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Nobles and kings of foreign lands desired silk and would pay high prices for the cloth. The emperors of China wanted to keep the process for making silk a secret. Anyone caught telling the secret or taking silkworms out of China was put to death. The Chinese managed to keep silk a secret for over 1000 years.
How did China maintain a monopoly on silk?
What did the government of ancient China do to enforce their monopoly on silk? They only allowed a few specific Roman merchants to buy silk. They made it a crime to export silkworms as well as their eggs. They sold it at a low price that no one else could compete with.
Why was the production of silk such an important secret for the Chinese?
Silk is a fabric first produced in Neolithic China from the filaments of the cocoon of the silk worm. It became a staple source of income for small farmers and, as weaving techniques improved, the reputation of Chinese silk spread so that it became highly desired across the empires of the ancient world.
Why was revealing the secret to making silk punishable by death?
Why was revealing the secret to making silk punishable by death? Trading silk with other regions made china wealthy. If others learned how to make silk; it would not be as valuable.
Which is most famous silk?
Among them mulberry silk is the most important and contributes as much as 90 per cent of world production, therefore, the term “silk” in general refers to the silk of the mulberry silkworm.
What is the most expensive silk?
Mulberry silk is the finest and soft silk which is the most expensive silk fabric in the world! Even Cashmere silk and vucana silk are famous for their quality.
Who brought silkworms to Europe?
Silkworms were introduced to Europe during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, in the early 6th century AD. According to tradition, some silkworms were brought to Constantinople by a pair of Nestorian monks, along with the knowledge of how to cultivate them.
What made silk so valuable?
Silk is the epitome of luxury when it comes to fabric whether it’s for robes, sheets, or dresses. Silkworms spin cocoons that silk producers eventually unravel and join to create the thread. Silk production costs have gone up with the introduction of synthetic fabrics like polyester.
What did the Chinese use silk for?
During some dynasties in ancient China, silk was even used as a form of money. Silk was used to make beautiful clothing. But it was also used to make silk canvas for painting and strong fishing line. It was even used to make the most expensive and sought after paper.
How did silk affect Chinese society?
During the Han and Tang dynasties, silk was used as measure of currency and reward, and as trade currency or as a gift for foreign powers. Silk became a staple of international trade prior to the Industrial Revolution. The Chinese are very clever people and they are also good at keeping secrets.
Did the Chinese make silk?
While wild silks were produced in many countries, the Chinese are considered to have been the first to produce silk fabric on a large scale, having the most efficient species of silk moth for silk production, the Bombyx mandarina, and its domesticated descendant, Bombyx mori.
Who brought Turkey silkworms?
Turkey broke into the silk business in 550 A.D., when Byzantine Emperor Justinian talked two Persian monks living in China into smuggling silkworms to Constantinople (now Istanbul).
How do we use silk today?
Silk is primarily used in garments and household items, but it is also employed in unexpected ways, such as in bicycle tires and in medicine. Silk is great for summer clothing because of its absorbent nature and how it wicks moisture, and it is also a staple for winter wear since it has low conductive properties.
How long has China guarded the secret of how silk is made?
For more than two thousand years the Chinese kept the secret of silk altogether to themselves. It was the most zealously guarded secret in history. Chinese legend gives the title Goddess of Silk to Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih, wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor, who was said to have ruled China in about 3000 BC.
What is the best silk in the world?
Mulberry silk is the highest quality silk available for purchase. The unique thing about Mulberry silk is how it is produced. The resulting cocoons are spun into raw silk fibers. Because the silkworms of the Bombyx mori moth are fed only Mulberry leaves, the resulting silk is some of the finest available in the world.
Who stole the secret of silk from China?
In 552 AD, the two monks sought out Justinian I. In return for his generous but unknown promises, the monks agreed to acquire silk worms from China. They most likely traveled a northern route along the Black Sea, taking them through the Transcaucasus and the Caspian Sea.
Which silk is costly?
Another expensive fabric globally, the mulberry silk also holds the highest quality of silk in the fabric industry.
Who benefited the most from the Silk Road?
Everyone (East and West) benefited from the Silk Road. It opened up trade, communication, different ideas, culture, and religion to the entire world.
How was silk stolen from China?
Legend has it that two monks hid silkworm eggs inside a bamboo pole to smuggle them out of China, where they were guarded as closely as state secrets. The monks then presented the eggs to Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in Constantinople, where he created a thriving silk industry.
How did silk change people’s lives?
Because of the extensive trading of silk between these societies, this network of trade routes became known as the Silk Roads. The supple, lustrous material changed the way people dressed, influenced the way luxury was perceived and paved the way for the Chinese to gain the upper hand in trading.
What country produces silk that is made from the cocoons of silk worm?
Silk is produced year-round in Thailand by two types of silkworms, the cultured Bombycidae and wild Saturniidae. Most production is after the rice harvest in the southern and northeastern parts of the country.
How did the silk impact the world?
However, it wasn’t just tangible goods that were traded along the Silk Road. Additionally Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism were all introduced to China and parts of India because of the Silk Roads influence. The spread of papermaking was also influenced by the route.
Who invented silk?
According to Chinese legend, Empress His Ling Shi was first person to discover silk as weavable fibre in the 27th century BC.
Which country produces the best silk?
According to the International Sericulture Commission, China is the largest producer and supplier of silk in the world. While, India is the second largest producer of silk and silk products.
