Transcript File

Do Now

Get out your notebooks

Create a new title “Death of the Silk Road”

Warm up: predict why the Silk Roads collapse
after the Mongol Era.
Death of the Silk
Road
1350-1500 AD
1600: major trade routes.
What are two things you notice?
We will look at 4 things:

The Black Death

End of the Yuan Dynasty in China

The Ottoman Empire

The Age of Exploration
Black Death: 1350 AD

Originated in China
around 1330 AD

By 1350, had spread to
India, The Middle East,
Central Asia, and
Europe.
Black Death: 1350 AD

Extremely deadly.

Estimated to have
reduced the world’s
population from 450
million to 350 million.
Black Death: 1350 AD

In notebooks: Why
would a deadly plague
hurt trade? Provide 2
reasons.
The Yuan Dynasty: 1271-1368 AD

Mongols enforced open
trade policies.

Mongols distrusted
Chinese and used
foreigners to run their
Kingdom.

In notebook: Why might
these two things lead to a
reduction in trade?
The Ming Dynasty: 1368-1644 AD

Generally rejected trade
and disliked foreigners.

Attempted to create a
self-sufficient society.

Closed their connections
to the Silk roads.
The Ming Dynasty: 1368-1644 AD

In notebook: why would
the loss of China be
especially significant to
the health of the Silk
Road?
The Ottoman Empire: 1300-1918 AD

An Islamic empire that
formed after the
Abbasid Caliphate fell.

The Ottomans
conquered much of
North Africa, The Middle
East, and Eastern
Europe.
The Ottoman Empire: 1300-1918 AD

Despised Christian
Europe.

Conquered all the silk
road route into Europe.

Halted all trade to
Europe.
The Ottoman Empire: 1300-1918 AD

Europe was cut off from
goods like silk, spices,
glass, paper, and steel.

In notebooks: in what
ways could Europe still
get access to these?

Think of at least 2
Age of Exploration: 1419-1568 AD

As Ottomans shut down
European access to
trade, Europeans begin to
look for ways around the
Ottomans.

Discovery of the Americas
is the most significant but
a route around Africa was
the most profitable.
Age of Exploration: 1419-1568 AD

Increasingly huge
European fleets begin to
take on most of the
world’s international
trade.

Trade by boat is cheaper
and easier.

The Silk Road is no longer
profitable.
Trade: 1650 AD
In Notebook: which two major regions are NOT included in this trade
network? Why might that hurt them in the future?
Assignment: Silk Road Decline

What do you believe is the most significant
reason that the Silk Road fell?
 Compare
your reason to the others to explain
why it is the most significant.