Introduction
Silk Road used to be popular transportation route used for trade between Europe and Asia. The name originated from the delivery of silk. Despite no ancient Chinese document of “Silk Road”, German F.V. Richthofen (1833-1905) used the term Silk Road for the first time in his book China which was published in 1877. Post that The term Silk Road was used universally and became widely accepted. Silk Road used to be the communication bridge for economy, politics and culture between the West and China. At the helm of Han Dynasty, the Hans and Huns used to compete over the occupation of the Silk Road (“ccsenet”). Apart from being the channel for merchandise, Silk Road used to be the medium through which styles, fashion, music and forms were communicated between West and East. Transportations which underwent in the Silk Road went through China and Kingdoms of Central Asia. Silk Road and its rich culture has helped art historians to conduct their researches about Kushan, Indian, Syrian, Iranian and other influences on sculptures and paintings of Bamiyan, Miran, Kucha, Penzhikent, Turfan, Dunhung and Khotan. Digs along the Silk Road have helped in collecting remains of Art which discloses substantial interchange between West and East. Cultural Exchanges were also prominent and the effects can be felt till date. Porcelain Pottery was produced during the Han Dynasty between 206 BC and 220 AD. During Han Dynasty, silk used to be the most important element of the Chinese economy. In those times, only Chinese people could weave silk and silk used to be exported to other parts of the world like Greece where it was called Ser and the Chiese people were called Seres (“sjsu”).
In 198 BC, Han Dynasty had concluded treaty with Xiongnu from Central Asian. The emperor gave his daughter to ruler of Xiongnu and paid a gift in silk and gold annually. Bt 1st Century BC, silk had reached Rome which initiated the first ‘Silk Road’. Pliny wrote about silk and thought it would have been made in Seres from down of trees. With time it became very popular among Romans, people started to wear rare silk strips on their clothes and strived for more. They even spent great amount of silver and gold which lead to precious metal shortage. Popularity of silk also coincided with initiation of great empires, as silk started to be associated with the powerful and wealthy; Julius Caesar after triumph entered Rome under canopies made of silk. Silk Imports increased over the next three centuries, increasingly with Pax Romana of earlier emperors, which led to opening of trade routes in the Middle East and Asia Minor. Silk was not the only commodity which was exchanged as asbestos, red coral, amber and blown glass moved from west to east (“si.edu”). Historians have always claimed that the Trade between Han Dynasty and Central Asia between 206 BC to 220 CE was the first intense period of Silk Road trade (“shaanxi.gov.cn”).
Different Routes of the Silk Road
Silk Road had more than one route with routes varying due to difference in destinations in the West. Basically there are three main routes:
North route: Loutan to Turfan to Hami to Urumqi to Yining to Yili and then to west to Caspian Sea coast.
Middle Route: Loutan to Kuche to Aksu to Kashi and then West to Iran and along the coast of Mediterranean Sea to Rome.
South Route: Loulan to Qiemo to Yutia to Shache to the south of India and to Southeast direction of Afgan (“sczl.org”).
CULTURAL EXCHANGES ALONG THE SILK ROADS
Religion
Silk Roads served the merchants as highways for sell their commodities, but these highways also influenced other aspects of daily life. Many Missionaries, merchants and other travelers carried their religious beliefs, convictions and values which they spread across the lands they went to.
The Spread of Buddhism and Hinduism
Hinduism also started to gain its following in Southeast Asia. Similar to Buddhism, Hinduism was also spread by the merchants who crossed the Silk Route along the India Ocean. By 1st century, many parts of Southeast Asia started to display the signs of Indian culture, as many rulers promoted Hindi cults of Vishnu and Shiva. Walled Cities were built around lavish temples which were constructed in Indian style and Sanskrit was adopted as the means of written communication and Hindu advisers were appointed by the King’s courts (“highered.mcgraw-hill”).
The Spread of Christianity
Christians used to face intermittent persecutions from the Romans. In early days of Christianity, Roma officials used to launch campaigns for eradicating Christianity due to refusal of Christians in observing state cult of honoring emperors as divine beings. Officials of Imperials considered Christianity as menacing as the missionaries used to attack other religions and used to generate violent conflicts. These missionaries used the magnificent network of sea and roads made by the Romans to spread their message throughout the Roman Empire and the Mediterranean (“highered.mcgraw-hill”).
The Spread of Manichaeism
With explosive growth of Manichaeism, the use of Silk Roads trading network and its effectiveness was illustrated. Prophet Mani (216-272 CE) who created this faith, was a devout Zoroastrian hailing from Babylon based in Mesopotamia. The religion was heavily inspired from Buddhism and Christianity, with intense interaction of people from different societies, Mani used to promote syncretic blend of Christian, Zoroastrian and Buddhist for presence of good & evil in this world. He also provided means for personal salvation for individuals (“highered.mcgraw-hill”).
Chinese Technologies Introduced into the West via Silk Road
The four great Chinese inventions of printing, paper making, compass and gunpowder and the skill of silk spinning and silkworm breeding were transmitted from the East to the West. This increased the speed of development throughout the world. During Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), monopoly on the trade of silk was with China as they kept their technology secret. A princess of Han smuggled mulberry seedling, silkworms and skilled workforce into Yuitan. Not until the 12th century the West Europeans learned the technology of silk weaving (“travelchinaguide”). In addition, the Karez technique was introduced to West during the Han Dynasty. Troops of Han Dynasty which were stationed in west used this technique for water storage in desolate conditions. In the trade road, Material culture was also on exchange as many products were sent from West to China like clover, grape, carrots, walnuts, beans, peppers, cucumbers, rare animals, medicines, jewelry, spices, pomegranates, spinach and much more. Chinese lacquers and porcelains were also traded into the West (“travelchinaguide”).
Arts of the Silk Road
Many new styles and objects are travelling across Asia in the beginning of Common Era. A mirror brought from India which had a female fertility deity shaped ivory handle was found buried in volcanic ash of Pompeii in 79 CE. One of the first images of Buddhist Deities was carved in Gandhara in 2nd century CE. This image was unlike the other anthropomorphic images of Buddha which were carved in Southern India as these images made in Gandharan were based on the Roman models wearing heavy toga and wavy hair. This Buddhist figure soon started to spread across East, Central and Southeast Asia while taking regional characteristics (“silkroadproject”).
Ancient Chinese used to be adept in many great decorative and applied arts; some of them were emphasized more than others. Chinese never had any tradition of glassware, glass working found market for itself in China. But the breakability and heaviness of the glasswork used to make it difficult to be transported overland and not many pieces made it to the Chinese mainland and those who reached turned out to be over expensive for the people to afford (“silkroadproject”).
Travel of Ideas and Techniques
All great ideas which used to be created were travelled across the Silk Roads for the other part of the world. The Chinese invention of paper is an example of an invention which travelled across to the west. With its superiority to hard-to-handle rolls or narrow wooden strips which the Chinese used for writing purposes previously, paper swiftly became the material for writing throughout East Asia and China. Even in Buddhist temples of northwest China paper was founded, but the use of paper had not yet started as the Chinese wanted to protect the knowledge and secret to themselves and for some reasons papyrus and parchment which were other materials used for writing purposes were already well established in Western world (“silkroadproject”).
One more invention which was spreading across all Eurasia was Noria or better known as irrigation waterwheel. This ingenious, simple device which was invented in Roman Syria consists of waterwheel with vertical rim attached to series of tunes or pots. As the flow of water in river rotates the wheel, the tubes get filled with water at the cycle’s bottom and get empty into a chute placed in top. A large sized noria could lift water to 40 feet without any input any input of animal or human energy. This spread across the silk route and its tributaries making lives of many easier (“silkroadproject”).
Music of the Silk Road
Just like religion, music also spreads from its origin as people take their music on their travels with them. Many familiar songs, chants and instruments are sustained by the merchants and pilgrims who at the same time absorb the influence of music which they encounter on their travels. New music was appreciated due to human characteristics of attraction, curiosity and novelty and these qualities also promote the spread of music, ideas, art and technology from one culture to another. When someone starts enjoying new music, that doesn’t mean that they will stop using and enjoying old music. Additionally, some instruments are easily adapted to many musical styles and genres like the violin can be used in different music like Celtic dance tunes, jazz and South Indian ragas. Some other instruments like, the plucked zither an enclosed box with many strings and horizontal soundboard which run over many sets of bridges might take variant but related forms for contagious cultural regions. Example; Plucked Zither is played in China (Qin), Japan (Koto), Mongolia (yatkha), Korea (kayagum) and Southern Siberia (chatagan or cahtkhan) (“silkroadproject”).
Conclusion
During the rule of Han Dynasty, the trade on Silk Road was started and had its first intense trade period. Different people from different cultures came together with opening of this trade route. This inter-culture interaction led to development of social relations between people for different parts of the world. Silk Road used to be the medium through which styles, fashion, music and forms were communicated between West and East. The Ancient Silk Road linked the culture of China with rest of the Eurasian countries and cultures for many centuries between 206 BC and 220 AD or the period of Han Dynasty with inventions of papermaking, gunpowder, silk and printing was brought to the west. The Route of ancient Silk Road brought a wealth of famous treasures to the world like castles, passes, courier station, burial sites, grotto temples and many others.
Works Cited
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Xiaoyan, W. & Jinsuo, Z. “The Cultural Exchange between Sino-Western: Silk Trade in Han Dynasty”. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ach/article/view/14040/0. ccsenet.org. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2013
“Culture”. http://gallery.sjsu.edu/silkroad/culture.htm. gallery.sjsu.edu. Web. 2013
Kurin, R. “The Silk Road: Connecting People and Cultures”.
http://www.festival.si.edu/past_festivals/silk_road/program_richard_kurin.aspx. festival.si.edu. Web. 2013
“Marine Silk Road”. http://english.shaanxi.gov.cn/channel/print.shtml?/hottopic/changanrome/canrome/201009/27606_1. english.shaanxi.gov.cn. Web. 2013
“Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads”. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0073534536/374107/benCh09.pdf. highered.mcgraw-hill.com. Web. 2013
“Culture of Silk Road”. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/silk-road/culture.htm. travelchinaguide.com. Web. 2013
“The Silk Road”. http://www.sczl.org/english/dongfanwenming/history/sczlgs/routes.htm. sczl.org. 12 Sep. 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2013
