To what extent was cultural interaction and exchange the most important consequence of the Silk Road?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that cultural interaction and exchange was the most important consequence of the Silk Road. Consequences may extend beyond the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may offer equal coverage of cultural interaction and exchange and another relevant consequence (for example, economic), or they may prioritize their assessment of one or the other. However, both aspects will be a feature of the response. Candidates may refer to examples of exchange that occurred. For art, examples could include the adoption of Persian styles and Indian ikat by Tang weavers, or the Chinese influence on Iraqi miniaturists. For religion, candidates may discuss the example of Islam, which used the Silk Road as a conduit for its beliefs and practitioners, or Buddhism, which spread both its doctrine and religious art along the route. Other relevant factors may be addressed, for example the transportation of disease (the Black Death, most infamously) along the Silk Road, but with a focus on the issue in the question. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.