THINKING TRADE ON THE SILK ROAD IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

This route, named after the most demanded commercial product of the period, silk raw material, maintained its importance until the 16th century but was left behind with the development of seafaring in the world

The Silk Road has been the name of a route almost as old as humanity. The trade that started in the first known periods of human mobility has created many routes. One of the most well-known and famous routes of these routes today is the “Silk Road”. This route, named after the raw material silk, the most demanded and expensive and light commercial product of the period, maintained its importance until the 16th century but was left behind with the development of seafaring in the world. Starting from China, the route reaches Europe via the Mediterranean and Anatolia and extends to England. Today, this route has been a guide in the development of both country borders and transit routes. The first known statements about the Silk Road (484 BC – 425 BC) are found in Herodotus’ narratives.

Throughout history, many important products such as silk, porcelain, and spices, especially silk, were traded in caravans on thousands of kilometers of road from east to west. Of course, this road was not only about trade. Like the cause and effect steps of historical events, the Silk Road brought many more interactions besides trade. Before the 16th century, China and India, which were defined as the East due to the chaos and civil wars in the West for most of the period before the 16th century, were peaceful regions where good products and producers were produced with quality raw materials. Due to the long distances between the two regions, the interaction between the two extremes of India and the United Kingdom was also weak. This intensive trade of goods on the Silk Road was the most effective channel of interaction between the two sides of the world.

As communication between two different cultures increased, mutual beliefs began to influence each other. Christian Western societies, which were introduced to the mystical beliefs of the East, likewise introduced Christianity to Eastern societies through the Bible and, of course, through the colonial policies that would follow. Beyond beliefs, mutual cultural influence also contributed to the learning of languages and the spread of scientific innovations. This route, which provided human mobility as well as commercial mobility; caravanserais, intermediate commercial centers where buyers and sellers met, precious metals, and barter and barter culture became a common behavior in different cultures. Diseases also spread. Many infectious diseases spread from west to east and east to west along these routes of commercial mobility. Undoubtedly, the first ones that come to mind are “Black Plague” and “Justinian Plague”.

These diseases, which caused the deaths of millions of people, are known to have spread to Europe, Asia, and Africa. By the 16th century, the Silk Road route had lost importance and was replaced by maritime trade. Trade started to be carried out over the seas, especially by Portuguese sailors. In the following centuries, these routes would also develop and canals would be formed. The development of seafaring in the world also triggered the start of a new era. After the conquest of Istanbul, the countries that dominated the sea routes had moved from trade with intermediaries on the highways to trade where producers and customers were directly involved. In addition to the Silk Road, the Spice Road and many other similar routes lost their importance with the development of sea routes.

The Silk Road, which has been the route of trade for hundreds of years and caused the formation of dozens of centers on it, has also caused the construction of works whose traces are still seen in Anatolian lands. While the route starting from Cizre in the south continues through Hasankeyf, the route starting from East Beyazit continues through Erzurum and Sivas. In various parts of Anatolia, it is possible to see the caravanserais that we can see today and the structures used as trade centers. Looking at the world of the twenty-first century, it is possible to see that many details and transactions in global trade, from logistics centers to warehouses, from collateral processes to precious metals and foreign exchange transactions, have their roots in the needs of this route. Considering the state of the art in advanced technology, we are looking forward to a century in which we start to talk about AI applications in international trade. No matter how much technology develops or how much the diversity of products increases, the continuity of global trade will always continue. Hundreds of years of trade with camels and horse-drawn carriages are now being carried out by huge freighters, trains, and trucks. New routes and new technologies will always continue to exist.