The Road most travelled

Commerce isn’t limited to profit and loss. Sometimes, the simple act of trading can have a great symbolic value that influences places and generations to come.

The Road for trade and ideas. Image source: The New York Times

"I'm literally in the middle of nowhere." Atul hurled his stick to the ground and kicked the sand under his feet. Whoever told him that travelling through the desert would be an enriching experience forgot to inform him how chilly it became at night.

Great. Now the fire's gone. Atul could barely marvel at his luck. How was he supposed to become a trader when he couldn't survive a night in the desert?

After walking a bit, Atul decided to rest. A few minutes later, he saw a monk standing in front of him. Atul could hardly believe his eyes. He splashed water on his face, rubbed his eyes, and pinched himself. A squeal off inside his head. Thank god there was someone with him now.

"Can I spend the night here? It's quite cold, and I fear I've wandered off. I'll leave in the morning", the kind-looking monk said with a smile.

Atul invited the monk to make himself comfortable as he laid another mattress on the sandy surface. The silence was broken off when the monk questioned Atul, "What brings you here? you look like you're a long way from home."

Atul shifted in his place and answered hesitantly, "I'm here to set up my trade. Not in the middle of the desert, but I'm hoping to reach the nearest city where I can meet with a few other traders. "

The monk nodded and began again, "Have you heard of the silk road? You look like someone who's walking that path."

"Silk what? I think I might've heard about it. Something about silk being transported through that route, right?"

Atul wanted to be correct. He couldn't be the dumb 28-year-old guy sitting in front of a monk.

The monk smiled at him and said, "Not just silk, but the route also transported horses, tea, sugar, salt, cotton, and copper as well. The road came into being when the Romans got a taste of the finery of silk. It began when the Han Dynasty traded with the west for the first time in 130 B.C."

"Tell me more about it. I didn't know that intercontinental trade was this diverse centuries ago."

The monk tried to get the fire going as he spoke, "The road was about 7000 miles long that began from China, passed through India, Central Asia and the Parthian empire, and ended at the Roman empire. While the silk route was primarily known for trading, it was also the highway for the movement of cultures and ideas. The commercial value of the silk route wasn't as much for India, but when it came to cultural and religious exchange, India was popular among other countries.

This is why Buddhism was able to spread to many parts of the continent even though it originated from India. When Ashoka expanded his kingdom to Afghanistan, Buddhism spread and flourished. Gandhara became a popular Buddhist settlement during that time.

As Buddhism spread to central Asia and China, Indian art and culture reached those regions too. Chinese travellers such as Hieun Tsang and Fa Hsein travelled to India to learn about polity, culture, and society.

Not just Buddhism, but Islam also arrived through the silk road.

You see Atul, Trade routes are never merely about trade. More often, these routes serve as mediums of inter-cultural dialogues. Although the silk route declined in its value from the 14th century onwards, it lent a symbolic value to the activities associated with it. "

Atul was half asleep. But he was happy to have learnt something new. Feeling the warmth around him, he fell into a deep sleep. He woke up when the first rays of the sun hit his face. Atul looked around for the monk, but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps, it was just a dream.

He packed his bags and reached the city. There, he negotiated with merchants and found that trade wasn't just about making profits, it was also about learning about cultures. He spent the rest of his day trying to make sense of his journey while talking to a local merchant, he realized that he stayed in Merv, an ancient site on the silk route.