Essay Questions for Thinking through Sources 7

1. Defining motives: What needs or desires inspired the economic and cultural interactions of the Silk Roads?
2. Explaining religious change: What do these sources suggest about the appeal of Buddhism and Christianity? How did life on the Silk Roads transform these religious traditions?
3. Sources and Perspectives: In what ways do these sources confirm or reinforce your understanding of the Silk Roads? How do they challenge your understanding?
4. Impressions of the Silk Roads: Drawing on these sources, how would you describe life on the Silk Roads? What were its attractions? What made it a difficult or dangerous route?