Wu Xin: Imperial Foundations of the Silk Road

Abstract

Imperial Foundations of the Silk Road: Persian Roads and Han Walls

While the Silk Road is often celebrated as a pivotal example of early globalization, scholarship has primarily focused on the consequences of its connectivity, neglecting the crucial question of its formation and operational logistics. This lecture re-examines the origins and mechanisms of this trans-Eurasian network during the latter half of the first millennium BCE. It posits that the imperial ambitions of the Achaemenid Persian and Han Chinese dynasties were fundamental in establishing this communication network. Specifically, the Persian Royal Road facilitated movement from Central Asia to the Mediterranean, while the Han dynasty’s extensive wall systems provided security and strategic control from Chang’an to Samarkand. This analysis, drawn on archaeological discoveries from Central Asia and wester China, argues that the combined infrastructural investments of these geographically and temporally distinct empires laid the groundwork for the roads that ultimately interconnected the ancient Eurasian world.