Braving the bleakest terrains and toughest bandits, these merchants trudged along the Silk Road up until A.D. 1453, when Ottoman taxes, tolls and boycotts blocked much of this trade between East and ...

Their travel was tough, with traders facing the threats of the terrain and the bands of bandits that prowled the Silk Road. But because their merchandise was in demand, the trade continued for ...

Bandits were a constant threat ... culture and creativity associated with the legendary Silk Road to the north. China had something Tibet wanted: tea. Tibet had something China desperately ...