History assignment for The grAde

 For centuries, the "Silk Road" was a network of trade routes ( both terrestrial and  maritime routes) which facilitated cultural interactions, connecting Asia with  Africa, the  Middle East and Southern Europe. How did the "Silk Road" ma k e the  Afro – Eurasia world  a   more interconnected place in late antiquity and in   the  Middle  Ages ?   How did t he  Silk Road  shape major historical events (such as nomadic  invasion , the rise of new religions,   or the discovery and destruction   of many  cultures in the Americas)?   

more details:

the question "how did the silk road shape major historical
events…such as the discovery and destruction of the Americas?" should be
thought of as *why did the Europeans go looking for another route to India
and China in the first place?* and *how did the Americas change
international power dynamics and trade after their discovery and
destruction?*