Trans Saharan Trade Essay

The Trans-Saharan trade route was a land route with ancient connections to the Berber peoples for many centuries. The origins of the trade route begin at around 300 C.E., which define the first major signs of organized caravans of camels that were used to move goods across North Africa and to Europe and the Levant. The major benefit of this trade route was to avoid the dangers of sea routes and hostile enemies that at times made the Trans-Saharan trade route a dangerous, yet worthwhile method of making a greater profit. In this manner, the impact of this highly organized form of camel transportation provided a way for trade to be conducted by connecting different land regions of North Africa to other parts of the world: “The camel had an impact …show more content…
The Chinese played a large part in forming the Silk Road, since much of the silk that was made came from this region of the world. During the 2nd century B.C.E., the Chinese began forming trade routes that would span across various Chinese territories and then move outward through India and, eventually, into Europe. In this manner, the highly desirable silk products brought from China would inevitably open up a new form of international trade between differing inter-connecting civilizations: “This was what became known as the “Silk Road” whereby some manufactured products but mainly hard currency found its way to the East and silk, spices, tea, etc found there way to the West” (Hilton et al. 124). Much like the Trans-Saharan and Roman-Indian trade routes, the link between civilizations would be a foundation for inter-connecting differing civilizations in the movement of goods across large geographic areas. This was a major positive development in the opening of trade between major civilizations during this historical period. The commodity of silk would be a transformational product that would form the land routes of the Silk Road that would form a basis for international trade