Download or read book Silk Road on Wheels written by Akhil Bakshi and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Life Along the Silk Road written by Susan Whitfield and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Silk Road was the most traveled trade route for over 1,000 years until it was eclipsed by maritime trade. Whitfield presents composite stories of merchants, soldiers, artists, and princesses who traveled the route, and presents its history through their personal experiences.
Download or read book The Silk Road A Very Short Introduction written by James A. Millward and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-10 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The phrase "silk road" evokes vivid scenes of merchants leading camel caravans across vast stretches to trade exotic goods in glittering Oriental bazaars, of pilgrims braving bandits and frozen mountain passes to spread their faith across Asia. Looking at the reality behind these images, this Very Short Introduction illuminates the historical background against which the silk road flourished, shedding light on the importance of old-world cultural exchange to Eurasian and world history. On the one hand, historian James A. Millward treats the silk road broadly, to stand in for the cross-cultural communication between peoples across the Eurasian continent since at least the Neolithic era. On the other, he highlights specific examples of goods and ideas exchanged between the Mediterranean, Persia, India, and China, along with the significance of these exchanges. While including silks, spices, and travelers' tales of colorful locales, the book explains the dynamics of Central Eurasian history that promoted Silk Road interactions--especially the role of nomad empires--highlighting the importance of the biological, technological, artistic, intellectual, and religious interchanges across the continent. Millward shows that these exchanges had a profound effect on the old world that was akin to, if not on the scale of, modern globalization. He also disputes the idea that the silk road declined after the collapse of the Mongol empire or the opening of direct sea routes from Europe to Asia, showing how silk road phenomena continued through the early modern and modern expansion of the Russian and Chinese states across Central Asia. Millward concludes that the idea of the silk road has remained powerful, not only as a popular name for boutiques and restaurants, but also in modern politics and diplomacy, such as U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's "Silk Road Initiative" for India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Download or read book Tearing Up the Silk Road written by Tom Coote and published by Garnet Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2022-07-01 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tearing up the Silk Road is an irreverent travelogue that details a journey along the ancient trade routes from China to Istanbul, through Central Asia, Iran and the Caucasus. As Tom Coote struggles through the often arbitrary borders and bureaucracies of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey, it becomes increasingly apparent that the next generations to rise to power, will see themselves in a very different light to their predecessors: in an increasingly interconnected world, archaic conceptions of race, ethnicity and nationalism will come to be seen as increasingly irrelevant. Instead, new forms of identity are emerging, founded more upon shared cultural preferences and aspirations, than on the remnants of tribal allegiance. While rushing through from East to West, Tom Coote meets, befriends and argues with an epic range of characters: from soldiers and monks, to pilgrims, travellers and modern day silk road traders. All are striving for something more and most dream of being somewhere else. By bus, train and battered car - through deserts, open plains and mountain ranges - we find ourselves again and again at the front line of a desperate war for 'hearts and minds'. Through rapidly expanding megacities, to ancient ruins, and far more recently created wastelands, it is the West that is winning the souls while the East grows ever stronger. The real 'clash of civilisations', however, seems set to be not between the East and the West, but between the few who have so much, and the masses now uniting to demand so much more.
Download or read book Silk Road written by Jeanne Larsen and published by . This book was released on 2009-06-01 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SILK ROAD takes you into the golden age of China's multi-cultural Tang dynasty. Aided by ghosts, goddesses, dragons, and her own determination, the heroine becomes a courtesan, a musician, a runaway, a wandering swordswoman, a poet, and more. Larsen has used a dazzling diversity of prose styles to adroitly demonstrate how history is transmuted through the centuries into something not quite true, yet not entirely false...an illuminating and absorbing story. Publishers Weekly A joyful blend of scholarship and fancy and an appreciation of the simple, strong, lyrical line of Chinese verse. But this is mainly magical fun. Kirkus Reviews
Download or read book Walking to Samarkand written by Bernard Ollivier and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acclaimed journalist Bernard Ollivier continues his epic journey across Persia and Central Asia as he walks the length of the Great Silk Road. Walking to Samarkand is journalist Bernard Ollivier’s stunning account of the second leg of his 7,200-mile walk from Istanbul, Turkey, to Xi’an, China, along the Silk Road--the longest and perhaps most mythical trade route of all time. Picking up where Out of Istanbul left off, Ollivier heads out of the Middle East and into Central Asia, grappling not only with his own will to continue but with new, unforeseen dangers. After crossing the final mountain passes of Turkish Kurdistan, Ollivier sets foot in Iran, keen on locating vestiges of the silk trade as he passes through Persia’s modern cities and traditional villages, including Tabriz, Tehran, Nishapur, and the holy city of Mashhad. Beyond urban areas lie deserts: first Iran’s Great Salt Desert, then Turkmenistan’s forbidding Karakum, whose relentless sun, snakes, and scorpions pose continuous challenges to Ollivier’s goal of reaching Uzbekistan. Setting his own fears aside, he travels on, wonderstruck at every turn, borne by a childhood dream: to see for himself the golden domes and turquoise skies of Samarkand, one of Central Asia’s most ancient cities. But what Ollivier enjoys most are the people along the way: Askar, the hospitable gardener; the pilgrims of Mashhad; and his knights in shining armor, Mehdi and Monir. For, despite setting out alone, he comes to find that walking itself—through a kind of alchemy—surrounds him with friends and fosters fellowship. From the authoritarian mullahs of revolutionary Iran to the warm welcome of everyday Iranians—custodians of age-old, cordial Persian culture; from the stark realities of former Soviet republics to the region’s legendary bazaars—veritable feasts for the senses—readers discover, through the eyes of a veteran journalist, the rich history and contemporary culture of these amazing lands.
Download or read book Lands of Lost Borders written by Kate Harris and published by Knopf Canada. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE RBC TAYLOR PRIZE WINNER OF THE EDNA STAEBLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION "Every day on a bike trip is like the one before--but it is also completely different, or perhaps you are different, woken up in new ways by the mile." As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and philosopher--had gone extinct. From her small-town home in Ontario, it seemed as if Marco Polo, Magellan and their like had long ago mapped the whole earth. So she vowed to become a scientist and go to Mars. To pass the time before she could launch into outer space, Kate set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, then settled down to study at Oxford and MIT. Eventually the truth dawned on her: an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. And Harris had soared most fully out of bounds right here on Earth, travelling a bygone trading route on her bicycle. So she quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Mel, this time determined to bike it from the beginning to end. Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer before her, Kate Harris offers a travel narrative at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous. Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of a world that, like the self and like the stars, can never be fully mapped.
Download or read book Fruit from the Sands written by Robert N. Spengler and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A comprehensive and entertaining historical and botanical review, providing an enjoyable and cognitive read.”—Nature The foods we eat have a deep and often surprising past. From almonds and apples to tea and rice, many foods that we consume today have histories that can be traced out of prehistoric Central Asia along the tracks of the Silk Road to kitchens in Europe, America, China, and elsewhere in East Asia. The exchange of goods, ideas, cultural practices, and genes along these ancient routes extends back five thousand years, and organized trade along the Silk Road dates to at least Han Dynasty China in the second century BC. Balancing a broad array of archaeological, botanical, and historical evidence, Fruit from the Sands presents the fascinating story of the origins and spread of agriculture across Inner Asia and into Europe and East Asia. Through the preserved remains of plants found in archaeological sites, Robert N. Spengler III identifies the regions where our most familiar crops were domesticated and follows their routes as people carried them around the world. With vivid examples, Fruit from the Sands explores how the foods we eat have shaped the course of human history and transformed cuisines all over the globe.
Download or read book The Silk Road Revisited written by Julie Hill and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2006-12-18 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Revisiting the Silk Road , experienced author and traveller Julie Hill takes us on a spellbinding journey into the heart of a little known but volatile region, stretching from Western China to the shores of the oil-rich Caspian Sea and beyond to the Black Sea. Hers is not only a series of journeys overland or a march through ancient history, but an informed and contemporary view of life in both the liveliest cities and the farthest-flung outposts of what once was the worlds stoutest and longest economic artery. Julie Hills journey focuses on bazaars as a recurrent motifbazaars being the economic, social, and cultural centers of the Silk Roadand radiates from these bazaars to the life around them. Because she speaks their languageliterally and culturallyJulie is often welcomed by her hosts not as a customer or a trader but as a confessor and a friend, and she vindicates their trust by bringing their stories to life. In Iran, the author hears the predicament of women crying for freedom, frustrated by the deteriorating economy and the conservatives stranglehold on power. While inescapably exotic in its subjects and imagery, the book is also a penetrating report on the effects of the recent geopolitical upheavals that have coursed through the regionseen not from the distance of spy satellites or high government places but on the ground, often literally on the street or in the homes of ordinary folk. The realities of todays Silk Road are far more complex than often understood, and this book provides an absorbing and authoritative guide to any reader in search of both a magical adventure and a hard-nosed investigation into one of the worlds most important and dynamic regions.
Download or read book Dice and Gods on the Silk Road written by Brandon Dotson and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-07-19 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do dice and gods have in common? What is the relationship between dice divination and dice gambling? This interdisciplinary collaboration situates the tenth-century Chinese Buddhist “Divination of Maheśvara” within a deep Chinese backstory of divination with dice and numbers going back to at least the 4th century BCE. Simultaneously, the authors track this specific method of dice divination across the Silk Road and into ancient India through a detailed study of the material culture, poetics, and ritual processes of dice divination in Chinese, Tibetan, and Indian contexts. The result is an extended meditation on the unpredictable movements of gods, dice, divination books, and divination users across the various languages, cultures, and religions of the Silk Road.
Download or read book The Journeyer written by Gary Jennings and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2010-03-02 with total page 802 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marco Polo was nicknamed "Marco of the millions" because his Venetian countrymen took the grandiose stories of his travels to be exaggerated, if not outright lies. As he lay dying, his priest, family, and friends offered him a last chance to confess his mendacity, and Marco, it is said, replied "I have not told the half of what I saw and did." Now, in his new novel The Journeyer, Gary Jennings has imagined the half that Marco left unsaid as even more elaborate and adventurous than the tall tales thought to be lies. From the palazzi and back streets of medieval Venice to the sumptuous court of Kublai Khan, from the perfumed sexuality of the Levant to the dangers and rigors of travel along the Silk Road, Marco meets all manner of people, survives all manner of danger, and, insatiably curious, becomes an almost compulsive collector of customs, languages and women. In more than two decades of travel, Marco was variously a merchant, a warrior, a lover, a spy, even a tax collector - but always a journeyer, unflagging in his appetite for new experiences, regretting only what he missed. Here - recreated and reimagined with all the splendor, the love of adventure, the zest for the rare and curious that are Jennings's hallmarks - is the epic account, at once magnificent and delightful, of the greatest real-life adventurer in human history. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Download or read book Silk Road Chronicles written by A.J. Kingston and published by A.J. Kingston. This book was released on 101-01-01 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncover the Rich Tapestry of the Silk Road's Past and Present Are you ready to embark on an extraordinary journey through time and across continents? Dive into the captivating world of the Silk Road with our exclusive book bundle, the "SILK ROAD CHRONICLES." This meticulously curated collection delves deep into the heart of one of history's most iconic and influential trade networks. BOOK 1 - SILK ROADS OF ANTIQUITY: Trade and Cultural Exchange in the Ancient World Step back in time to explore the origins and early routes of the Silk Road. Discover how ancient civilizations engaged in the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures that shaped the world we know today. Unearth the secrets of the fabled Silk Road caravans, the timeless allure of silk, and the crossroads where art, religion, and ideas converged. BOOK 2 - SILK ROAD EMPIRES: The Medieval Era of Silk and Spice Travel through the medieval era of the Silk Road, a time when empires rose and fell, and the scent of spices filled the air. Journey alongside merchants and explorers as they navigate the treacherous routes, uncovering the riches of distant lands. Immerse yourself in the stories of thriving Central Asian trading capitals and the crossroads of faith where religions mingled and transformed. BOOK 3 - SILK ROAD REVIVAL: From Marco Polo to the Age of Exploration Experience the Renaissance of the Silk Road as adventurers like Marco Polo embark on epic journeys. Discover the tales of exploration, diplomacy, and innovation that reshaped the world. From Venice to Xi'an, follow in the footsteps of those who bridged East and West, creating a legacy that still resonates today. BOOK 4 - MODERN SILK ROAD: Globalization and the 21st Century Belt and Road Initiative Fast forward to the 21st century and witness the revival of the Silk Road on a global scale. Delve into the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, where nations are connected by vast infrastructure projects and economic cooperation. Explore the digital Silk Road, environmental sustainability, and the challenges and controversies surrounding this modern marvel. Why Choose the SILK ROAD CHRONICLES? · Comprehensive Exploration: This bundle offers a comprehensive exploration of the Silk Road's history, culture, and its enduring impact on the modern world. · Expertly Curated: Each book is authored by experts in their respective fields, ensuring accuracy and depth of knowledge. · Rich Visuals: Immerse yourself in the Silk Road's beauty with stunning visuals, maps, and illustrations that bring history to life. · Timeless Relevance: The Silk Road's legacy continues to shape global trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange, making this bundle a valuable resource for understanding our interconnected world. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious about the world's most famous trade network, the SILK ROAD CHRONICLES will take you on an unforgettable voyage through time and across continents. Grab this exclusive bundle today and embark on an adventure that will forever change the way you see the world. Don't miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of history – order now!
Download or read book The Silk Road written by Frances Wood and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This gorgeously illustrated oversized book brings the history and cultures of the Silk Road alive -- from its beginnings to the present day -- covering more than 5000 years.
Download or read book Overlanding the Silk Road written by Norman Handy and published by novum pro Verlag. This book was released on 2017-03-23 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of a journey following the Silk Road, from Europe to China, beginning in London. The real journey starts in Istanbul, winding through the history and countryside of Turkey and over the border into Iran, to experience its rich history and architecture. There are bizarre experiences of the beautiful, modern but empty city of Ashgabat, and much more. A trip to the disappearing Aral Sea, is followed by immense architecture and history, across a land fought over by Alexander the Great, Tamarind and Genghis Khan. There is the enchanting mountains of Kyrgyzstan, with its beautiful mountains and lakes, known as Asia's little Switzerland. The scene slowly changes as the Muslim influence gives way to Han Chinese dominance, the Great Wall of China and the end of the Silk Road.
Download or read book The Prehistory of the Silk Road written by E. E. Kuzmina and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2015-02-23 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In ancient and medieval times, the Silk Road was of great importance to the transport of peoples, goods, and ideas between the East and the West. A vast network of trade routes, it connected the diverse geographies and populations of China, the Eurasian Steppe, Central Asia, India, Western Asia, and Europe. Although its main use was for importing silk from China, traders moving in the opposite direction carried to China jewelry, glassware, and other exotic goods from the Mediterranean, jade from Khotan, and horses and furs from the nomads of the Steppe. In both directions, technology and ideologies were transmitted. The Silk Road brought together the achievements of the different peoples of Eurasia to advance the Old World as a whole. The majority of the Silk Road routes passed through the Eurasian Steppe, whose nomadic people were participants and mediators in its economic and cultural exchanges. Until now, the origins of these routes and relationships have not been examined in great detail. In The Prehistory of the Silk Road, E. E. Kuzmina, renowned Russian archaeologist, looks at the history of this crucial area before the formal establishment of Silk Road trade and diplomacy. From the late Neolithic period to the early Bronze Age, Kuzmina traces the evolution of the material culture of the Steppe and the contact between civilizations that proved critical to the development of the widespread trade that would follow, including nomadic migrations, the domestication and use of the horse and the camel, and the spread of wheeled transport. The Prehistory of the Silk Road combines detailed research in archaeology with evidence from physical anthropology, linguistics, and other fields, incorporating both primary and secondary sources from a range of languages, including a vast accumulation of Russian-language scholarship largely untapped in the West. The book is complemented by an extensive bibliography that will be of great use to scholars.
Download or read book Artifacts from the Ancient Silk Road written by William E. Mierse and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Artifacts from the Ancient Silk Road explores the interconnectivity of the Eurasian continent from 4000 BCE to 1000 CE. It focuses on the role played by Central Asia through which passed the major trade routes, the Silk Roads. Artifacts from the Ancient Silk Road covers life along the Silk Road over 5000 years as it can be understood by considering objects. In this first object-based study to consider all of the peoples involved on the Silk Roads, objects provide the vehicles for explorations of different aspects of life for the various peoples of the Silk Roads, including the sedentary peoples who established urban life on the Silk Roads, the steppe nomads who regularly interacted with the settled peoples, and the peoples at either end of the Silk Roads who drove certain kinds of economic exchanges. The book looks at Central Asia as an international zone during ancient times when multiple religious, political, and technological ideas found acceptance in the region and allows for a better understanding of how some ideas and forms developed in Central Asia while others passed through or were modified.
Download or read book The New Silk Road Diplomacy written by Hasan H. Karrar and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2010-07-01 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, independent states such as Kazakhstan sprang up along China's western frontier. Suddenly, Beijing was forced to confront internal challenges to its authority at its border as well as international competition for energy and authority in Central Asia. Hasan Karrar traces how China cooperated with Russia and the Central Asian republics to stabilize the region, facilitate commerce, and build an energy infrastructure to import the region's oil. While China's gradualist approach to Central Asia prioritized multilateral diplomacy, it also brought Beijing into direct competition with the United States, which views Central Asia as vital to its strategic interests.
