Silk routes are a good example of vibrant pre-modern trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world. Which one among the following is not true of silk routes?

The Silk Routes were a vast network of land and maritime paths identified by historians that connected Asia with Europe and Northern Africa [1]. These routes existed well before the Christian era, with the Han Dynasty establishing formal links around 130 BCE, and they thrived until the fifteenth century when the rise of maritime discoveries and the collapse of the Mongol Empire led to their decline [1]. While trade was vibrant, the direction of precious metal flow mentioned in option 4 is incorrect. Historical evidence indicates that precious metals like gold and silver actually flowed from Europe (specifically Rome) to Asia in exchange for luxury goods like silk, spices, and tea [1]. Roman wool and precious metals were transported eastward to pay for high-value Chinese commodities, making the statement that metals flowed from Asia to Europe false.

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: International Trade > HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE > p. 71