Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/11. Pre-Modern & Modern History • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
Epoch 5 of the Silk Road Trade Routes spans from the 15th to the 19th century, marked by the decline of overland routes due to maritime exploration, the rise of European colonial powers, and the eventual rediscovery and archaeological interest in the Silk Road.
Chronological Storyline (47 Milestones)
1405 CE
Zheng He's First Voyage
Chinese admiral Zheng He begins his first of seven voyages across the Indian Ocean, expanding maritime trade routes that would later overshadow the overland Silk Road. #SilkRoad #MaritimeTrade #MingDynasty
Zheng He's First Voyage By Marcin Konsek - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51927875
May 29, 1453 CE
Fall of Constantinople
The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople disrupts overland trade routes, prompting European powers to seek alternative maritime paths to Asia. #SilkRoad #OttomanEmpire #TradeRoutes
Fall of Constantinople By DimiTalen - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=140075738
Oct 12, 1492 CE
Columbus Reaches the Americas
Christopher Columbus's voyage, sponsored by Spain, opens a new world and shifts European focus away from the Silk Road. #SilkRoad #AgeOfExploration #Columbus
Columbus Reaches the Americas By Sebastiano del Piombo - This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27554267
May 20, 1498 CE
Vasco da Gama Reaches India
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives in Calicut, establishing a direct sea route from Europe to India and bypassing the Silk Road. #SilkRoad #MaritimeTrade #PortugueseEmpire
Vasco da Gama Reaches India By Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61575307
1502 CE
Safavid Dynasty Controls Silk Road
The Safavid Empire in Persia gains control over key Silk Road sections, promoting trade and cultural exchange. #SilkRoad #Safavid #Persia
Safavid Dynasty Controls Silk Road By Safavid_Flag.png: Orange Tuesday (talk) The original uploader was Orange Tuesday at English Wikipedia. derivative work: Himasaram (talk) - Safavid_Flag.png, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11856267
1517 CE
Ottoman Conquest of Egypt
Ottoman control over Egypt and the Red Sea trade routes further diminishes the importance of the overland Silk Road. #SilkRoad #OttomanEmpire #Trade
Ottoman Conquest of Egypt By Asherbooks.com - https://www.asherbooks.com/item/_ottoman_mamluk_war__omnia_que_gesta_sunt_in_orie_n_te_inter_sophi_amp_maximum_turcarum.html?link_list=+1034827&, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132010357
1526 CE
Mughal Empire Founded
Babur establishes the Mughal Empire in India, which becomes a major center for Silk Road trade and cultural fusion. #SilkRoad #Mughal #India
Mughal Empire Founded By Justus Perthes, Gotha./Charles Joppen - Joppen, Charles [SJ.] (1907) A Historical Atlas of India for the use of High-Schools, Colleges, and Private Students, London, New York, Bombay, and Calcutta: Longman Green and Co. Pp. 16, 26 maps, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14183402
1557 CE
Portuguese Settle in Macau
Portugal establishes a permanent settlement in Macau, becoming a key intermediary in Sino-European trade. #SilkRoad #PortugueseEmpire #China
Portuguese Settle in Macau By tkl_darkspider - Own work, based on [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29279282
1571 CE
Spanish Establish Manila Galleon Trade
The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade begins, linking Asia with the Americas and creating a new global trade network. #SilkRoad #GalleonTrade #GlobalTrade
Dec 31, 1600 CE
British East India Company Founded
The British East India Company is chartered, eventually dominating trade in Asia and undermining traditional Silk Road routes. #SilkRoad #BritishEmpire #Trade
British East India Company Founded By No machine-readable author provided. Yaddah assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=837871
Mar 20, 1602 CE
Dutch East India Company Founded
The VOC is established, becoming a major force in Asian trade and further marginalizing the overland Silk Road. #SilkRoad #DutchEmpire #Trade
Dutch East India Company Founded By Himasaram - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2397508
1644 CE
Qing Dynasty Takes Power in China
The Qing dynasty expands China's borders and controls key Silk Road territories, but maritime trade becomes more important. #SilkRoad #QingDynasty #China
Qing Dynasty Takes Power in China By Original: zh:清朝政府 Vector: Sodacan - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39922650
1689 CE
Treaty of Nerchinsk
Russia and China sign the Treaty of Nerchinsk, establishing borders and trade relations along the Silk Road. #SilkRoad #Russia #China
Treaty of Nerchinsk By Unknown (goverments of China/Russia) - https://k.sina.com.cn/article_5910774821_1604f442500100w60n.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119752696
1727 CE
Treaty of Kyakhta
Russia and China sign the Treaty of Kyakhta, regulating trade and border crossings, boosting caravan trade. #SilkRoad #Russia #China
1757 CE
Battle of Plassey
British victory in India solidifies their control over Bengal, shifting trade dynamics away from overland routes. #SilkRoad #BritishEmpire #India
Battle of Plassey By Francis Hayman - http://www.sterlingtimes.org/memorable_images56.htm (http://www.sterlingtimes.org/clive_of_india.jpg) NPG link: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01347/Robert-Clive-and-Mir-Jafar-after-the-Battle-of-Plassey-1757 Current image source [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=565912
1762 CE
Qing Conquest of Dzungaria
The Qing dynasty conquers Dzungaria, securing the northern Silk Road and expanding Chinese influence. #SilkRoad #QingDynasty #CentralAsia
Qing Conquest of Dzungaria By 钱维城 - 漠西蒙古, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12764582
1793 CE
Macartney Embassy to China
British envoy Lord Macartney visits China, seeking trade concessions but is rebuffed, highlighting tensions over trade. #SilkRoad #BritishEmpire #China
Macartney Embassy to China By William Alexander - "A study of History", Arnold Toynbee (Original in the British Library's collection of Western Drawings [WD 961, f.57][1]), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2594135
1800 CE
Decline of Caravan Trade
By the early 19th century, overland Silk Road trade declines significantly due to maritime competition and political instability. #SilkRoad #TradeDecline #Caravan
Decline of Caravan Trade By User:Kelvin Case User:Turkish Flame User:SmallJarsWithGreenLabels - File:Kazakhstan (orthographic projection).svg overlaid with vectorised (by my own work) path taken from this bitmap image, per the request of user:CactiStaccingCrane, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132527200
1839 CE
First Opium War Begins
Conflict between Britain and China over trade imbalances and opium, leading to the opening of Chinese ports and further marginalizing the Silk Road. #SilkRoad #OpiumWar #China
First Opium War Begins By Edward Duncan - http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/opium_wars_01/ow1_gallery/pages/1841_0792_nemesis_jm_nmm.htm, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5520025
Aug 29, 1842 CE
Treaty of Nanking
China cedes Hong Kong and opens five treaty ports, accelerating maritime trade and ending the Silk Road's relevance. #SilkRoad #OpiumWar #Treaty
Treaty of Nanking By Painted by Captain John Platt, Bengal Volunteers. Engraved by John Burnet. - Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12229605
1851 CE
Russian Expansion into Central Asia
Russia begins conquering Central Asian khanates, gaining control over Silk Road territories. #SilkRoad #Russia #CentralAsia
Russian Expansion into Central Asia By Nikolay Karazin - https://art.mirtesen.ru/blog/43646912712/Hudozhnik-Nikolay-Nikolayevich-Karazin.?utm_referrer=mirtesen.ru, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90982513
Nov 17, 1869 CE
Suez Canal Opens
The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, drastically shortening sea routes to Asia and further diminishing overland trade. #SilkRoad #SuezCanal #MaritimeTrade
Suez Canal Opens By NASA - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-16/html/iss016e019375.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3832302
1876 CE
Ferdinand von Richthofen Coins 'Silk Road'
German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen first uses the term 'Seidenstraße' (Silk Road) to describe the ancient trade network. #SilkRoad #Terminology #Geography
Ferdinand von Richthofen Coins 'Silk Road' By Milster, Ernst - This image has been extracted from another file, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57489075
1880 CE
Russian Railway Expansion
Russia builds railways in Central Asia, connecting Moscow to Tashkent and Samarkand, reviving some land trade. #SilkRoad #Railway #CentralAsia
Russian Railway Expansion By Peter Christener - Map was created using Open Street Map Data, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42880057
1890 CE
Aurel Stein Begins Expeditions
Hungarian-British archaeologist Aurel Stein starts exploring Silk Road sites, uncovering ancient manuscripts and artifacts. #SilkRoad #Archaeology #Exploration
Aurel Stein Begins Expeditions By Thompson, The Grosvenor Studios - https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/V0027218.html Catalogue description: http://catalogue.wellcomelibrary.org/record=b1161952 This file comes from the Wellcome Collection, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Refer to Wellcome blog post (archive).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33221078
1900 CE
Discovery of Dunhuang Manuscripts
The Dunhuang manuscripts are discovered in the Mogao Caves, providing invaluable insights into Silk Road history. #SilkRoad #Dunhuang #Manuscripts
Discovery of Dunhuang Manuscripts By International Dunhuang Project - This file has been provided by the International Dunhuang Project from its digital collections, from original file IDP1_167.jpg., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22115069
1907 CE
Sven Hedin's Central Asian Expeditions
Swedish explorer Sven Hedin maps parts of the Silk Road, contributing to geographical and archaeological knowledge. #SilkRoad #Exploration #CentralAsia
Sven Hedin's Central Asian Expeditions By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52376
1914 CE
Start of World War I
World War I disrupts trade and travel across Eurasia, further isolating Silk Road regions. #SilkRoad #WWI #TradeDisruption
Start of World War I By Collection DocAnciens/docpix.fr - www.docpix.fr, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45603415
1917 CE
Russian Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution leads to Soviet control over Central Asia, altering trade and cultural exchange patterns. #SilkRoad #RussianRevolution #CentralAsia
Russian Revolution By unknown; photo retake by George Shuklin - Museum of Political History of Russia, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5828403
1924 CE
Soviet National Delimitation in Central Asia
The USSR redraws borders in Central Asia, creating new republics and affecting traditional Silk Road connections. #SilkRoad #SovietUnion #CentralAsia
Soviet National Delimitation in Central Asia By В. Садков (полное имя, годы жизни и биографические сведения неизвестны) - https://dlib.rsl.ru/viewer/01009552168, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70736334
1930 CE
Silk Road Archaeology Boom
International expeditions uncover Silk Road sites in Xinjiang, including the Taklamakan Desert ruins. #SilkRoad #Archaeology #Xinjiang
Oct 1, 1949 CE
People's Republic of China Founded
The PRC is established, leading to renewed interest in Xinjiang and the Silk Road as part of national heritage. #SilkRoad #China #PRC
People's Republic of China Founded By Zeng Liansong - Standard version of national flag image for online usage is released on the website of the National People's Congress and the Government of China. (网络使用的国旗图案标准版本在中国人大网和中国政府网上发布。), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=436175
1950 CE
Soviet Influence in Central Asia
The USSR consolidates control over Central Asia, building infrastructure that modernizes but also alters traditional routes. #SilkRoad #SovietUnion #CentralAsia
Soviet Influence in Central Asia By Serg!o - Iran (orthographic projection).svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8609942
1961 CE
UNESCO Silk Road Project Initiated
UNESCO begins a long-term project to study and preserve Silk Road heritage, promoting international cooperation. #SilkRoad #UNESCO #Heritage
1979 CE
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
The Soviet invasion disrupts trade and stability in a key Silk Road region, leading to long-term conflict. #SilkRoad #Afghanistan #SovietUnion
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan By erwinlux - Private collection; apparently a crop of this image at Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5310966
Dec 26, 1991 CE
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
Central Asian republics become independent, opening new opportunities for Silk Road revival and regional cooperation. #SilkRoad #SovietUnion #Independence
Dissolution of the Soviet Union By Special:Contributions/Saul ip. Derivative work by Σ (talk) - File:USSR map.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17162429
1996 CE
TRACECA Program Launched
The EU launches the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) to revive Silk Road trade routes. #SilkRoad #EU #TradeCorridor
2001 CE
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Founded
The SCO is established by China, Russia, and Central Asian states to promote security and economic cooperation along the Silk Road. #SilkRoad #SCO #CentralAsia
Shanghai Cooperation Organization Founded By The Account 2 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=162261587
Sep 7, 2013 CE
China Announces Belt and Road Initiative
President Xi Jinping unveils the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to revive Silk Road connectivity through infrastructure investment. #SilkRoad #BRI #China
China Announces Belt and Road Initiative By 未来智者 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=139119606
2014 CE
Silk Road Economic Belt Concept
China elaborates on the Silk Road Economic Belt, focusing on land routes connecting China to Europe via Central Asia. #SilkRoad #BRI #EconomicBelt
2015 CE
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Established
The AIIB is founded to finance infrastructure projects, including those along the Belt and Road, supporting Silk Road revival. #SilkRoad #AIIB #Infrastructure
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Established By N509FZ - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112775041
2017 CE
First China-Europe Railway Express Trains
Regular freight train services between China and Europe via Central Asia begin, reviving overland trade. #SilkRoad #Railway #ChinaEurope
2019 CE
UNESCO World Heritage: Silk Roads
UNESCO inscribes the 'Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor' as a World Heritage site. #SilkRoad #UNESCO #WorldHeritage
UNESCO World Heritage: Silk Roads By Whole_world_-_land_and_oceans_12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center derivative work: Splette (talk) - Whole_world_-_land_and_oceans_12000.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10449197
2020 CE
COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupts BRI
The pandemic slows Belt and Road projects, but also highlights the importance of resilient trade routes. #SilkRoad #BRI #Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupts BRI By Gustavo Basso - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gustavocb/49913440386, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112916636
2021 CE
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Progress
The CPEC, a flagship BRI project, advances with infrastructure development linking China to the Arabian Sea. #SilkRoad #CPEC #BRI
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Progress By The original uploader was Bazonka at English Wikipedia. - This file was derived from: BlankMap-World6, compact.svg: Image based on File:BlankMap-World6, compact.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24501852
2022 CE
Russia-Ukraine War Impacts Trade
The conflict disrupts Eurasian trade routes, prompting alternative paths and renewed interest in the Middle Corridor. #SilkRoad #Trade #Geopolitics
Russia-Ukraine War Impacts Trade By Viewsridge - Own work based on: Russo-Ukrainian conflict (2014-2022).svg by Rr016 & Ukraine adm location map improved.svg by Yakiv Gluck Territorial control sources: Template:Russo-Ukrainian War detailed map / Template:Russo-Ukrainian War detailed relief map ISW, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115506141
2023 CE
BRI Tenth Anniversary
China celebrates a decade of the Belt and Road Initiative, with over 150 countries participating in projects. #SilkRoad #BRI #Anniversary
