Michigan GLCEs
for
Early Silk Roads Lesson
7 – W2.1.5 Describe pastoralism and explain how the climate and geography of
Central Asia were linked to the rise of pastoral societies on the steppes.
7 – W3.1.6 Use historic and modern maps to locate and describe trade networks
among empires in the classical era.
7 – W2.1.4 Define the concept of cultural diffusion and how it resulted in the
spread of ideas and technology from one region to another (e.g., plants, crops,
plow, wheel, bronze metallurgy).
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Early Silk Road
during the Han Dynasty
We will use a set of maps
-- Continents and Regions
-- Silk Road Towns
-- Present-day Population Distribution
-- Precipitation
-- Elevation
to compare
Han China with its nomad neighbors.
2
Early Silk Road
during the Han Dynasty
We will also use short readings and pictures
to compare
Han China
with
its nomad neighbors.
#8
#6
3
Early Silk Road
during the Han Dynasty
In 140 BCE,
the
Han Emperor
#8
sent caravans to trade with
some nomad neighbors
#9
and sent soldiers
to the Great Wall
to defend against
other nomad neighbors.
#10
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Between 140 and 87 BCE, the Han Emperor sent caravans to Central Asia .
Continents and Regions
At this early time in Silk Road history, the Han Chinese wanted to trade with
nomad groups who lived in Central Asia.
The Han Chinese had heard about other empires much farther to the west,
but they did not trade that far away at first.
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The Han Emperor lived in Place A and wanted to trade with Place D.
Continents and Regions
D
C
B
A
a. Notice Place A in China.
b. Notice Place D in Central Asia.
c. Use the scale of miles to measure
the approximate distance from Place A to Place D.
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Use the Silk Road Towns map to mark the location of important places.
Silk Road Towns
D
C
B
A
1. Put Places A, B, and C onto your Silk Road Towns map.
The Han Empire controlled A, B, and C.
2. Put Place D onto your Silk Road Towns map.
Nomads lived near D, and the Han Emperor wanted to trade with them.
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Use a map about population to compare Places A, B, C, and D.
Present-day Population Distribution
D
C
B
A
3. Which place has more people in modern times? __________
(Choose A, B &C, or D.)
A was the Han Empire’s capital in 140 BCE.
B & C were fort towns controlled by the Han in 140 BCE.
D was a place to which the Han Empire sent caravans to trade.
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Use a precipitation map to compare Places A, B, C, and D.
Precipitation
D
C
B
A
4. Which place has higher precipitation? __________ (Choose A, B &C, or D.)
A was the Han Empire’s capital in 140 BCE. It is located in a solid green
precipitation area where there is enough precipitation to raise crops.
(Wheat farming needs at least 601 mm or 24 inches.)
B & C were fort towns controlled by the Han Empire.
D was a place to which the Han Empire sent caravans to trade.
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Caravans traveled away from Place A in eastern China
to Place C in western China.
5. Describe how eastern China differs from western China
in this map about “cultivation” (farmlands).
The agricultural
oases
in western China
get
irrigation water
from nearby
mountains.
D
C
B
W
N
S
E
A
Attribution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
ki/File:China_agricultural
_1986.jpg
This CIA map is in the
public domain.
10
Use this zoomed-in precipitation map to compare Place A with Place D.
Precipitation (zoomed in)
D
C
B
A
When caravans traveled away from Place A,
they moved away from cultivated farmlands of the Han Empire.
6. Which place has higher precipitation: Place A or Place D?
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Use this zoomed-in precipitation map to find nomads.
Precipitation (zoomed in)
Northern
Nomads
Northwestern
Nomads
D
C
B
A
Lands with 201-600 mm of precipitation are covered with grass.
Nomads raised sheep, goats, and horses in these grasslands.
Northern Nomads lived north of Han China in Mongolia.
Chinese Empires built the Great Wall to prevent raids by these nomads.
7. Place Northern Nomads onto your Silk Roads Towns map.
Northwestern Nomads lived west and north of Han China in Central Asia,
near Place D. The Han Emperor sent caravans to trade with them.
8. Place Northwestern Nomads onto your Silk Roads Towns map.
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This map shows elevation and where the nomads lived.
Elevation (zoomed in)
Northern
Nomads
Northwestern
Nomads
D
C
B
A
Both groups of nomads raised sheep, goats, and horses in the grasslands. They
moved their herds to higher elevations in summer. In winter, snow covered the
grasslands.
The nomads raised horses that were unusually strong; in winter, these horses
used their hooves to break through ice crusts and to dig through snow to find
grass underneath.
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During the time of the Han Empire, China controlled the areas colored brown.
Nomads controlled drier grasslands to the north of China .
Northern Nomads
Northwestern
Nomads
D
C
B
A
Attribution: Yeu Ninje at the English language Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Han_Civilisation.png.
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What did the Han Dynasty want to obtain from Central Asia (near Place D)?
Satellite Image
D
C
B
A
•
We will use short readings to compare agricultural China near Place A
with nomadic Central Asia near Place D.
•
We will use pictures to compare agricultural China near Place A
with nomadic Central Asia near Place D.
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First Reading - Agricultural Han China
Location: Along the Yangtze River near Place A in the PowerPoint
In 140 BCE, farms cover much of the land near Place A, the capital
city of ancient China. This part of eastern China has enough
precipitation so that farmers can raise grain (wheat and millet).
Men work fields using hand tools; they plant seeds, chop weeds, cut
the ripe grain, store some grain to plant next year, and separate soft
inner grains from hard outer coverings. There also is enough
precipitation so farm women can raise mulberry trees. They feed a
tremendous amount of mulberry leaves to silk worms. After the silk
worms make cocoons, the women bake the cocoons and very
carefully unwind a long silk thread from the cocoon. The thread
can be longer than two football fields. Women also specialize in
weaving the silk thread into light-weight cloth, which is cool in
summer and can be used as padding for jackets in winter. Farmers
live in brick homes that have rooms for cooking and sleeping, as
well as separate rooms for caring for silkworms.
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First Reading - Agricultural Han China
Location: Along the Yangtze River near Place A in the PowerPoint
The farmers must pay taxes to the Han Empire by giving
the government a share of the grain and silk produced on the
farm. The Han Empire uses taxes to keep an army to protect the
farms from attacks by nomads who invade from the north. The
Han Emperor also wants to load grain and silk on camel
caravans and take them far to the northwest. There, the
caravans can trade the grain and silk for the best military horses
in Asia.
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Second Reading – Northwestern Nomads
Location: In Central Asia near Place D in the PowerPoint
In 140 BCE, nomads live in the grasslands (also called
steppes) of Central Asia. Deep in the middle of a large continent,
most of Central Asia does not receive enough precipitation for
farming. Nomads cannot grow grain or trees. Nomads can raise
herds of sheep, goats, cows, camels, and horses that graze in the
grasslands. The herd animals provide milk, which women turn into
yogurt, cheese, and butter. Herd animals also provide hair (wool)
for clothing and tents, as well as hides and meat if animals are
slaughtered. Because nomads move their herds, their homes must
be movable. Wooden poles provide a strong frame that holds the
hide and felt covers of a circular tent-like home called a yurt. Many
nomads move to higher elevation grasslands in summer and back to
lower elevations in winter.
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Second Reading – Northwestern Nomads
Location: In Central Asia near Place D in the PowerPoint
Most prized among the herd animals are the horses of
Central Asia. These horses are larger and stronger than the farm
horses of Han China. Nomads are expert at riding horses and
shooting arrows as they ride. Nomad leaders can gather together
a cavalry of 100,000 men if they fear attack by opposing nomads.
Sometimes, nomad leaders are willing to trade with peaceful
caravans that the Han Emperor sends from China. Nomads want
both grain and silk, things they cannot produce in their
homeland. Fine silk clothing is a symbol of high rank for the
leaders, but even simple silk padding is useful inside jackets for
the cold winters of Central Asia. Therefore, the nomads will
sometimes offer their strong military horses in trade for silk and
grain.
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9. Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice.
#1
#3
#2
#4a
#4b
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9. Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice.
#5
#7
#6
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#1
#1: Farmers in Han China
Grain farming in eastern China
GNU license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_Harvest.jpg, Steve Evans
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#2
#2: Nomads in Northwest
Horse and rider in grasslands
GNU license: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rider_in_Mongolia,_2012.jpg, Al Jazeera English, PD Tilman
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#3
#3: Nomads in Northwest
Nomad’s yurt (circular house that can be moved), grasslands, mountains
GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gurvger.jpg
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#4a
#4a: Farmers in
Han China
Silkworm, cocoon,
and mulberry leaves
GNU license,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silkworm_%26
_cocoon.jpg, Srithern
#4b:
Farmers in
Han China
Mulberry
leaves to feed
to silkworms
#4b
GNU license,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Morus_alba_leaves_and_fruits.jpg, Andre
Abrahami
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#5
#5: Nomads in Northwest
Horse and rider, grasslands, yurt
public domain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naadam_rider_2.jpg
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#6
#6: Nomads in Northwest
Ancient painting of horse and rider in Central Asia
public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PazyrikHorseman.JPG
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9. Answers:
Match pictures to Farmers in Han China or to Nomads in Northwest
and give reasons for your choice
#7: Farmers in Han China
Steps in raising of silkworms:
Silk worms, mulberry leaves,
cocoons
#7
public domain in U.S.,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Planche_Soie.jpg
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10. Prepare to write your own paragraph about farmers in Han China.
First paragraph about farmers in Han China: Describe where they lived.
Give specific information about precipitation and vegetation in that region.
Give specific examples of what they were able to raise in the place where
they lived.
Second paragraph about leaders in Han China: Describe what they
wanted from the nomads in the northwest and what they were willing to
trade in exchange.
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11. Prepare to write a your own paragraphs about nomads in northwest.
First paragraph about nomads in northwest: Describe where they lived,
giving specific information about precipitation and vegetation in that
region. Give specific examples of what they were able to raise in the place
where they lived.
Second paragraph about nomad leaders in the northwest: Describe
what they wanted from the Han Chinese and what they were willing to
trade in exchange.
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Sources and Picture Credits:
Sources of information for paragraphs:
Valerie Hansen. The Silk Road: A New History. 2012
Xinru Liu. The Silk Road in World History. 2010
John E. Hill. Through the Jade Gate to Rome. 2009
Pictures and two maps are from Wikipedia: GNU license allows use with citation.
#1: Farming in eastern China: GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_Harvest.jpg, Steve Evans
#2: Horse, rider in grasslands: GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rider_in_Mongolia,_2012.jpg,
Al Jazeera English, PD Tilman
#3: Nomad’s yurt: GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gurvger.jpg
#4a: Silkworm, cocoon, mulberry leaves: GNU license, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silkworm_%26_cocoon.jpg,
Srithern
#4b: Mulberry leaves: GNU license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morus_alba_leaves_and_fruits.jpg,
Andre Abrahami
#5: Horse, rider in grasslands, yurt: public domain, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naadam_rider_2.jpg
#6: Ancient horse and rider in Central Asia: public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PazyrikHorseman.JPG
#7: Raising silk worms: public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Planche_Soie.jpg
#8: Han Emperor: public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%E6%BC%A2%E6%AD%A6%E5%B8%9D.jpg
#9: Caravan sent by Han Emperor: public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ZhangQianTravels.jpg
#10: Great Wall in China: GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20090529_Great_Wall_8185.jpg,, Jakub Halun
Map about cultivated land in China: public domain in U.S., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:China_agricultural_1986.jpg
Map about extent of Han Empire: GNU license, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Han_Civilisation.png, Yeu Ninje
Camel and horse drawings come from staff of The Renaissance Charter School, Jackson Heights, NY.
Lesson authors: Carol Gersmehl and Marty Mater,
Michigan Geographic Alliance, carol.gersmehl@gmail.com
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