Final answer:
The Silk Road was the trade route that passed through the middle of the Kushan Empire, linking the East and West in valuable trade and cultural exchanges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trade route that passed through the middle of the Kushan Empire was the Silk Road. This route played a central role in connecting traders and merchants across vast distances, facilitating the exchange of luxury goods such as silk, spices, and other valuable commodities between China, India, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean world. The Kushan Empire was instrumental in managing this vital trade network, stabilizing the route, and serving as a cultural and economic bridge between the civilizations of the East and West.