From historical research papers to textbook poems, the Silk Route has been the subject of the most romanticised study in the history of trade routes between India and Europe. It has been a highlight for many years, overshadowing other routes that were crucial in the classical era.
Remarkable historian William Dalrymple has shown in his latest research that ‘Silk Road is a very modern concept’. He also emphasised how Xi Jinping, the president of the People’s Republic of China, has “militarised” the idea of the Silk Road.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a highly ambitious project spearheaded by President Xi Jinping that aims to revive the historic Silk Route. The term was first used in the 19th century by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen and has gained significant traction in the last twenty to twenty-five years.
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Past Evidences
Written in Greek for traders engaged in trade between Egypt, East Africa, Southern Arabia, and India, the Periplus Maris Erythraei is a unique handbook. The Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf were collectively referred to by ancient Greek and Roman geographers as the “Erythraean Sea,” a term that appears in this book.
The Periplus details trade that originates at Egypt’s sea ports and proceeds via two primary routes. There were two routes: one to India and the other along the coast of Africa.
There is proof that traders avoided the portion of the Silk Route that went through Parthia in central Asia starting during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (31 BCE–14 CE) because of the unrest there. Trade was redirected by land to India, then by sea from Indian ports to the Roman Empire.
A list of the products exported to the Roman Empire from Indian ports in the Gujarat coast and the Indus Delta is also available in the Periplus. According to Pliny, the Roman economist and geographer, and Dio Chrysostom, trade was so large that it drained Roman gold into India, and the balance of trade was favourable for India.
The historian Pliny claims that women in the Roman Empire had a huge demand for Indian silk. They were drawn to jewellery and unusual items from India.
The Krishna Valley in Andhra Pradesh and the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu are home to the majority of Roman coin discoveries. Most of them came from the eras of Emperors Tiberius (14 CE – 37 CE) and Augustus (31 BCE – 14 CE). In certain locations in northern and western India, only a small number of coins have been discovered.
The location of Arikamedu on the Coromandel coast provides important evidence of India’s maritime trade connections. According to Mortimer Wheeler’s analysis, Arikamedu was Poduke, one of the Yavana emporia (trading stations) that the classical narratives mention.
According to recent excavations, trade did indeed decline in Arikamedu during Marcus Aurelius’ rule, but it did not completely cease and appears to have persisted until the seventh century. There is ample evidence to suggest that Indo-Roman trade involved intermediaries from a variety of geographical areas, including the Greeks and Arabs of Egypt, rather than being a direct trade between Indians and Romans.
The actions of Arab and Persian traders who crossed the Indian Ocean to trade with India are also chronicled by eminent modern historian Al Baruni in his book “India.”
Mediterranean amphorae have also been discovered at Uraiyur, Kanchipuram, and Vasavasamudram, in addition to Arikamedu. Archaeological evidence of black pepper and beads made in South India and Sri Lanka during the fourth century CE has been found during excavations at Berenike on the Egyptian coast. This demonstrates the robust trade that exists between the East and the West.
Custom taxes on the Red Sea trade are thought to have contributed up to one-third of the Roman exchequer’s revenue, based on the most recent research and excavations. The Muziris Papyrus, an ancient shipping invoice unearthed in Egypt, is the main source discovered during the most recent excavations at Muziri, Kerala.
It was an agreement between a supplier in Muziri, Kerala, and a ship owner in Alexandria. Like today’s shipping documents, it provides exact information about the cargo, including insured and legal procedures. The sum mentioned is substantial, sufficient to purchase acres of land in Egypt.
Given the abundance of historical data and allusions, India is arguably the world’s oldest trading hub. Due to the subcontinent’s richness, traders have always been drawn to it for ongoing trade relations. The region’s cultural diversity can be attributed to the Portuguese, Greek, Egyptian, and numerous other traders who reached India via these historic trade routes.
Ignorance Resulting In Misinformation
People were so enthralled with the concept of the Silk Road that their presumptions solidified. Only history textbooks for higher education continued to include the works of modern historians, oblique references, and hard data from archaeologists; these materials were not available on the main portal.
After fresh discoveries in Egypt, Indian scholarly writings have not been revised, and if they have, they have not yet become widely accepted theories.
Indian academic literature is consistently subordinated to foreign and imperialist works about India. Many significant concepts and discoveries have been made under the coffin without any influence as a result of these circumstances.
Conclusion
A significant part of the cultural exchanges between civilizations occurs via long-distance trade routes. These cultural and religious exchanges continue to influence international relations and foreign policy even after millennia. These routes help to improve relations between the regions in today’s globalised world.
The opening of the new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which connects India with the Gulf and Europe, is a pertinent recent example. It is essentially a resuscitation of the former East-West trade route via the Red Sea, which was more important than the Silk Route.
The Indian Minister of External Affairs has also confirmed in a positive manner that the corridor would have “enormous consequences” for the world economy. In addition to strengthening ties with the Middle East, the corridor would support the Gulf region’s and India’s energy transition. This would be a shared route for India’s growth, both locally and internationally.
