A Study Of Constantinople And The Silk Road Trade In The 10th And 11th Centuries

Constantinople is located at the eastern end of the Balkan Peninsula,facing the Bosporus Strait.It is not only the access to guard the Black Sea into the Aegean Sea,but also the transportation hub of Europe and Asia.From the middle of the 4th century to the early of the 13 th century,Constantinople was the largest and most prosperous city in Europe.Due to its unique position,after the formation,Constantinople became the western terminal of the Silk Road network,constantly transferring Oriental goods and culture to the west,known as the “Golden Bridge of Eurasian trade”.In the 7th century,after the rise of the Islamic world,the Eurasian economic and trade center gradually moved eastward to Baghdad.In the 10 th century,with the decline of the Abbasid Dynasty,the regional trade center at the western end of the Silk Road moved to Constantinople.At that time,the Byzantine Empire was in the middle of the Macedonian Dynasty,with its national strength at its peak.Constantinople has become the gathering place of commodities from all over the world,and the regional trade network has been extended to the surrounding areas.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,this paper consists of three parts.First of all,the reasons for the formation of Constantinople regional trade network in the 10th-11 th century are analyzed.Constantinople’s superior geographical position is the natural condition for its development of commerce and trade;as the capital of the late Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire,the huge material and cultural demand is the fundamental driving force for its development of commerce and trade.In the 10th-11 th century,the Islamic world was divided and declined,which provided good external conditions for its business development.In addition,the policy promotion of the imperial government,such as the development of the military region system,the developed handicraft industry of the Empire itself,the perfect business management system,and the strict guild system and legal guarantee,laid a good foundation for the business development of the Empire.Secondly,it discusses the development of Constantinople regional trade network in the 10th-11 th century.This paper introduces the trade between Constantinople and the Arab Empire,the Vikings,the Fatimids of Egypt and the commercial cities of Italy from the four directions of East,northeast,South and West.In addition,it also summarizes the economic,trade and cultural exchanges between the Byzantine empire and China in this period.Finally,it analyzes the influence of the prosperity of Constantinople regional trade network.On the one hand,the city of Constantinople has been reborn,the prosperity of economy,the splendor of urban construction,the diversity of religious culture,especially the "Macedonian cultural renaissance",the rise of the study of classical literature,a large number of Byzantine manuscripts for the later "Renaissance" in western Europe laid the foundation.On the other hand,through the radiation of regional trade network,Byzantine political system,economic system and religious culture had an impact on the surrounding areas,promoting the economic development and urban prosperity of these areas.The Kievan Rus state was formed and converted to Christianity under the influence of Byzantium;the commercial towns of Italy rose on the back of trade with the empire,and after the fall of the Byzantine empire,they dominated the trade of the Mediterranean.Through the trade with Constantinople,the foreign exchange increased in some regions of Western Europe.