Han China Territroy
The Han Government had a relatively standard territory
to control (other than Han Wu-ti’s expansion westward form Chinese Turkestna
into Russian Turkestan, eastward toward Korea and southward toward Vietnam,
there was few major changes in territory). (See map below.) The
most military draining part of the Han Dynasty was to protect the Silk Road
and honor the Pax Sinica (whose counterpart was Pax Romana) and to suppress
the attacks of northern Turkish speaking people. (This was a treaty
to make the Silk Road a safe place to travel along, although there were some
parts that were controlled by the Parthians (and therefor unsafe).)
Gold and Silk were valuable commodities in ancient times. Because China had
a total monopoly on the Silk production, it was their most desired export
(along with skins, iron, lacquer and spices). Silk was a form of currency
because it was highly valued and often more valuable than gold (especially
when dyed purple). In 301 Emperor Diocletian's "Edict on Maximum Prices"
said raw white silk was worth one forth it’s weight in gold, raw silk dyed
purple was worth three times it's weight in gold. Because of the high
demand and small supply of silk, silk was highly valued and bolts of silk
were often given as state gifts. Women’s clothing in Rome provided a
high demand for silk, to the dismay of some Roman moralists. The Roman
leader and philosopher Scena once said “I see garments in which there is
nothing to cover either the wearer’s body or her shame” (on silk)(World
History, volume one (Fourth Edition), Upsher, Terry, Holoka, Goff, and
Cassar, Wadsworth Group, ©2002, pages 163-165.)
The silk road was the best and fastest way to travel form
Rome to China. Both Empires spent large ammounts of military forces
to protect this road and make it safe for travel. The silk road was
greatest form 300 BCE to 300 CE (the approximate time of the Han Dynasty).
Durring this time, the large Empires (Han China, The Roman Empire,
Kushan, Mauryan, and Hellenistic) provided a safe route for traders to travel
and enouraged long distance trade. The silk road did not only provide
a route for traders to travel allong, it provided a route for relgions to
spread. For example, Buddhism spread (partly) along the silk road into
and through China.