BEFORE YOU WATCH: Rebuilding the Silk Road

Before you watch

While you watch

1. The term Silk Road is commonly used. Why does this video argue that the name is somewhat misleading?
2. What were some of the commonly traded items on the Silk Road?
3. How did the Han Dynasty “manage” the Silk Road? What were the economic impacts of this management?
4. What was the impact of the fall of the Han Dynasty on the Silk Road?
5. What is the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and how does it relate to the Tang “golden age”?

After you watch

1. To what extent does this video describe the causes and effects of growth of networks of exchange after 1200?
2. The video says that the Tang Dynasty created a golden age across the Silk Road, starting in 626 CE. But the Tang Dynasty gained power in 618 CE. What’s going on here? What does this suggest about the effects of collapse and recovery on large networks?
3. This video focuses on how the collapse and rise of political states can affect networks and cultural interactions. What are some ways that the expansion or contraction of networks might affect economic systems? Think about the ancient Silk Road as well as modern China’s Belt and Road Initiative.