Silk Route: The UNESCO World Heritage

Abstract

The Silk Route or Silk Road refers to a network of ancient trade routes connecting Asia, Europe and
Africa. Extending more than 6,500 kms, the Silk Route was majorly used to transport Chinese Silk to
Europe through Central Asia from 2nd Century BC. However, many trade routes (both sea and land
routes) existed in much earlier times that connected the main Silk Route and traded in different
commodities ranging from salt to gold. Silk Route’s greatest contribution to world history was not mere
trading of few commodities but exchange of ideas, art and science between Asia, Europe and Africa. It
was the world’s first information superhighway. Greek art from Europe flowed into India whereas
Buddhism from India reached out to the world through the Silk Route. Chinese travelers like Fa Hein
(Faxian), Hiuen Tsang (Xuanxang) and others visited India through these ancient routes and Marco Polo
witnessed the grandeur of the Chinese civilization while traveling through the silk route. The Arabs took
the knowledge of mathematics and medicine from India and China and worked on it to bring up new
sciences like Algebra, which were adopted by Europe in due course. New cities and empires grew along
the Silk Route and world power shifted from hand to hand. History of the world was re-shaped along this
route and world population for the first time started exchanging ideas on a scale that was unheard of. The
habits, cultures and livelihoods of the world population were influenced by knowledge and ideas brought
from different lands. Obscure cities like Lhasa became the seat of religious power and emerged as one of
the finest cities in the remotest corners of the Himalayas. The advent of Silk Route is one the most
remarkable events in world history. Almost all Ancient Trade routes across Asia and Europe merged with
the Silk Route at some point and the whole network of trade routes became the world’s first international
cultural phenomenon.