Studying at York
Trans-Asian Trade along the Silk Roads, 1000-1200 - HIS00138M
Module summary
Trans-Asian trade along the Silk Roads experienced one of the most turbulent phases in its history in the period between the fall of the Tang dynasty and the rise of the Mongols. Political instability in Central and North Asia and the withdrawal of the Tang dynasty from the Western Regions restricted access to the caravan routes that have connected China and Central Asia since ancient times. However, trade always could find a way of running through the barriers, which can also be seen in the present day. Without sharing goods, ideas and knowledge, the world in the 10th-12th centuries would have been much poorer. Moreover, it’s difficult to imagine that the Silk Roads declined in this era when the Song dynasty, as all Chinese dynasties, had a high demand for horses from the Western Regions.
This module seeks to understand how trans-Asian trade functioned during the political upheaval and explores the “renewal” of the Silk Roads in the 11th century providing a Central Asian perspective. We will study the role of Central Asian politics in international trade between China, India, Iran and Anatolia and explore commodity and exchange in the history of Central Eurasia, focusing on the period when not only silk was a major primary commodity transported from China to Central Asia and beyond. Through dynastic histories, official documents, history works, diaries and travelogues as well as art objects and historical maps we will examine trade and economic diplomacy between China and the “West” along the global caravan routes.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
The module aims to:
- Develop skills of source analysis and interpretation
- Assess a range of source material and relevant secondary works;
- Develop your powers of evidence-based historical argument, both orally and in writing.
Module learning outcomes
After completing this module students should have:
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Have an understanding of the historical context of trans-Asian trade and networks in 1000-1200
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Question both their previous knowledge and current narratives related to the topic
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Analyse and critically use original written sources together with archaeological and visual materials
Module content
Teaching Programme:
Students will attend eight weekly two-hour seminars in weeks 2-9.The provisional outline for the module is as follows:
1. Asia in 1000-1200
2. Song China and Central Asia
3. Liao China and the Islamic World
4. The Tanguts and Overland Trade
5. China, India and Iran: Global Caravan and Maritime Routes
6. When not only Silk was Gold: Tea-Horse Trade
7. Baltic Amber in China
8. Between Arabia and China: Frankincense Trade
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Students will complete a 2,000-word essay for formative assessment, due in week 6 of the spring term, for which they will receive an individual tutorial. They will then submit a 4,000-word assessed essay for summative assessment in week 1 of the summer term.
For further details about assessed work, students should refer to the Statement of Assessment for Taught Postgraduate Programmes.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Following their formative assessment task, students will receive written feedback consisting of comments and a mark within 10 working days of submission. They will also receive verbal feedback at an individual tutorial. All students are encouraged, if they wish, to discuss the feedback on their formative work during their tutor’s student hours. For more information, see the Statement on Feedback.
For the summative assessment task, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline. Supervisors are available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment for Taught Postgraduate Programmes..
Indicative reading
For term time reading, please refer to the module VLE site. Before the course starts, we encourage you to look at the following items of preliminary reading:
Valerie Hansen. The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World and Globalization Began (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020).
Hyunhee Park. Mapping the Chinese and Islamic worlds: cross-cultural exchange in the Pre-modern Asia (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012).
Liu Xinru. The Silk Road in World History (Oxford: Oxford University, 2010).
John W. Chaffee and Denis Twitchett, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Sung China, 960–1279, vol. 5, part 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).