Final answer:
The Silk Road connected China and India to other parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, enabling trade and cultural exchange, particularly during the Han and Tang dynasties in China.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Silk Road enabled the Chinese and Indian empires to greatly prosper by facilitating trade and cultural exchanges between the East and the West. China and central Asia, under various dynasties such as the Han and Tang, protected and promoted these routes. Likewise, regions under the influence of India, including South Asia, exchanged goods, technologies, and ideas, such as Buddhism and later, Hinduism and Islam, through this vast network. Trade along the Silk Roads included silk, spices, papermaking technologies, and the diffusion of cultural traditions. Chinese silk was highly sought after in Rome, reflecting a fashion among Roman elites, while Roman glassware was valued in China. The balance of power in trade throughout history has often been skewed in favor of East Asia, as the Chinese economy internally was self-sufficient and highly productive.