WI: Bigger Silk Road Trade from China in the 1000's to 1200's

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Really depends on how it happens.

If we assume a larger customer base in Europe - then how does this happen? Stronger (and wealthier) Roman Empire?

Or are China for some reason selling more at a drastically lower price? In which case, why?

If the former, then stronger Romans, with more silk, probably just means that there is a larger economy to draw on, making the Romans more likely to rebuild their empire.

If the latter? Whilst there would be lots of silk being sold, the security on producing the silk may fall - partially because peasants are more like to afford to make a living on selling silk at these lower prices, and aren't going to be able to afford security. Even if it is nobles, the increased quantity over quality means that the same costs for security have to stretch further. This makes it more likely that they'll slip up, and that silkworms may make it out of china in greater numbers - eventually allowing local silk producers to out-bid Chinese silk, requiring them to lower the price even more.

Persia, either way, gets a lot of silk tariffs - but probably less profit off of ensuring the trade routes are safe - because less tax per merchant, but also the increased traffic would likely mean more raiders trying to take advantage of the route.
 
Really depends on how it happens.

If we assume a larger customer base in Europe - then how does this happen? Stronger (and wealthier) Roman Empire?

Or are China for some reason selling more at a drastically lower price? In which case, why?

If the former, then stronger Romans, with more silk, probably just means that there is a larger economy to draw on, making the Romans more likely to rebuild their empire.

If the latter? Whilst there would be lots of silk being sold, the security on producing the silk may fall - partially because peasants are more like to afford to make a living on selling silk at these lower prices, and aren't going to be able to afford security. Even if it is nobles, the increased quantity over quality means that the same costs for security have to stretch further. This makes it more likely that they'll slip up, and that silkworms may make it out of china in greater numbers - eventually allowing local silk producers to out-bid Chinese silk, requiring them to lower the price even more.

Persia, either way, gets a lot of silk tariffs - but probably less profit off of ensuring the trade routes are safe - because less tax per merchant, but also the increased traffic would likely mean more raiders trying to take advantage of the route.

Nah, it's just a China that's more willing to trade and has a bit higher production, but I don't want to spoil the TL before I even publish it.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Nah, it's just a China that's more willing to trade and has a bit higher production, but I don't want to spoil the TL before I even publish it.

If it is slightly more open to trade, then you'll probably have to have slightly lower prices - whilst China may be able to enforce a quota, it's quota will have inflated the prices of the middlemen. Those price will only drop with a lower source price (at best).

Whilst it isn't likely to lead to silk-disaster as I implied, you'll have poorer countries able to buy silk in higher quantities. Not particularly helpful.

If it is just trade of goods in general, you could have other trade goods (i.e. gunpoweder) make its way west sooner.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
This is really hard actually, if only because trade took a definite turn to the maritime by the Song heydays.

Actually, you may have inspired a good point there

My recommendation - China gets reluctant to trade on the sea because of a united Indonesia, that sets up absurd tariffs for Chinese merchants, or flat out confiscating Chinese goods.
 
By 1000, the West was producing its own silk. IIRC, someone smuggled silkworms out of China during Justinian's time.

One problem is that transporting stuff by land over thousands of miles is really, really expensive. Especially when you're going through deserts, having to fight off bandits, etc.

I don't really see a market for a greatly increased trade.

Especially since the Europeans had little the Chinese wanted, except for precious metals.
 
By "Silk Road Trade", I'm referring to any trade originating in China, tbh. Just throwing that out there, since I don't know if there's a word for "Strait of Malacca Trade".
 
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