(07.05 MC)Use the two maps below to answer the following question: On the top, a map shows major trade routes from China, through the Himalayas, to the west. On this map, Samarkand lies just southeast of the Aral Sea in Persia and Bukhara lies just to the west of Samarkand. On the bottom, a map shows the major geographic features of India, China, Middle East, including rivers and altitude. This map shows elevation with green indicating the lowest elevation, yellow the next highest elevation, and orange the highest elevation. The areas shaded orange are the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, Persia, western and northern China. Areas shaded yellow are the central Arabian Peninsula, far northern Persia, far northern and some coastal areas of China, and southwestern India. All other areas are shaded green. © 2012 The Exploration Company Why was Delhi not a major trade center on the Silk Road? It was located south of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas and would have been difficult to reach. It was a small city in comparison to cities like Kashgar, and traders would not have had places to stay. Its altitude was too high for traders and their animals to breathe comfortably and find food. It did not have a good supply of water and did not have enough natural resources to provide for travelers.