Final answer:
The Silk Road split into two to navigate around the Taklamakan Desert, with necessity dictating the establishment of caravansaries and protective measures against geographic dangers and bandits. The lucrative trade and cultural interactions justified these risks for travelers and traders along the perilous routes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Silk Road split into two major routes in the regions of Dunhuang and Kashgar primarily due to the need to navigate around the Taklamakan Desert, one of the most hazardous environments along the Silk Road with extreme conditions and scarce water sources. Caravansaries had to be established along the Silk Road for travelers to rest and replenish, often positioned a day's journey apart. This reflected both the geographic necessities and the need for protection against bandits and hostile tribes in the open terrains. Furthermore, historical conflicts such as the battle at the Talas River between the Tang and Abbasid empires in 751 marked a period of change along the Silk Road. This resulted in shifts of control and protection over various segments of the trade network.
Traveling along the Silk Road was full of risks, including geographic and environmental hazards like deserts and the lack of water, as well as threats from warring tribes and bandits. Despite these dangers, merchants and travelers were compelled by the potential economic profits and opportunities for cultural exchange that the Silk Road offered. The rich trade in luxury goods like silk, spices, and precious metals made these perilous journeys worthwhile for many.
During the era of Mongol control, known as the Pax Mongolica, the Silk Road experienced a period of relative safety and re-establishment. However, this period eventually ended with the disintegration of the Mongol Empire, leading to the decline of the Silk Road as a major trade route and prompting Europeans to seek alternative routes to Asia.