Silk Road

SUMMARY AND HISTORY WITH REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

 The Silk Road, also known as the Silk Route, was a network of interconnected trade routes that spanned from the ancient
world's easternmost reaches in China to the westernmost regions in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It played a crucial
role in the exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas between the East and West
 Historical Significance: The Silk Road is not a single road but a complex network of trade routes that existed from around the
2nd century BCE to the 14th century CE. It was named after the lucrative trade in silk that was a major part of this exchange,
but it involved the trade of various other goods, including spices, precious metals, textiles, ceramics, and more.
 Cultural Exchange: The Silk Road facilitated the exchange of not only physical goods but also cultural and intellectual ideas.
This cultural exchange had a profound impact on the development of art, music, religion, science, and philosophy in both the
East and the West. For example, Buddhism spread from India to East Asia, and Islamic culture and knowledge spread through
the Silk Road to Europe.
 Economic Impact: The Silk Road was a key driver of economic growth in the regions it traversed. It helped stimulate trade
and economic activities along its routes, leading to the prosperity of cities and regions that were strategically located along
these trade paths.
 Technological Diffusion: The Silk Road played a vital role in the diffusion of technological advancements. For example,
papermaking and printing technology were transferred from China to the West, while innovations like the compass,
gunpowder, and advanced shipbuilding techniques were introduced to the East.
 Decline and Legacy: The decline of the Silk Road began in the 14th century due to factors like the rise of maritime trade
routes and the spread of the Black Death. However, its legacy continued as it paved the way for later global trade routes and
exchanges, and its historical and cultural importance persists to this day.
Experience of the narrator from his travels
to different places
 Prologue: The story starts with a beautiful scenery around the hills of Ravu early in the morning, where clouds shaped like French
loaves glowed pink when sunlit with illuminated half moon. Narrator was bidding farewell and leaving Ravu to embark on a journey
to the Mount Kailash.
 Now that he is ready to leave Lhamo gave him a present, a long sheepskin coat for protection against the cold from her tent. One
evening he told her that he is heading towards Kailash to complete the kora with Daniel.
 Tsetan, a Tibetan driver had clambered onto the car, and the began the trip. They had taken a shortcut off to Changtang.
 As the gently rolling hills of Ravu receded into the view, it transitioned to the vast open plains. there was nothing but few gazelles
frowning upon and then bounding into the void.
 Further into the journey, the plains become more stony than grassy. A great herd of wild ass came into view, and they were moving,
galloping in a tight formation as if practising maneuvers in some predetermined course, as car approached near to them. The herd
distanced themselves from the oncoming plumes of dust.
 As hills push up once more from the rocky wilderness narrator had passed by a shepherd tending their flocks, well wrapped figures
sometimes women and men waved by pausing and staring at them occasionally. When the track took close to animals, the sheep
veered away from the vehicle.
 When they passed by the nomad’s dark tent usually guarded by a Tibetan mastiff, a large black dog. As these dogs fixed their glace at
car which was approaching nearer these beasts charged towards car in an exploded action and speeds towards them like a bullet from a
gun. These shaggy monsters were blacker than the darkest night were fearless of the oncoming vehicle causing Tsetan to brake and
swerve. Dogs made them chased for 100m until they seen them off the property.
 Narrator easily understood why these ferocious beasts were popular in China’s imperial courts, as a tribute from Tibet brought along
the Silk Road from the ancient times.
 After clearing through high mountain passes by trudging through the snow they’ve stopped by to eat the hot noodles when it was 2pm. Narrator sat in a tent
erected in a workcamp beside a salt lake. After observing salt flats and workers with pickaxes they continued their journey.
 By late afternoon they had reached a small town of Hor on the east-west highway from Lhasa to Kashmir, which was an old trade route. Daniel who was
returning to Lhasa found ride in a truck, so Tsetan and narrator bode him farewell outside a tyre repair shop. Tsetan was eager to fix two tyres since they were
punctured in the process while driving down the salt lake.
 Hor was a inhospitable, grim and miserable with accumulated refuse with little to no vegetation. This place is unfortunately located near the shores of Lake
Manasarovar, Tibet’s most venerated stretch of water.
 As ancient Hindu and Buddhist cosmology pinpoints Manasarovar, the source of four great rivers: Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, and Sutlej. Only Sutlej flows
from the lake but all others originate nearby the flanks of Mount Kailash which is seen by author from a striking distance and decides to forge ahead.
 But Testan told him to drink some tea in Hor’s only café which was constructed from badly painted concrete like other buildings and it has three broken
windows with a good view of lake to help him from the draught. His experience came to be a stark to accounts of earlier travelers’ encounters with
Manasarovar. Ekai Kawaguchi, a Japanese monk felt so moved and emotional by the sanctity of the lake. Whereas, Sven Hedin, a Swede wasn’t like that.
 After 30 minutes they out of town towards Mount Kailash. It became dark when they finally started again and after 10:30pm they approached the guest house
of Drachen. He had kicked open air rubbish dump that had set off his cold. He couldn’t sleep properly due to this.
 Tsetan took him to Darchen medical college for the check up. This place looked like a monastery leading up to the courtyard. He found the consulting room
where doctor occupies and he like any other Tibetan. Once the narrator explained his sleepless symptoms, the doctor prescribed him some Tibetan medicine to
cure from cold and altitude sickness with 5 day course. The medicine looked like brown pellets resembling sheep dung, and he had taken with a glass of water
to recover.
 As narrator might live here Tsetan left him tom return to Lhasa. After a good night’s sleep, Darchen after all is not as bad as he thought it was, punctuated with
heaps of rubble and refuse with sunlight shone giving him the vision of Himalayas commanded by snow capped, Gurla Mandata with a suspended wisp of
cloud.
 The town has stores selling Chinese cigarettes, soaps, and some prayer flags. Darchen was relaxing and unhurried but for him it was a drawback, there were no
pilgrims and it was not a pilgrimage season. He was told that at height of the season many set up their tents and then expend into the edges with their own
accommodation, but he was too early for it.
 . He met a person in the Darchen’s only café. His name was Norbu who was a Tibetan working in Beijing at the Institute of Ethnic Literature of Chinese
Academy of Social Science. He came to Darchen to complete the kora just like the protagonist. He was fat and found it difficult to walk. The protagonist
decided to go on the pilgrimage with him. They hired yaks to carry their luggage. Norbu finally said it is not possible for him while he collapsed across the
 The protagonist wanted to go to Mount Kailash to complete the kora. He hired Tsetan to drive him up to Mount Kailash. As a farewell gift,
Lhamo gave him a long-sleeved sheepskin coat. He took Daniel as his companion till Darchen.
 When they started the journey, Tsetan took a short cut to the south-west which was a direct route to Mount Kailash. They had to cross high
mountain passes to reach their destination. Tsetan assured him that it would be no problem if there would be no snow. They crossed through
few gazelles, a herd of wild asses and shepherds tending the flocks.
 When they reached the hill, they passed dark tents which were home for nomads. He saw a Tibetan mastiff standing outside the tent as a guard.
These mastiffs ran after his car as he reached near the tents. These dogs had large jaws.
 As soon as they entered the valley, they witnessed snow capped mountains with rivers flowing which were blocked with ice. When they were
riding through the hill, the turns became sharper and roads became bumpier. Tsetan was driving in third gear. The protagonist could feel the
pressure in his ears. He held his nose, snorted to clear the congestion. He checked his wrist watch, they were at 5210 meters above sea level.
 They reached their first hurdle which was a road filled with snow. Tsetan threw dirt on the snow and drove carefully on that road. They
resumed their journey. The protagonist felt his head was hurting. He took a few sips of water from his water bottle. They were still climbing up
the hill. They reached at 5515 meters above sea level. They stopped again and this time the fuel tank hissed when Testan unscrewed the top. As
the petrol was expanding due to low atmospheric pressure, Tsetan told them not to smoke around it.
 Soon in the afternoon around two o clock, they stopped for lunch. The protagonist’s headache was gone by now. By late afternoon, they
reached a small town called ‘Hor’. They reached the east-west highway again. It was the old route from Lhasa to Kashmir. Daniel got off the
car and took a lift to Lhasa. Their car had a few punctures which worried Tsetan. He got them fixed and the protagonist waited at a local café of
Hor while having a glass of tea. He found Hor a miserable place. After a while, Tsetan reached to him and they resumed their journey again.
 At night around 10.30 pm, they stopped at a guest house in Darchen to spend the night. The protagonist got ill and suffered from nose-
congestion due to the change in altitude and cold weather. He stayed awake all night. Next morning, Tsetan took him to Tibetan medical
college where a he consulted a Tibetan Doctor who gave him a five-day course medicines in a brown envelope.
 After taking a full day of medicine, the protagonist was feeling good. Tsetan left him thereafter assuring his health condition. The protagonist
was staying at Darchen. That place had a general store where Chinese cigarettes, soap, and other things were available. In the afternoon, the
men gathered at a shabby table to play pool every day. Women would wash their hair in the narrow stream. Darchen had one problem, it had no
pilgrims. According to the local people, in the peak season of pilgrimage the place would be filled with travellers. He met a person in the
Darchen’s only café. His name was Norbu who was a Tibetan working in Beijing at the Institute of Ethnic Literature of Chinese Academy of
Social Science. He came to Darchen to complete the kora just like the protagonist. He was fat and found it difficult to walk. The protagonist
decided to go on the pilgrimage with him. They hired yaks to carry their luggage. Norbu finally said it is not possible for him while he
collapsed across the table and laughed hilariously. His tummy was also too big.
Summary
 The protagonist wanted to go to Mount Kailash to complete the kora. He hired Tsetan to drive him up to Mount Kailash. As a farewell gift, Lhamo gave him a long-sleeved sheepskin
coat. He took Daniel as his companion till Darchen.
 When they started the journey, Tsetan took a short cut to the south-west which was a direct route to Mount Kailash. They had to cross high mountain passes to reach their destination.
Tsetan assured him that it would be no problem if there would be no snow. They crossed through few gazelles, a herd of wild asses and shepherds tending the flocks.
 When they reached the hill, they passed dark tents which were home for nomads. He saw a Tibetan mastiff standing outside the tent as a guard. These mastiffs ran after his car as he
reached near the tents. These dogs had large jaws.
 As soon as they entered the valley, they witnessed snow capped mountains with rivers flowing which were blocked with ice. When they were riding through the hill, the turns became
sharper and roads became bumpier. Tsetan was driving in third gear. The protagonist could feel the pressure in his ears. He held his nose, snorted to clear the congestion. He checked his
wrist watch, they were at 5210 meters above sea level.
 They reached their first hurdle which was a road filled with snow. Tsetan threw dirt on the snow and drove carefully on that road. They resumed their journey. The protagonist felt his
head was hurting. He took a few sips of water from his water bottle. They were still climbing up the hill. They reached at 5515 meters above sea level. They stopped again and this time
the fuel tank hissed when Testan unscrewed the top. As the petrol was expanding due to low atmospheric pressure, Tsetan told them not to smoke around it.
 Soon in the afternoon around two o clock, they stopped for lunch. The protagonist’s headache was gone by now. By late afternoon, they reached a small town called ‘Hor’. They reached
the east-west highway again. It was the old route from Lhasa to Kashmir. Daniel got off the car and took a lift to Lhasa. Their car had a few punctures which worried Tsetan. He got
them fixed and the protagonist waited at a local café of Hor while having a glass of tea. He found Hor a miserable place. After a while, Tsetan reached to him and they resumed their
journey again.
 At night around 10.30 pm, they stopped at a guest house in Darchen to spend the night. The protagonist got ill and suffered from nose-congestion due to the change in altitude and cold
weather. He stayed awake all night. Next morning, Tsetan took him to Tibetan medical college where a he consulted a Tibetan Doctor who gave him a five-day course medicines in a
brown envelope.
 After taking a full day of medicine, the protagonist was feeling good. Tsetan left him thereafter assuring his health condition. The protagonist was staying at Darchen. That place had a
general store where Chinese cigarettes, soap, and other things were available. In the afternoon, the men gathered at a shabby table to play pool every day. Women would wash their hair
in the narrow stream. Darchen had one problem, it had no pilgrims. According to the local people, in the peak season of pilgrimage the place would be filled with travellers. He met a
person in the Darchen’s only café. His name was Norbu who was a Tibetan working in Beijing at the Institute of Ethnic Literature of Chinese Academy of Social Science. He came to
Darchen to complete the kora just like the protagonist. He was fat and found it difficult to walk. The protagonist decided to go on the pilgrimage with him. They hired yaks to carry their
luggage. Norbu finally said it is not possible for him while he collapsed across the table and laughed hilariously. His tummy was also too big.