Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences JAHSS 2020, 6(1): 19-26 PRIMARY RESEARCH An outline of ancient silk route in central Asian region: Reference with Buddhism Archana Gupta* School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India Keywords Abstract Buddhism This study investigates how Buddhist monks and pilgrims, who appeared to spread the practice trip to the Asian Central Asia regions, played an important role in connecting assisted. Through which way thousands of monasteries dotted in Silk route the Eurasian continent had to ensure peace and prosperity. The study follows a historical, descriptive, and ana- Proselytize lytical approach. The study employs theoretical insights from the cultural, international relations, regional, and Monasteries historical aspects. Data sources include reports, press statements, government documents, books, journals, arti- cles, magazines, internet sources, newspapers, unpublished research documents and other relevant materials. It Received: 6 September 2019 is highlighted that there is no attention given to revive Buddhism through the new Silk Route. The study concludes Accepted: 11 November 2019 that the restoration of the Silk Route may help to some extent in solving the socio-economic, political, and cultural Published: 12 March 2020 problems. It would promote the development of regional cooperation within Central Asia. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by TAF Publishing INTRODUCTION In the late 15th Century A.D, preceding the sea route dis- "Silk Route" was a term initially used by Ferdinand Von covery among Europe and Asia, the overland routes were Richthofen, a German geographer, in the 19th century A.D steadily relinquished for maritime trade. The “Oasis Route” while referring to a prehistoric trunk street crossing Central a connection between semi-desert zones in Central Asia and Asia (Rhie, 2003). The term ‘Silk Road’ portrays the trade caravan cities in the desert; the "Steppe Route", a commer- course between China and Central Asia. The story begins in cial course dominated by the nomadic tribes - who were around 100 B.C when an overland trade course network was dwelling in the Eurasian region of steppe, that stretches created to convey goods between Europe and Asia. The Silk towards the northern Oasis Route; and the “Southern Sea Route passes through Central Asia and covers 6,400 kms; it Route", a connection between the Arabia Sea, Indian Ocean, is the ŭirst ever diplomatic and transcontinental trade road the Red Sea, China Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea; together that connects Far East and China with India and Europe. It these routes form ‘The Silk Route’. The Old Silk Route Silk is a road network following different contacts amongst the Route wasn’t a single route but it was the courses, paths, residents of Mediterranean countries, around Central Asia, and roads together going towards the east-west direction. and the Middle East, Eastern part of Asia and the Indian sub- Many courses were properly developed and were compara- continent. The oldest, immediate and the most commonly tively secured; whilst the others had lesser levels of protec- utilized route were named as the Silk Road, where valuable tion and oasis towns that could help avoid people from ban- Chinese fabrics were exchanged in abundance. Throughout dits. Along Taklamakan’s southern edge there was a route the Middle Age, the road, extending over 4000 miles, served that was very volatile, yet a shorter one. Kashgar (Kashi), as the main communication channel among East and West. became a signiŭicant trade center in Central Asia, as it was a *corresponding author: Archana Gupta †email: [email protected] The Author(s). Published by TAF Publishing. This is an Open Access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International License 2020 A. Gupta – An outline of ancient silk route . 20 meeting point for all the paths on the Silk Roads. city-states near the Oasis Route. The Steppe Route was the The "Oasis Route" was the main pathway and not only second most signiŭicant factor of the Silk Route. Nomads well-known for its historical importance considering the utilized this route to move from east to west or vice-versa exchange of cultural values and East-West trade, but also and for protecting their cattle’s fodder. The relocation of due to the evolution of this route which sees numerous the nomadic custodian tribes of cattle in ancient times led to travelers passing on the route over the century. The Oa- the origin of the Steppe Route; later these nomadic eques- sis Route terminals were: In the east, it had Changan (Xian) trian tribes made improvements in metal culture which was and in the west it had Rome; and afterward it had Luoyang commonly known as Scytho-Siberian style that spread in in the East and Byzantium (Constantinople) in the West the East and in the West through the Steppe Route. metal (Exhibition, 1988; Suharti & Pramono, 2016; Yazici, 2016). culture and Steppe-Route was burrowed by the pre-historic The course traveled across several dangerous areas like the nomadic equestrian tribes, facilitating the later transmis- Taklamakan desert, the Tien Shan and Kunlun Shan, the sion. In Northern Eurasia, the Steppe Route was more than Pamirs, the Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts, and the Hindu a road it was an extension of plains from east to west that Kush. The Taklamakan dessert was named as "the Land acted as a truck road of trafŭic. It had become a mobile truck of Death" or "the Land of Irrevocable Death" by the locals. road which facilitated the nomadic equestrian tribe migra- Oases of different sizes existed at the bottom of steep moun- tion to any place, for trade or cattle breeding. It was a fertile tains. Cities, enclosed by farmlands, greenery, and orchards pasture as well as a platform for military tasks. It evolved in with ponds surrounded by ŭlower beds, were built in the to a huge economic and cultural channel which was used for oases and were secured by walls and gates. Various trav- the exchange of products, from East and West; and brought elers from other lands came together in the oases to make in, global information and technology in Central Asia to the a marketplace arrangement of different types such as an nomadic equestrian tribes. The Steppe route enabled the open-air trading market where people could trade their lo- relocation of the equestrian nomads dwelling in Eurasia and cal goods. The people of oasis cities created a caravan and acted as a natural highway that facilitated the transmission were involved in intermediary activities of the East-West ex- of gold culture, nomadic lifestyle, and animal patterns, on change. The "Oasis Silk Route" is an enormous mark of hu- the East and West side. man activity, where they overcame natural risks and uncer- The outlet of Southern Sea Route was the 3rd large mark tainties for a thousand kilometers distance. It later evolved on the Silk Route for connecting the Orient and Occident, as the shortest route which went through Central Asia and in terms of politics as well as culture. Central Asia and the connected the East and West. The Oasis Silk Route’s four Parthian lands were not the only reasons for the availabil- thousand kilometers long segment is situated in Asia’s cen- ity of silk in Europe; it could also be brought from a few ter and go from the Eastern and the Western side of Turk- remote ports in India. The Southern Sea Route was found istan (Exhibition, 1988). Initially people had to combat vari- using the wind to help mariners on their route, and a Ro- ous natural hazards, such as the huge stretch of deserts, hills man pilot made it possible by ŭinding a direct route across blanketed by snow with cold winds sweeping by, relentless the Indian Ocean. Southern Sea Route began on China’s mountain streams with deep valleys, and steep cliffs. Even South coast in Kuangchou (Canton), surrounding the In- they feared evil spirits, bandits, and highway thieves. dochinese peninsula, passing through the Malacca Straits The Oasis Route was risky when compared to the Steppe and traveling up to the opening of Ganges. The Archaeo- Route, still, numerous travelers chose this route risking logical excavations differentiate among the products from their lives for travel, this included- kings, army generals, southern China which came through north-east India and soldiers, aristocrats, merchants, local governors, artists, among those from northern China which came through the Buddhist monks, artisans, missionaries, scholars, exiles, Central Asian route. Toward the ending of the 1st century refugees, musicians, and dancers. A possible reason for this A.D silk was imported in bulk by the Mediterranean coun- could be that the nomadic tribes there, restricted access, tries and was transported by sea and not by using the land and the route had a deŭicit of towns, markets, and provi- route through Persia (Boulnois, 1963). sions for accommodation. It lacked the supply of food, wa- ter, and even other travel necessities; medical aid and enter- Locality of Silk Route tainment could be availed by travelers and caravans along Major part of the world was covered by The Silk Route, the course. Market provisions and accommodation facilities known initially. From Changan (literally, eternal peace) for caravans and travelers were maintained in the caravan (Marylin, 2010), which is today known as Xian, China’s for- ISSN: 2414-3111 DOI: 10.20474/jahss-6.1.3 21 J. adv. humanit. soc. sci. 2020 mer capital during Chi, Han, Sui, and Tang empires; go- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ing through the prime route, Kansu, separated at Anxi near The study follows historical, descriptive and analytical Dun Huang; its north stream passed popular oases such approach.