The civilization of Islamic Iran: cultural hegemony along the Silk Road

In pre-Islamic times, the Sasanian Empire tried to gain control over the two Eastern systems of communication and trade, the land and sea Silk Road, as well as over the Mediterranean system in the West, which was built up by the Romans. The Sasanians tried to block contacts between the Eastern and Western trade networks. After the rise of Islam, the Silk Roads were extensively used by Muslims. Islamic merchants contributed significantly to the development of the land and sea Silk Roads, which led to an immense increase of commercial activities between China and the regions around the Persian Gulf. Iran played an important role as a centre of trade with Eastern countries, such as India and China. Its hegemonic position triggered the rise of the new Persian language which became a lingua franca in Central and Inner Asia. After the Mongol rule, other Empires rose in the West, which again contributed to a separation of the Eastern and Western systems. Islamic predominance in the East declined when the Europeans reached the Indian Ocean.