丝绸之路对古代中国商业和冲突的影响

叶东辰

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes once proposed that “Men are by nature selfish and greedy”. It is true that most people always want more in life， it is very hard for humans to be satisfied. This idea can be seen present even in ancient times around the establishment of the Silk Road trade，it can be extrapolated from theSelections from the Han Narrative Histories（Han histories for short） Han histories that conflict and commerce surrounding the Xiongnu and China were changed by their interactions through the establishment of the SilkRoad.

While the Silk Road opened up trade routes across Eurasia and introduced different states to different type of goods unique to their states in production， its establishment likely bought China into conflict with the Xiongnu. The Han dynasty is considered to be the start of the employment of the SilkRoad. While an exact date has yet to be confirmed， Later mentions of Silk as tribute paid to the Xiongnu as part of a peace treaty between the two states would further support that SilkRoad trade were likely underway around the times the Xiongnu firstattacked China.

The initial conflicts between Han China and the Xiongnu created different incentives and strategies for conquests. While China is not unfamiliar with conflict before the establishment of the SilkRoad， they had not dealt with the Xiongnu who invaded to only steal goods and resources from China. It was only after China negotiated with the Xiongnu and began to send them tribute on a regular basis that “…for a time there was a cessation of Maou-tun（Leader of the Xiongnu）'s incursions...” . Interactions between China and the Xiongnu opened ways for future forms of conquests. The power showcased by men on horsebacks was something the Chinese had never encountered before， as evident when China initially thought that they would be able to dominate the Xiongnu simply based on their strength in numbers . The Xiongnu also attacked China through small incursions instead of taking the entirety of the Chinese army head-on， relying on unpredictability and speed to conduct raids against Chinese settlements. It can also be inferred that China at the time have not been exposed to many strategies of these kinds. China sent its soldiers into a trap without even considering that as a possibility . Defeat at the hands of the Xiongnu actually elevated the abilities of the Chinese military as they were able to learn from their mistakes.

As the Xiongnu mainly invaded for Chinese goods and commodities， the use of tributes and gifts developed to be for more than simply commerce. It was stated by Chung-hing Yue that “The presentation of silks and grain from the Han to the Hsiung-nu is merely a clever device to estimate their numbers.” This is an example of the Chinese using tribute in part as a military strategy in order to determine whether they should stay peaceful with the Xiongnu or attempt to drive them out and secure more territory for China. By calling these gifts tributes， China could also portray themselves more powerfully in the eyes of their citizens， as tributes is more tactful way of admitting that the Xiongnu are superior to them in terms of military capabilities. Trade between Han China and the Xiongnu also marks the beginning of tribute in the form of people of high social status， namely princesses. Such practices would be undertaken by other states when interacting with China， an indicator that such acts became customary . However， the human tributes sent could also be seen as hostages， so as to prevent an reignition of conflict and war between the states. China wanted for the Xiongnu to become dependent of its markets， people and goods so the Xiongnu can be assimilated. The usage of goods was aimed to yield more than simply commerce， they were also burdened with the tasks of securing foreign relations as Silk became increasingly popular throughout Eurasia. Since the establishment of the SilkRoad and Chinese Xiongnu interactions the use of commodities in the countries have gained multiple layers of uses not a part of their initial design.

In conclusion， it can be extrapolated that the establishment of the Silk Road had a fundamental effect on shaping the forms of conflict and commerce known in modern society. The ways in which the nomadic culture of the Xiongnu and sedentary community of Han China interacted allowed for the crossing of ideas， culture， and goods which became prevalent throughout. It wouldve been interesting to see if such interactions still wouldve happened or not if the Silk road was never established. Nonetheless， these interactions were irreplaceable in the effects they had on both states， and eventually the rest of the continent to those would become influenced by such ideals in the future.

葉东辰

年龄：17岁

就读学校：广州美国人国际学校（AISG）

年级：12年级

2018年7月16日，对历史毫无兴趣甚至感到烦倦的我参加了特优生夏校提供的《一带一路》研究课程。当初发现这个课程也是机缘巧合，我是听说学这门课对大学申请效益很大才选的，开始上课后才发现讲的是丝绸之路而且跟“一带一路”毫无关联。起初我是抱着漠不关心的心态开始这个研究的，没想到我在进行研究的同时对它产生了兴趣。

进行这个研究之前不管是美史还是世界历史都无法提起我的兴趣，层出不穷的人名和日期则背得我头脑发麻。可是自从我开始为这篇论文做研究后，我就发现事情并没有我想象中那么单调。客观来讲，历史可能确实没有现代电影或动漫有趣，然而现在人们创造出来的故事往往是通过改编历史间接创作的。而跟我这次的研究主题更有关，现代社会的制度与政策法规也是建立在过去的基础之上的。写到这，其实我只是想提醒读者朋友们：若你仔细观察历史，它可能会有一些你意想不到的细节。