Latest / Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History
The Han Silk Office and the Price of Empire
The Han dynasty wasn't just trading silk — it was weaponizing it. In this episode of Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever, Lucas and Luna trace how the Han government, from the Bureau of Appointments to the Office of Silk, turned a luxury fabric into a tool of diplomacy, war, and economic domination. They examine the 2,000-year-old silk workshops at Sampula in the Tarim Basin, the role of the Gansu Corridor as a choke point, and the complex relationship with the Xiongnu nomads, whose raiding forced the Han to pay massive tribute in silk — only to see that silk traded back to…
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