Explaining the Silk Road

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explores how the Silk Road shaped global civilization through expansive trade networks, cultural exchange, and power dynamics between Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess -- SPONSOR: INCOGNI | SELECTQUOTE Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ECON102 at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/econ102 Finding the right life insurance shouldn't be another task you put off. SelectQuote compares top-rated policies to get you the best coverage at the right price. Even in our AI-driven world, protecting your family's future remains essential. Get your personalized quote at https://selectquote.com/cognitive -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia HIGHLIGHTS: From Authoritarianism to Trade Routes: Setting the Stage Fascinating discussion of different types of authoritarian states Historical shifts in gender and violence Sets up context for Silk Road discussion China's First Contact: The Quest for Blood-Sweating Horses Dramatic story of first Chinese explorer to discover other civilizations Tale of escape from Hunnish bride Discovery of "white ghosts" in Western China Disease, Death, and Trade: The Dark Side of Connection How plagues reshaped civilizations American near-miss with Bubonic Plague in 1898 How trade routes spread devastating diseases The Maritime Silk Road: An Ocean of Wealth Sri Lanka's role as forced stopover for traders Persian merchants dominating Indian Ocean trade Southeast Asian kingdoms built on luxury goods Rise and Fall of Trade Empires Portuguese conquest of Indian Ocean trade How 400-man crews took over the world's richest trade system Decline of Russia from wealth to backwater The Mongol Factor: Building an Empire on Skulls How Mongols killed 100 million in pre-industrial world Creation of Pax Mongolica Legacy of destruction in Central Asia Final decline of the Silk Road system BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: "The Sea and Civilization" by Lincoln Paine "Strange Parallels" by Victor Lieberman "Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry" by Adrian Goldsworthy