient pack animals both increased the capacity for prehistoric peoples to carry heavier loads over greater distances, cultural exchanges and trade developed rapidly. For example, shipping in predynastic Egypt was already established by the 4th millennium BC along with domestication of the donkey, with the dromedary possibly having been domesticated as well. Domestication of the Bactrian camel and use of the horse for means of transport then follo ...

See also:

Silk Road, Silk Road - Origins, Silk Road - Cross-continental travel, Silk Road - Ancient transport, Silk Road - Egyptian maritime trade, Silk Road - British tin, Silk Road - Chinese and Central Asian contacts, Silk Road - Persian Royal Road, Silk Road - Roman and Egyptian transatlantic voyages, Silk Road - Hellenistic conquests, Silk Road - Chinese exploration of Central Asia, Silk Road - Zhang Qian 138-126 BCE, Silk Road - Ban Chao 97-102 CE, Silk Road - The Roman Empire and silk, Silk Road - Central Asian commercial & cultural exchanges, Silk Road - Artistic transmission on the Silk Road, Silk Road - Mongol era, Silk Road - Technological transfer to the West, Silk Road - Disintegration, Silk Road - The great explorers: Europe reaching for Asia, Silk Road - External links, Silk Road - Notes

Read more here: » Silk Road: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road - Origins

See also:

Silk Road, Silk Road - Origins, Silk Road - Cross-continental travel, Silk Road - Ancient transport, Silk Road - Egyptian maritime trade, Silk Road - British tin, Silk Road - Chinese and Central Asian contacts, Silk Road - Persian Royal Road, Silk Road - Roman and Egyptian transatlantic voyages, Silk Road - Hellenistic conquests, Silk Road - Chinese exploration of Central Asia, Silk Road - Zhang Qian 138–126 BCE, Silk Road - Ban Chao 97–102 CE, Silk Road - The Roman Empire and silk, Silk Road - Central Asian commercial & cultural exchanges, Silk Road - Artistic transmission on the Silk Road, Silk Road - Mongol era, Silk Road - Technological transfer to the West, Silk Road - Disintegration, Silk Road - The great explorers: Europe reaching for Asia, Silk Road - External links, Silk Road - Notes

Read more here: » Silk Road: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road - Origins

Soon after the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE, regular communications and trade between India, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, China, the Middle East, Africa and Europe blossomed on an unprecedented scale. Land and maritime routes were closely linked, and novel products, technologies and ideas began to spread across the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. Intercontinental trade and communication became regular, organised, and protected by the 'Great Powers.' Intense trade with the Roman Empire followed soon, confirmed by the Roman craze for ...

See also:

Silk Road, Silk Road - Origins, Silk Road - Cross-continental travel, Silk Road - Ancient transport, Silk Road - Egyptian maritime trade, Silk Road - British tin, Silk Road - Chinese and Central Asian contacts, Silk Road - Persian Royal Road, Silk Road - Roman and Egyptian transatlantic voyages, Silk Road - Hellenistic conquests, Silk Road - Chinese exploration of Central Asia, Silk Road - Zhang Qian 138-126 BCE, Silk Road - Ban Chao 97-102 CE, Silk Road - The Roman Empire and silk, Silk Road - Central Asian commercial & cultural exchanges, Silk Road - Artistic transmission on the Silk Road, Silk Road - Mongol era, Silk Road - Technological transfer to the West, Silk Road - Disintegration, Silk Road - The great explorers: Europe reaching for Asia, Silk Road - External links, Silk Road - Notes

Read more here: » Silk Road: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road - The Roman Empire and silk

The Mongol expansion throughout the Asian continent from around 1215 to 1360 helped bring political stability and re-establish the Silk Road vis-à-vis Karakorum. With rare exceptions such as Marco Polo or Christian ambassadors such as William of Rubruck, few Europeans traveled the entire length of the silk road. Instead traders moved products much like a bucket brigade, with luxury goods being traded from one middleman to another, from China to the West, and resulting ...

See also:

Mongol Empire, Mongol Empire - Overview, Mongol Empire - Formation, Mongol Empire - Major events in the Early Mongol Empire, Mongol Empire - Organization, Mongol Empire - Military setup, Mongol Empire - Law and governance, Mongol Empire - Trade networks, Mongol Empire - After Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire - Disintegration, Mongol Empire - Silk Road, Mongol Empire - Legacy, Mongol Empire - Sources

Read more here: » Mongol Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mongol Empire - Silk Road

The Mongol expansion throughout the Asian continent from around 1215 to 1360 helped bring political stability and re-establish the Silk Road vis-à-vis Karakorum. With rare exceptions such as Marco Polo or Christian ambassadors such as William of Rubruck, few Europeans traveled the entire length of the Silk Road. Instead traders moved products much like a bucket brigade, with luxury goods being traded from one middleman to another, from China to the West, and resulting ...

See also:

Mongol Empire, Mongol Empire - Overview, Mongol Empire - Formation, Mongol Empire - Major events in the Early Mongol Empire, Mongol Empire - Organization, Mongol Empire - Military setup, Mongol Empire - Law and governance, Mongol Empire - Trade networks, Mongol Empire - After Genghis Khan, Mongol Empire - Disintegration, Mongol Empire - Silk Road, Mongol Empire - Legacy, Mongol Empire - Sources

Read more here: » Mongol Empire: Encyclopedia II - Mongol Empire - Silk Road

Silk is a natural protein fibre that can be woven into textiles. It is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm larva, in the process known as sericulture, which kills the larvae. The shimmering appearance for which it is prized comes from the fibers' triangular prism-like structure, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles. Silk - Early history. Silk was first developed in early China, possibly as early as 6000 BC and definitely by 3000 BC. Legend gives credit to a Chine ...

Including:

• Silk - Early history
• Silk - Silk trade
• Silk - Secret
• Silk - Wild Silks
• Silk - Europe
• Silk - North America
• Silk - World War
• Silk - Islam
• Silk - Animal rights
• Silk - Other uses
• Silk - Stazione Bacologica Sperimentale

Read more here: » Silk: Encyclopedia - Silk

Buddhism is a very important religion in China and one of the three major schools of thought along with Confucianism and Taoism. It has affected and been affected by Chinese culture, politics, literature and philosophy for almost two millennia. For a more generalized discussion of Chinese religion, see religion in China. Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China. Buddhism in China - Arrival along the Silk Road. The arrival of Buddhism in China followed the first contacts between ...

Including:

• Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China
• Buddhism in China - Arrival along the Silk Road
• Buddhism in China - Relation to Confucianism and Daoism
• Buddhism in China - Local interpretation of Indian texts
• Buddhism in China - Buddhism gains political traction in the north
• Buddhism in China - Monks and rulers join forces
• Buddhism in China - Modern Chinese Buddhism
• Buddhism in China - Reference

Read more here: » Buddhism in China: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in China

The Han Dynasty (Traditional: 漢朝; Simplified: 汉朝; Hanyu Pinyin: Hàn cháo;; Wade-Giles: Han Ch'au; 206 BC–AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The dynasty was founded by the Liu family. Han Dynasty - Importance. The Chinese people consider the Han Dynasty to be one of the greatest periods in the entire history of China. As a result, the members of th ...

Including:

• Han Dynasty - Importance
• Han Dynasty - The Emergence
• Han Dynasty - Taoism and Feudal System
• Han Dynasty - Emperor Wu and Confucianism
• Han Dynasty - Beginning of the Silk Road
• Han Dynasty - Rise of landholding class
• Han Dynasty - Interruption of Han rule
• Han Dynasty - Rise and Fall of Eastern Han Dynasty
• Han Dynasty - Sovereigns of Han Dynasty

Read more here: » Han Dynasty: Encyclopedia - Han Dynasty

Gansu (Simplified: 甘肃; Traditional: 甘肅; Hanyu Pinyin: Gānsù; Wade-Giles: Kan-su, or modified as Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It lies between Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and the Huangtu Plateaus, and borders Mongolia to the north. The Huang He river passes the southern part of the province. It has a population of approximately 25 million (1997) and has a large concentration of Hui Chinese. The capital of the province is Lanz ...

Including:

• Gansu - Administration
• Gansu - History
• Gansu - Geography
• Gansu - Economy
• Gansu - Demographics
• Gansu - Culture
• Gansu - Tourism
• Gansu - The Jiayuguan Pass of the Great Wall
• Gansu - Mogao Grottoes
• Gansu - Silk Road And Dunhuang City
• Gansu - Bingling Temple
• Gansu - Labrang Monastery
• Gansu - Miscellaneous topics
• Gansu - Postage Stamps
• Gansu - Education
• Gansu - Colleges and universities
• Gansu - Natural resources
• Gansu - Land
• Gansu - Minerals
• Gansu - Energy
• Gansu - Flora and Fauna

Read more here: » Gansu: Encyclopedia - Gansu

Zhi Yao (Ch:支曜) was a Kushan Buddhist monk of Yuezhi ethnicity who was involved with the translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese around 185 CE. His origin is described in his adopted Chinese name by the prefix Zhi (Ch:支), abbreviation of Yuezhi (Ch:月支). Zhi Yao was a student of Lokaksema. He translated in particular a Mahayana text: The Sutra on the Completion of Brightness (Ch:� ...

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Zhi Qian (Ch:支谦) was a Kushan Buddhist monk of Yuezhi ethnicity who translated around thirty-six Buddhist sutras into Chinese between 222 and 253 CE. His origin is described in his adopted Chinese name by the prefix Zhi (Ch:支), abbreviation of Yuezhi (Ch:月支). ZhiQian's grandfather was called Fadu (Ch:法度) and was reportedly the leader of the of Yuezhi people and Buddhist missionaries who went to China during the reign of the Emperor Han Lingdi. Fadu wa ...

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Yumen (Simplified: 玉门; Traditional: 玉門; Hanyu Pinyin: Yùmén, situated in western Gansu province in China, is a county-level city of over 100,000 famous for oil production and located on the Silk Road, at 39°50′N 97°34′E. Other related archivesChina, Gansu, Hanyu Pinyin, Silk Road, Simplified, Traditional, county-level city

Read more here: » Yumen: Encyclopedia - Yumen

Lokaksema (Ch: 支娄迦谶 Zhi Loujiachan， sometimes abbreviated 支谶 Zhi Chan), born around 147 CE, The name "Lokaksema" translates into 'welfare of the world' in Sanskrit. He is the earliest known Buddhist monk to have translated Mahayana Buddhist scriptures into the Chinese language. Lokaksema - Origins. Lokaksema was a Kushan of Yuezhi ethnicity from Gandhara. His ethnicity is described in his adopted Chinese name by the prefix Zhi (Ch:支), abbreviation of Yuezhi (Ch:� ...

Including:

• Lokaksema - Origins
• Lokaksema - Activity in China
• Lokaksema - References:
• Lokaksema - Notes

Read more here: » Lokaksema: Encyclopedia - Lokaksema

Xuanzang (Chinese: 玄奘; Hanyu Pinyin: xuán zàng; Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang; Cantonese IPA: jyn4dzɔŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping:jyun4zong1) (602-644/664) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk. Xuanzang was born near Luoyang, Henan in 602 as Chen Yi (陳褘 Ch'en I, yi1). He came from a scholarly family, and had three elder brothers. (Other texts had it that he had two elder brothers and an elder sister). He became famous for his sevente ...

Including:

• Xuanzang - Name
• Xuanzang - Early Life
• Xuanzang - Pilgrimage
• Xuanzang - India
• Xuanzang - Legacy
• Xuanzang - Relics
• Xuanzang - Sources

Read more here: » Xuanzang: Encyclopedia - Xuanzang

Bhagalpur is a town and the administrative headquarters of Bhagalpur district, Bihar state in the eastern part of India. Bhagalpur is a divisional town of historical importance situated on the southern bank of the Ganga river. Situated 220km east of state capital Patna and 410 km north west of Calcutta is well connected by rail and road. Bhagalpur is famous worldwide for its silk production. The silk industry in this city is hundreds of years old and a whole clan exists that has been producing silk for generations. There is a Silk Institute and Agricultural college here, as well as a University, ...

Including:

• Bhagalpur - Bhagalpur blindings
• Bhagalpur - Bhagalpur riots

Read more here: » Bhagalpur: Encyclopedia - Bhagalpur

Incense is a preparation of aromatic plant matter, often with the addition of essential oils extracted from plant or animal sources, intended to release fragrant smoke for religious, therapeutic, or aesthetic purposes as it smolders. In the past, Chinese and Japanese society used incense as a time keeping device in the form of incense clocks. Incense - Forms and use of incense. Incense is available in numerous forms and degree of processing. However incense can generally be separated into direct burning< ...

Including:

• Incense - Forms and use of incense
• Incense - Direct burning
• Incense - Indirect burning
• Incense - Manufacturing
• Incense - Fragrant materials
• Incense - Combustible incense base
• Incense - Mixture properties
• Incense - Forming incense
• Incense - Religious and ethnic use of incense
• Incense - Biblical use
• Incense - Christianity
• Incense - Buddhism Shinto and Japan
• Incense - Paganism
• Incense - Criticism of incense
• Incense - Health risk
• Incense - Strong smell
• Incense - Flammability

Read more here: » Incense: Encyclopedia - Incense

"Wild silks" are produced by a number of undomesticated silkworms. Aside from differences in colours and textures, they all differ in one major respect from the domesticated varieties. The cocoons, which are gathered in the wild, have usually already been chewed through by the pupa or caterpillar ("silkworm") before the cocoons are gathered and thus the single thread which makes up the cocoon has been cut into shorter lengths. A variety of wild silks have been known and used in China, India and Europe from early times, although the scale of production has always been far sma ...

See also:

Silk, Silk - Early history, Silk - Silk trade, Silk - Secret, Silk - Wild Silks, Silk - Europe, Silk - North America, Silk - World War, Silk - Islam, Silk - Animal rights, Silk - Other uses, Silk - Stazione Bacologica Sperimentale

Read more here: » Silk: Encyclopedia II - Silk - Wild Silks

Silk Road transmission of art - Buddha. The image of the Buddha, originating during the 1st century CE in northern India (areas of Gandhara and Mathura) was transmitted progressively through Central Asia, China until it reached Japan in the 6th century [4]. To this day however the transmission of many iconographical details is still visible, such as the Hercules inspiration behind the Nio guardian deities in front of Japanese Buddhist temples, or representations of ...

See also:

Silk Road transmission of art, Silk Road transmission of art - Scythian art, Silk Road transmission of art - Hellenistic art, Silk Road transmission of art - Greco-Buddhist art, Silk Road transmission of art - Buddha, Silk Road transmission of art - Wind god, Silk Road transmission of art - Floral scroll pattern, Silk Road transmission of art - Eastern iconography in the West, Silk Road transmission of art - Notes

Read more here: » Silk Road transmission of art: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road transmission of art - Greco-Buddhist art

The first contacts between China and Central Asia occurred with the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BCE. The 1st century BCE "Records of the Great Historian" (Ch:史記, Shiji) describes the travels of the Chinese explorer Zhang Qian to Central Asia around 130 BCE, who reports about a country named Shendu (India), whose peaceful Buddhist ways are mentionned in writing in the 1st century CE Han history, the Hanshu. After 130 BCE, numerous embassies to the West followed Zhang Qian's travels, and there may have been some cont ...

See also:

Silk Road transmission of Buddhism, Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - First contacts, Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - Central-Asian missionaries, Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - Artistic influences, Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - Chinese pilgrims to India, Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - Decline

Read more here: » Silk Road transmission of Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road transmission of Buddhism - First contacts

Some elements of western iconography were adopted from the East along the Silk Road. The aureole in Christian art first appeared in the 5th century, but practically the same device was known several centuries earlier, in non-Christian art. It is found in some Persian representations of kings and Gods,and appears on coins of the Kushan kings Kanishka, Huvishka and Vasudeva, as well as on most representations of the Buddha in Greco-Buddhist art from the 1st century CE. Another image which appears to have transferred from China via the Silk Roa ...

See also:

Silk Road transmission of art, Silk Road transmission of art - Scythian art, Silk Road transmission of art - Hellenistic art, Silk Road transmission of art - Greco-Buddhist art, Silk Road transmission of art - Buddha, Silk Road transmission of art - Wind god, Silk Road transmission of art - Floral scroll pattern, Silk Road transmission of art - Eastern iconography in the West, Silk Road transmission of art - Notes

Read more here: » Silk Road transmission of art: Encyclopedia II - Silk Road transmission of art - Eastern iconography in the West