The Silk Road

Sogdiana

2009-10-20T11:31:00.003-04:00

The Sogdians, known for their travelling tradesmen, played a vital role in trading along the Silk Road. The readings reveal the crosscultural influences throughout the Sogdian history. Due to the Sogdians domination of the Silk Road trade (also through invasions by the Greeks and Arabs), the Sogdian cities were exposed to different schools of art, religion, as well as technology. This blending of cultures renders the Sogdian city an epitomy of what I imagined as a kingdom along the Silk Road, flourishing

Xiongnu

2009-10-13T22:16:00.007-04:00

The Xiongnu, however uncivilized and inferior the name "fierce slaves" implies, exerted great power over China and the surrounding regions. Excavations of traded Chinese goods in remote areas occupied by the Xiongnu reveal past tributes paid to the Xiongnu to avoid raids on China's western frontier, these exchanges often included prince/princess sent as hostages to secure friendly relations with neighboring states/tribes. As a confederation of nomadic tribes, it comes as no surprise that the Xiongnu did not have a historical record of their own. Leaving contemporary curious minds a hint of regret that the Xiongnu's conquests should be marked only by contempt through its depiction from those whose land they've pillaged.
Above: depicts Princess Xijun, sent to form a matrimonial alliance with the ruler of Wusun, arriving safely.

What's also very interesting is the ill-fate suffered by Chinese historians, I don't believe it's a coincidence that both the compiler of the Han Shu and Shi Ji were imprisoned, while one died in prison, the other was castrated by Han Wudi. Makes one wonder just how much materials had been omitted in the records that did not put the Emperor in a favorable light. Looks to me like China's censorship had its roots before Jesus Christ was born.
Below: Han Shu compiled by Ban Gu

A surviving census which registers its citizens for the purposes of taxation, military service and labour is dated as early as 2 AD. What's surprising is that a system, I'll take taxation for example, dating so far back in the history book should still be in use tens of centuries later and has yet to be replaced by more advanced means of generating state revenue.

There is one minor criticism I have of the readings in Wood's The Silk Road - the literary devices employed in pooling bundle of words to form a hymn/song are neglected in favor of Woods' keenness on its literal, albeit accurate translation.

The Silk Road

2009-09-22T02:04:00.002-04:00

The irony in claiming the Silk Road to be a “ceaseless flowing stream of life” lies in the perils travelers face along the morbid trek for those whose life it claimed. As, quoting from the Foreign Devils On The Silk Road, a traveller wrote “Never once until we reached the plains were we out of sight of skeletons. The continuous line of bones and bodies acted as a gruesome guide whenever we were uncertain of the route.” (Yikes!) Perhaps Wood in The Silk Road downplayed the chance of losing one’s way along the route and the constant threat of a death of thirst.

What deeply intrigues me is the cultural integration that exist amongst settlements along the Silk Road. The extent to which Buddhism penetrated the Gandhara Region and through its strategically placement along the Route, Gandhara effectively facilitated the introduction of Buddhism into Central Asia. While extending Hellenistic influences, particularly through its embodiment in Gandharan art, into Central Asia as well.

Lastly, the beasts/monstrous barbarians both depicted by Western writers and the Chinese - the tree whose flowers resemble human heads and the one-eyed people in Scythia/India- a coincidence of the perverse imaginative minds? I wonder, or did they really exist?