A caravan is the name given to a group of people who travelled together on a trade expedition. These people usually travelled along desert areas and throughout the Silk Road. The word comes from the Persian, and it is usually associated to the trade of Arabic people. Caravans usually carried expensive, luxurious goods, and by travelling as a group, they were able to better fight off bandits.
The italicized word or phrase <em>a three-pronged </em>(if this is italicized, we cannot possibly know) is attributive, as it is an adjective to describe the plan.
