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Read the history of the world in 3 minutes to help you gain knowledge!
For a long time, the Silk Road has been simply regarded as a trade channel connecting East and West. However, Peter Franco Pan, a professor at Oxford University, put forward a subversive view in his new book, The Silk Road: A Brand-new World History:
The importance of the Silk Road goes far beyond the trade channel. In fact, the Silk Road has shaped the past of mankind and will certainly affect the future of the world.
From four ancient civilizations, three religions and wars in human history to today’s the belt and road initiative, Franco Pan described the intricate relationship between the Silk Road and world civilization from ancient times to the present. The following excerpts from the Silk Road will give you three minutes to understand world history.
Silk Road and Four Ancient Civilizations
Ancient Babylon
Since the beginning of civilization, the Silk Road has been the cradle of empire. The Mesopotamian alluvial plain bred by the Tigris River and the Euphrates River provided soil for the emergence of human civilization, and it was here that the world’s earliest towns and cities were born. Almost 4000 years ago, King Hammurabi of Babylon promulgated the earliest written law in the world here.
Ancient Egypt
Ptolemy, the guard officer who accompanied Alexander the Great in his expedition, brought wealth from the Silk Road to Egypt and established a capital named Alexandria. According to a contemporary scholar, Alexandria has developed into the largest city in the world at that time, with a population of 300,000 in the 1st century BC.
Ancient India
Mohenjodaro, nearly 5,000 years ago on the Silk Road, is a miracle of the ancient world, with tens of thousands of urban population, criss-crossing streets and sophisticated sewage system, which cannot be compared with Europe thousands of years later. The Silk Road also linked India and Rome. A large number of coins found on the west coast of India can be traced back to the period of Augustus.
Ancient China
In the Han Dynasty, after many campaigns, China people drove the Xiongnu back to the grassland and seized the Hexi Corridor, which opened the door for a transcontinental communication channel-the "Silk Road" was born. The expansion of the territory aroused China people’s interest in the outside world, and the high-priced silk trade made China people get rich returns.
The Silk Road and Three Major Religions
Buddhism
The scenery of cultural exchange on the Silk Road is amazing. In India, it was not until the worship of Apollo was established that the statue of Buddha began to appear: the statue seems to be based on the image of Apollo, which shows the deep influence of Greek culture. Before that, Buddhists were never willing to show their faces and make public, but now religious competition forces them to reform and innovate.
Christianity
Christianity spread rapidly eastward along the Silk Road, overwhelmed Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Buddhism, and marched straight into Asia, and soon spread all over the Persian Gulf and as far away as the area ruled by Guishuang-that is, it has reached today’s Afghanistan.
Islamism
After conquering the Silk Road, Muslims gathered a lot of wealth and set off the most unforgettable academic research upsurge in history.
Many scholars were summoned to the Palace in Baghdad or attracted to the top academic centers all over Central Asia, engaged in mathematics, philosophy, physics, geography and other research. At that time, the radicals were not Muslims, but Christians; At that time, those wise men who were open-minded, curious and generous were all on the Silk Road, not Europe and America.
Silk Road and Global Economy
economic globalization
Along the Silk Road more than 2,000 years ago, in Carthage and other cities around the Mediterranean, the rich and powerful can wear silk handmade in China; Pottery produced in southern France can be found in England and the Persian Gulf. In kitchens in Xinjiang and Rome, condiments from India can be used; Greek characters can be carved on buildings in northern Afghanistan; In the east, you can see galloping horses in Central Asia.
We usually regard globalization as a unique phenomenon in contemporary society, but as early as two thousand years ago, globalization was already a fact, which provided opportunities, brought problems and promoted technological progress.
Great discovery of America
After the 16th century, with Columbus discovery of america, Europe got a lot of silver from America. The Silver Road encircles the world like a ribbon, but in the end it all flows to the same place through the Silk Road: China.
At the same time, Chinese porcelain and silk are very popular in Europe. With the influx of silver, the culture of the Ming Empire was unprecedentedly prosperous, with novels, operas, paintings and philosophy shining brilliantly. However, due to its inability to control inflation, the Ming Empire eventually collapsed.
The British Empire dominates.
In the 16th century, the success of Spain and Portugal frustrated the British. In order to gain a place on the Silk Road, Britain established some new trading companies, such as the Turkish company and the East India company. These companies all obtained royal charters, plundered the wealth on the Silk Road by their monopoly position, and finally created the glory of the empire that never sets.
Silk Road and Human War
Roman Persian war
For the Romans, if the empire wants to grow, it must have a large number of cities, thus collecting enough taxes; If the empire wants to be brilliant, it must have artists and craftsmen. These did not exist in the barren European continent at that time. In order to build a powerful empire, the Romans must control the heart of the world-the Silk Road. In order to achieve this goal, Rome and Persia fought for 400 years.
The crusades
Although the 200-year-long Crusade is regarded as a religious war, there is a more important secular power behind it-the infinite wealth on the Silk Road. Relying on the opportunity of the crusade, cities such as Venice rose to become upstarts on the Silk Road, and the west also re-entered the core area of the world.
The Mongols are coming.
The Mongolian iron hoof conquered almost the whole Eurasia along the Silk Road. As well known as the horrible massacre, it is the wisdom of Mongols to rule the world.
They encouraged trade across Europe and Asia on the Silk Road with low tax rates, eliminated ethnic barriers on the Silk Road with military rule, promoted the integration of eastern and western civilizations, and created freedom and prosperity of religious belief on the Silk Road with tolerant policies.
Nazi road
On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Soviet-German Non-aggression Treaty, although the alliance between the two countries was incredible. But in fact, Stalin compromised with Germany in order to gain time, and he needed time to restore the turbulent country.
The other ally, Hitler, was for wheat and oil located in the south of the Soviet Union, two crops located at the western end of the Silk Road, which were extremely scarce in Germany.
Hitler’s original wishful thinking was to form an alliance with the Soviet Union, which provided supplies. Unexpectedly, after the war began, Stalin did not fully support Germany, but fell to the allies. In the end, Hitler was forced on an adventurous road to invade the Soviet Union, which doomed the collapse of the Third Reich.
Today, despite frequent wars and constant frictions, the Silk Road passes through Islam and other places, but in Peter Franco Pan’s view, its important role in natural resources, geographical location, history and culture still exists, and the Silk Road is reviving.
Third and fourth -tier personnel return, "rich people areas" housing prices rose against the trend, and three changes in the property market appeared
Because of the impact of epidemic and economic transformation, the population of third- and fourth -tier cities is flowing. Many of these migrant workers who returned from Shanghai, Shenzhen and other places are highly educated groups. In the golden area of ??third- and fourth -tier cities, they purchased houses in the "rich area", not only high -quality school district houses, but also supporting and greening are comparable to high -end houses in large cities. The houses in these high -end communities have risen first. Compared with other communities, the "hot island" effect appears, which is a lot higher than the surrounding house prices.
First, return home to snap up high -end houses
Many people who return home sell houses in big cities and buy a high -end house in their hometown. They can take their parents to live together. If you go back to the outside, you will have a place to settle in your hometown. Someone was affected by the mortgage of large cities. A loan of millions of dollars in a house made their lives and work suffer a lot of pressure. Buy a house in his hometown, and there are still funds in your hand to start a business or use it for daily life.
Second, the family replacement school house of the provident fund loan
Most families with provident fund loans are groups with stable income. Now many cities have increased the amount of provident fund loans and reduced down payment. They can buy a high -end house with a small amount of down payment. People who lived in the old town or high -rise houses were currently replacing high -quality school district houses. Therefore, high -end communities in third- and fourth -tier cities have recovered and rose against the trend, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding second -hand housing.
Third, the scarcity of resources and the superiority of the location
Most of the "rich people areas" in third- and fourth -tier cities are mature communities built by large -scale housing companies that have been stationed before. From design style to supporting facilities are first -class. Now, many large real estate companies are far from the third and fourth -tier property market. It is difficult for local small development companies to have such a large handwriting, so it is particularly popular. The "rich area" is not only high in house prices, but also the local group is also rich or expensive in the local area. Therefore, house prices do not worry about selling the road.
From the trend of the property market this year, it can be seen that the rise and fall of the same city is blurred. So many favorable introduction, most of the property market is still not shocked. There are three changes:
01, the population continues to flow, but the house price is very strong
The phenomenon of the population of third- and fourth -tier cities is very common, and most of them are going out to make a living. If you say that Anjia Real Estate, you will choose to return to his hometown to buy a building. After all, house prices in large cities are high, living costs and housing costs are also high, and they can’t afford it. Therefore, many people will come to buy a neighborhood with good money outside. After all, Ye Luo will be rooted in the future, and now he will be filial to pick up his parents to life in the city.
02, interest rates have been reduced sharply, but most people do not buy a house anymore
Recently, with the introduction of the measures and interest rates, although the property market has stabilized and selling the building without panic, the transaction is still unconventional. Many third- and fourth -tier cities have no imagination scenes, and buyers are silent. Many families already have plans to buy a house, and the down payment can be available, but they are still watching and waiting. High -end communities are relatively hot, many people can’t afford it, housing prices in other areas are also falling, and few people buy it.
03, the vacancy rate increases, but the speculators do not throw the house
At present, the vacancy rate of third- and fourth -tier cities has increased by up to 30%. Many families have unstable income because of the high cost of housing. Therefore, when they return to the countryside, the house cannot be sold. There are also couples who work in the field. The speculators and groups of real estate have good housing in their hands, do not rent nor sold, and have no throwing house. Perhaps there are fantasies about the future property market.