Which of the following statements with regard to the famous 'silk routes' are correct?
1. Silk routes refer to East-bound European silk cargoes along these routes.
2. There were several silk routes, over land and by sea, joining together vast regions of Asia with Europe and northern Africa.
3. They are known to have existed since before the Christian Era and thrived almost till the fifteenth century.
4. Besides silk, Chinese pottery, textiles and spices from India and South-east Asia travelled the same route.
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Question

Accepted Answer

2, 3 and 4. Silk routes refer primarily to West-bound (not East-bound) Chinese silk cargoes that travelled from China toward Europe, so statement 1 is incorrect. There were indeed several land and sea routes connecting Asia with Europe and northern Africa, making statement 2 correct. They existed from before the Christian Era and thrived until about the 15th century when sea routes became dominant, so statement 3 is correct. Besides silk, Chinese pottery, textiles, and spices from India and South-east Asia also moved along these routes — confirming statement 4. Therefore, statements 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

Explanation

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