I believe the empires of Afroeurasia were connected by trade routes both on land and water. Afr-Eurasian trade drastically affected the world both negatively and positively. The routes began with silk road, after which the trans-Saharan trade began,and later Indian ocean, all of which became part of European sea trade.
The connections were very important as they helped people exchanges goods, technology, ideas and cultures. The connections represented a central network in the history of the relationship between the Roman Empire and the Far east. They Played major role in the cultural, religious and artistic exchanges that took place between the major centers in Europe and Asia.
The benefits of these connections include the fact that people could interact with each other and learn from each other across the empires, something that enabled them to learn and acquire new goods and ideas.
However, these connections suffered drawbacks such as spread of diseases across the empires and invasion by enemies along the trade routes.
