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Central Asia 5.3 (The Silk Road (For hundreds of years, caravans brought…
Central Asia 5.3
The Silk Road
More than 2,000 years ago, a trade route called the Silk Road linked China and Europe.
For hundreds of years, caravans brought Chinese silk and Asian spices to the West.
They carried items such as glass, wool, gold, and silver to the East.
Along with goods, the traders exchanged ideas and inventions.
By the late 1200s, the rise of sea trade led to the decline of the Silk Road.
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Meeting Place of Empires
Long ago, Central Asia was a meeting place for ancient cultures and peoples.
Over time, dozens of ethnic groups settled there.
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Invasion & Conquest
The Silk Road generated wealth, but it also attracted invaders.
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Land for Empires
In the 1200s, much of Central Asia was part of the largest land empire the world has ever known.
Genghis Khan, a leader of the Mongols, united his nomadic people into a strong fighting force.
At his death in 1227, his empire extended from the Sea of Japan to the Caspian Sea.
Under Russian Rule
In the 1800s, both Russia and Britain tried to expand their empires into Central Asia.
One of the most important cities Russia captured was the city of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1865.
Russia built railroads, factories, and large farms in Central Asia.
The Soviet Union
In 1922, Russian Communists formed the Soviet Union. The Soviets extended Communist control over a vast area of Central Asia.
They divided the region into five separate states, which they called republics.
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The Afghan-Soviet War
In 1979, the Soviets tried to extend their control over Central Asia by invading Afghanistan.
Afghan forces fought the Soviets. Small groups of soldiers launched attacks against Soviet forces in control of Afghanistan.
The Afghan fighters called themselves mujahedin, or Islamic holy warriors.
In 1989, the Soviets finally gave up and withdrew their troops.
War continued, however, as the Afghans fought each other for power.
Eventually, a group known as the Taliban managed to take control of most of the country, but Afghanistan remained unstable.
After Independence
In 1991, the Soviet Union broke up.
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