CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How did the silkworm breeding and silk reeling technology spread to the West?

1. When did Chinese silkworms spread to Rome?

Chinese silkworms were introduced to Rome around the 6th century.

The oldest silk with scientific evidence is a batch of silk threads, ribbons and silk pieces unearthed in the southern suburbs of Huzhou in 1958. After identification, these silk fabrics have a history of more than 4,700 years and are products of the early Liangzhu culture. They are the oldest silk in the world, even earlier than the Yellow Emperor legend of more than 2,550 BC. Later, China's silkworm breeding and silk reeling technology spread to Central Asia and West Asia around the 4th century, and to Eastern Rome around the 6th century.

2. Which country in the world was the first to raise silkworms, reel silk and weave silk?

China is the first country in the world to start sericulture, silk reeling and silk weaving.

Huangdi's wife Leizu invented sericulture, silk reeling and silk weaving technology, which strongly promoted the development of ancient Chinese civilization. She is revered as the founder of ancient Chinese civilization. Leizu is the great mother of the Chinese nation and the founder of Chinese civilization.

3. Which ethnic group introduced sericulture technology to the West?

A French scholar who studies the Silk Road has verified that around 420 to 440 AD (during the Southern and Northern Dynasties in my country), a princess of a certain Han dynasty married into the Kingdom of Khotan in Xinjiang. The princess secretly wrapped some silkworm seeds in paper and then tucked them in her high bun. She cleverly avoided the inspection of the border guards and finally brought the silkworm seeds into Khotan. From then on, the Han people's unique technology of raising silkworms and reeling silk was no longer a secret and was gradually spread to the West.

4. How did China’s sericulture technology spread to Central Asia?

According to the Byzantine historian Procopius in "The Wars of Justinian", in 545 AD, two Indian monks arrived in southern China through Persia after an arduous journey.

Using Buddhism as a cover, they first learned the complete set of sericulture and silk reeling techniques from the local Chinese, and also learned how to make the necessary tools.

Finally, they put the large number of silkworm eggs they had obtained into bamboo walking sticks and luggage racks and took them to northern China.

The border officials of the northern Chinese authorities, who were in the midst of a chaotic war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties at the time, were completely unaware of the conspiracy of the two Indian monks. In addition, as Buddhism was prevalent in China at the time, monks were subject to few restrictions.

As a result, China's silkworm species and silk reeling technology were easily taken out of the country by two Indian monks.

5. When was China’s silk cultivation technology introduced to Byzantium?

Historically, foreign merchants traveled between the East and the West to sell Chinese silk, gradually forming the "Silk Road" connecting the Eurasian continent. Later, China's sericulture technology spread to the West, and around the 4th century it spread to Central Asia and West Asia. In the 6th century, it spread to the Byzantine Empire established by the Eastern Romans.