Why Was the Silk Road Important? Explained for Students
One of the most exciting chapters you can find in your English book in Class 11th textbook is the Silk Road. The Silk Road used to be the trade network that connects China and the far East with the Middle East and Europe. For the first time in 130 B.C, the road was opened when the Han Dynasty in China finally opened the gate for trade with the West. From that time onwards, the Silk Road was opened, and the traders from the West came with their goods until 1453 A.D. The closing of the Silk route happened when Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them. The road is closed now, and it’s been 6000 years. Still, it has such an enormous impact on the trade and the commerce of the Asian market that it completely changed the commerce, culture, and history, which we can even see today.
With the Silk Road Class 11 summary, you will learn about various aspects of trade and commerce in the old times - how the world used to be back then, and how the people have their own beliefs and work according to it. Moreover, the Class 11 Silk Road summary will help you score good marks in your final exams.
Silk Road Class 11 Summary
Class 11 English Silk Road summary talks about the author's journey from the slopes of Ravu to Mt. Kailash. The author went on this journey to complete the Kora. As a result, you get to experience the trip that the author experienced through his own eyes. We get to find that the author wants to complete his journey of Mount Kailash; thus, to start his pilgrimage, he chooses the tough one. In his journey, he was joined by Tsetan and Daniel. Daniel was his acquaintance, while Tstean he hired initially. He talks about how the people living in the hilly areas are more sensitive and caring in nature. Also, he tells about his feelings when he first saw the Darchen and the lake Mansarover. On his journey, you can indeed find several difficulties that he has to go through to complete his pilgrimage.
Silk Road Summary Class 11
In the summary of Silk Road Class 11 hornbill, the author tells readers about his story, which describes his journey and how his friends helped him cover such a long and tiring distance. When they started their journey, Testan took a shortcut to the southwest. He said to the author that it’s the direct route to Mt. Kailash. If they go from this route, they have to climb the high mountain passes, but it would be easier to climb the passes due to the lack of snow.
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(Mountain views from the Silk Road which traders have to climb to reach China.)
When they reached the foot of the hill, they found several dark tents. Those tents were home to nomads, and a Tibetan mastiff was guarding the tents. When they were close to the tents, the dog ran towards their cars. They left the place, and the hill started to have sharper and bumpier turns. As they reached the passes, the author could feel the pressure on his body, and the air became thin. After successfully crossing the first pass, the author started to feel a little sick due to high altitude sickness. At around 2, they stopped in the middle and had lunch.
They reached a small town named ‘Hor.’ in the late afternoon. They took a break and had tea from a local shop. During this time interval, Testan got their car fixed, and Daniel left the group for Lhasa. The Hor did not amuse the author. They stayed in Darchen for a night, where we find out the author has a congested nose due to a change in altitude. He went to see the Tibetian doctor, who gave him five days of medication.
After his health recovered, the author started liking the Darchan and tried to find pilgrims to accompany him on the journey. He met Dorbu, and together they hired yaks for their luggage.
FAQs on Silk Road Summary: Unlocking Trade Routes and Cultural Links
1. What exactly was the Silk Road, and why is it significant in world history?
The Silk Road was not a single road but a vast network of ancient trade routes connecting the East and West. Spanning over 6,400 kilometres, it was crucial for fostering economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between civilizations for centuries. Its primary importance lies in its role as the main conduit for the exchange of goods, ideas, technologies, and beliefs between major centres like China, India, Persia, and the Roman Empire, effectively shaping the modern world.
2. How did the Silk Road get its name if it wasn't just one road?
The term 'Silk Road' (or 'Seidenstraße' in German) was coined in 1877 by the German geographer and historian Ferdinand von Richthofen. He named it after the most famous and lucrative commodity traded along these routes: Chinese silk. This luxury fabric was highly sought after in the West, particularly in the Roman Empire, and its trade dominated the commerce along these paths, making 'Silk Road' a fitting and memorable name for the entire network.
3. What were the major goods and ideas exchanged along the Silk Road?
The exchange was diverse, involving both tangible goods and intangible ideas. Key items included:
From the East to the West: Silk, tea, spices (like cinnamon and ginger), porcelain, paper, and gunpowder.
From the West to the East: Horses, glassware, gold, silver, wool, and linen textiles.
Ideas and Culture: Most significantly, religions like Buddhism spread from India to China and beyond. Artistic styles, scientific knowledge (including astronomy and medicine), and technological innovations were also exchanged, leading to cultural fusion.
4. Does the Silk Road still exist or is it used today?
The original Silk Road caravan routes are no longer in use for trade. However, its legacy continues. Parts of the ancient network are now modern highways, such as the Karakoram Highway connecting Pakistan and China. Furthermore, the concept has been revived through modern initiatives like China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI), which aims to create new economic corridors and infrastructure projects connecting Asia with Africa and Europe, inspired by the historical Silk Road.
5. Beyond trading goods, what was the most significant cultural impact of the Silk Road?
Beyond commerce, the most profound cultural impact of the Silk Road was its role as a conduit for cultural diffusion. It facilitated the spread of major world religions, most notably Buddhism from India into Central and East Asia, where it became a dominant faith. It also enabled the exchange of philosophies, artistic motifs (like Greco-Buddhist art), languages, and scientific advancements. This cross-pollination of ideas fundamentally shaped the development of civilizations across Eurasia.
6. Why did the use of the historical Silk Road eventually decline?
The decline of the Silk Road was gradual and caused by several factors. A primary reason was the rise of maritime trade routes in the late Middle Ages, which were often faster, cheaper, and could carry more goods than land caravans. Additionally, the fall of major empires like the Mongol Empire, which had once secured and unified large stretches of the route, led to political instability and made overland travel more dangerous and fragmented.
7. What is a common misconception about travelling on the Silk Road?
A common misconception is that merchants would travel the entire length of the Silk Road from China to Europe. In reality, this was extremely rare. The route operated more like a chain of exchange, where goods were traded from one intermediary to another at various oasis cities and trading posts along the way. A merchant might travel a section of the route, sell their goods to another group, who would then carry them further, with the price increasing at each stage.
8. What was the importance of explorers like Marco Polo in the context of the Silk Road?
Explorers and travellers like Marco Polo played a crucial role as chroniclers and cultural bridges. While they were not the primary traders, their detailed accounts, such as Polo's 'The Travels of Marco Polo', provided Europeans with their first comprehensive look at the geography, culture, and wealth of China and the East. These stories demystified the far-off lands connected by the Silk Road and ignited European imagination, inspiring future explorers and contributing to the eventual Age of Discovery.
