human progress lesson

Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an

In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

By Sean Kinnard

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Centers of Progress

14-part unit
  • A man, two women, and a little girl talking
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 37: Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik is a beautiful walled city on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, once home to one of the freest and most cosmopolitan societies in Europe and one of the first societies to implement comprehensive public health measures to contain disease.

  • Ships on the ocean coastline
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 36: Seville

    Today we know Seville as the sunny capital of the region of Andalusia, but during the century following the Iberian conquest of America, Seville was one of the most important cities in Europe.

  • Two men playing Mesoamerican Ball Game
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 6: Chichen Itza

    In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

  • Two women purchasing fish from a man
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 16: Amsterdam

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about how a unique set of cultural values that emphasized openness and tolerance helped lead Amsterdam to the pinnacle of European commercial success during the Dutch Golden Age

  • Two women tending to crops
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 1: Jericho

    Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture.

  • A royal man and woman drinking in front of the Taj Mahal
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 35: Agra

    In this lesson, students will learn about the Mughal Empire and its rulers by exploring the theme of monumental architecture. They will also have the opportunity to research other “new wonders of the world” and examine their own beliefs about memorials in contemporary society.

  • Three intellects sitting in an office having a conversation
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 18: Edinburgh

    In this article, Chelsea Follett describes why the small university city of Edinburgh, Scotland, was such an important intellectual center in the Enlightenment.

  • Two men and a teenager looking over a newspaper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 15: Mainz

    In this lesson, students will learn about the city of Mainz, Germany and the man responsible for Europe’s rapid adoption of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

  • Computer code overlapping people walking in the street
    Your Life in Numbers

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how these measures have changed during your lifetime and compare your results with people in other countries.

  • three women standing in a circle holding a long sheet of paper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

  • An illustration of a woman working on a loom.
    Centers of Progress: Manchester

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

  • Clock turning to dust in hand
    Your Life in Numbers: Student Work Document

    Interpret interactive, data‐​driven tools, and compare and contrast international results to make inferences and draw conclusions about changes and improvements over time in the quality of life: locally, regionally, and globally, and more.

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Trade brought Chang’an extraordinary cultural and economic wealth and made it among the world’s most dazzling and cosmopolitan cities in its day.

— Chelsea Follett

“Trade brought Chang’an extraordinary cultural and economic wealth and made it among the world’s most dazzling and cosmopolitan cities in its day,” writes Chelsea Follet in this article about the Tang dynasty capital. In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

Warm‐​Up

Students, working in pairs, should discuss the following questions:

  • What is ‘trade’?
  • What is a modern example of trade?
  • What are some of the benefits of trade?
  • What are some of its costs?

Students will then share their answers with the class. What do students agree on? In what ways do they disagree?

Then, each pair of students writes a list of the costs and benefits of trade. You may ask them to write them on a T‑chart.

Next, using their list of costs and benefits of trade and what they already know from studying history and economics, ask students to briefly respond to this prompt in writing:

Acknowledging that trade has costs, describe some of its benefits. Provide one example of how trade enriches your own life.

Questions for Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Read Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an (Trade), then answer the following questions:

  • According to the article, what is the definition of ‘trade’? Why does Follett say that Chang’an—which means “perpetual peace” is an appropriate name for the city?
  • In describing the Silk Road as it leaves from Chang’an, the article states, “Goods were passed along in a staggered progression, with most merchants acting as middlemen who only traveled along a Silk Road subsection.”

Using your knowledge of the Silk Road, describe the institutions, habits, and norms that were necessary for this system to work.

  What institutions, habits, and norms were necessary for this system to work along the Silk Road?
Social
Political
Cultural
Economic

  • Follett argues that international trade enriched the cultural life of Chang’an. What were some of the specific cultural ideas—including religious ones—that made it such a cosmopolitan capital?
  • What were some of the specific challenges posed by Chang’an’s connections to the Silk Road?
  • Cultural clashes, war, and contagion were some of the costs of international trade on the Silk Road. Nevertheless, trade continued. What specific products were imported to Chang’an that improved the standard of living for the people there?
  • What are some benefits you personally derive from international trade? Describe at least three concrete examples in detail.

Extension Activity/​Homework

Conduct a Socratic seminar, panel discussion, or class debate
Have students hold a Socratic seminar, panel discussion, or class debate on the costs and benefits of international trade. In making their arguments, students should use specific evidence from the article as well as personal examples from their own lives. To gather additional evidence for the debate, students can also refer to these resources:
Our World in Data — Trade and Globalization
Free Trade Empowers Women and Tariffs Hurt Them
Africa Tries Free Trade
Singapore’s Free Trade Success Story
Restricting Trade Would Hurt Bangladeshi Factory Women

  • Take on the role of a person in Chang’an
    Have students make a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation in which they write a profile of an inhabitant of Tang dynasty Chang’an. Choices could include:

    • Chinese owner of a silk manufacturing export business
    • Chinese government official in charge of regulating imports, exports, and marketplaces
    • Persian merchant who transports rugs and precious stones on the Silk Road to Chang’an
    • Indian Buddhist missionary interested in winning Chinese converts in Chang’an
    • Member of a traveling dance troupe originally from Samarkand and now living and performing in Chang’an

      Students should address the following topics in their profile:
    • Description of the person’s occupation
    • The person’s social or class status in Chang’an
    • The person’s possible political outlook if any
    • The person’s perspective on trade (i.e., how does trade benefit them?)
    • Cultural issues the person encounters pertaining to trade and internationalization
    • The technology used in the persons occupation and its connection to trade

      Students may make a screen recording of their presentations or present them to the whole class.
  • Write an obituary for the Silk Road 
    The Silk Road diminished in importance after maritime trade became prominent in the 1500s. Have students write an obituary for the Silk Road. They should address these questions:

    • How should the Silk Road be seen historically?
    • How did it benefit those who took part in trade along its route?
    • What were some of its unfortunate legacies?
    • What connections does the Silk Road have to our modern lives?

      The tone of the obituary should be reflective of their overall opinion of the Silk Road legacy—mostly positive, mostly negative, or neutral. In other words, style should match content.