History of the Silk Road

3000 B.C. Silk first produced in China 1500 B.C. Semi-nomadic stockbreeding tribes inhabit steppes 753 B.C. Rome founded 500 B.C. Chinese adopt nomadic style, wear trousers and ride horses 551 - 479 B.C. Confucius born in China 400 B.C. Greek culture spread into Central Asia 300 B.C. Roman expansion begins Qin dynasty unites the entire China for the first time Qin Great Wall completed Han dynasty overthrows the Qin and develops its vast empire Buddhism begins to spread north Paper first made in China 200 B.C. The Xiongnu (Huns) rise to power in Central Asia and invade Chinese western border regions Zhang Qian travels the Western Regions and opens the route west 100 B.C. Rome becomes an empire 1 A.D. Silk first seen in Rome Buddhism begins to spread from India into Central Asia Xiongnu controls the Tarim region Christianity begins to spread in the world General Ban Chao of the Han dynasty defeats Xiongnu and keeps the peace in the Tarim Basin The first attempt from China to Rome fails 100 A.D. Roman empire at its largest The first Roman envoy arrives in China Buddhism reaches China 200 A.D. Han dynasty falls and the China breaks up 300 A.D. Skill of sericulture begins to spread west along the Silk Road Xiongnu invades China and China further dissolved into fragments 500 A.D. Silkworm breeding appears in Europe Nestorian Christians reach China Sui dynasty reunites China 600 A.D. Tang dynasty rules in China The Silk Road reaches its golden age Xuan Zang's pilgrimage to India 700 A.D. Tang dynasty begins to decline, and with it, the Silk Road drops into a valley 800 A.D. First porcelain made in China Gunpowder invented in China Compass begins to be used by Chinese 900 A.D. Tang dynasty ends After short abruption, the Song dynasty reunites China 1100 A.D. China divided into Northern Sung and Southern Sung Genghis Khan unites Mongols Silk production and weaving established in Italy 1200 A.D. Kublai Khan establishes the Yuan dynasty in China Silk road trade prospers again Marco Polo leaves for the East 1300 A.D. Third Silk Road route appears in the north Yuan dynasty ends and Ming dynasty begins 1400 A.D. China closes the door to foreigners Threatened by strong Uigur power, Ming dynasty greatly reduces the trade along the Silk Road 1600 A.D. Manchus invades the central plains of China and establish the Qing dynasty 1700 A.D. The Manchus control the Gobi and Altai districts 1800 A.D. German scholar, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen firstly names this route as "Silk Road" Manchus take over the Tarim Basin, and Xinjiang province established under Qing dynasty Lost cities unearthed along the old Silk Road 1900 A.D. Chinese revolution - end of Chinese feudal dynasties Europeans begin to travel in the Silk Road Karakoram highway from Islamabad to Kashgar built by China and Pakistan