Describe in detail the role of the Silk Road in the development of cultural and material trade in World history.

Describe in detail the role of the Silk Road in the development of cultural and material trade in World history.  Where were these roads established?  What role did the Mongols serve?  What goods were exchanged?  What were the “Heavenly Horses”?  Why were they important in the development of these routes?  Who were the middlemen of the Kushan Empire and what effect did they have on the religions of these territories?  Which world religions were effected as a whole and why?  Be specific and give detailed examples from the book.  Also be sure to cite these examples clearly in your paper.