USEFUL TERMS

Xian: capital of Shanxi province, known until the early 20^th-century as Chang-an. The city is located on the loess (soil) plain of the Wei River. Xian served as the capital of several ruling dynasties and as an important market and trade center.

Xiongnu: several nomadic peoples who at the end of the 3^rd century BCE joined in tribal alliances and so were able to control a large part of Central Asia for more than 500 years. Successive Chinese imperial courts’ battles with the Xiongnu led to the Chinese exploration and conquest of Central Asia. Many scholars contend that the Xiongnu were the “Huns,” who terrorized the Roman empire through the 5^th century; however, this matter requires further study.

Gobi Desert: desert in East Central Asia in Mongolia & China.

Hexi Corridor: a long, narrow plain region between the Qilian Mountains and the Gobi Desert. This area was the site of fierce fighting between Xiongnu and Han Chinese forces.

Han Wudi (r. ca. 140-86 BCE): ambitious Han ruler who greatly expanded the Chinese empire’s borders (to the north and to the south) during his reign.

Heavenly Western Horses: the Xiongnu-bred war horses sought initially by the court of Han Wudi.

Zhangye: Chinese citadel and garrison town located along the Silk Road in modern-day Gansu province.

Marco Polo (1254? -1324): Venetian merchant and traveler, who allegedly twice visited Asia from Europe between 1271 and 1295. He is said to have lived in China for 17 years. Accounts of his travels became wildly popular in his own day. Polo’s descriptions of the riches of Asian rulers stirred the imaginations of a European reading audience for generations thereafter.

Questions:

#1. According to the film, where and why was the Silk Road started?

#2. What were the various means of transportation employed by travelers along the Silk Road?

#3. How did the early Chinese courts govern the portions of the Silk Road under their administration? How effectively did they control these areas?