So I've started my paper

[Fragony]

I suppose the biggest reason was the start of the Age of Discoveries, with the European superpowers establishing permanent colonies in the East. Also the increasing use of sea trade routes.

There is a reason the Portugese started looking for a searoute, it was a necesety, the silk road didn't decline it was cut off. If you want to write about the cultural exchange look for 'pax mongolia'. Pax means peace, and it ended, wth? I just gave you a great present.

edit, we are starting a social group for students of history by the way, given the subject of your WERKSTUK;) that is probably the direction you will be taking as well. It's a tough study especially the first year is a massacre expect more than half of your fellow students to fail miserably, and you will welcome a 5.6 like a gift from the gods. If so you need all the help you can get I suggest you join.




few tips,

1.1 - Early History
1.2 - The Kingdom of Baktria, the Indo-Greeks and tribes of the Sakae.
1.3 - The Qin and Han dynasties of China
1.4 - The Parthians and Sassanids
1.5 - The Islamic Caliphate
1.6 - Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire

^ You can't do this, keep it nice and tight, early history, you want to wrap 5000 years in one chapter, and for what really? What does it have to do with the silk road, it's general history that has no relation to your subject it's dead weight. Ask yourself only one question and work towards a conclusion. What do you want to know, why did the silk-road decline for example. Or how did the silk-road contribute to the cultural exchange between the west and the east. You need a clear subject regarding the silk road.


2.2 - Scientifical advances

Chapter III - Technological advances

^ Why do you put science with budhism, and make a technological chapter? Science and technoligy go hand in hand, explain how they thought about science. And how science led to better technology?