How were the trans-saharan trade routes different from the silk road? a. merchants on the trans-saharan routes to spread lslam; the silk road was not influenced by islam b. salt was traded on the trans-saharan trade routes; salt was not traded on the silk road. c. trans-saharan trade routes were primarily land based; the silk road was both land and sea based d. trans-saharan routes restricted trade to within africa; the silk road restricted trade to areas within asia