Silk Road (A Legend of Eastern and Western Exchange)

Author: Jean-pierre Drege
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-11-01
Features: The Silk Road is a history of exchange between the East and the West. After 15 centuries of diplomatic missions, trade, wars, and navigation, people finally realized that the "Cathay" in Marco Polo's writings and the "Serica" mentioned by ancient Romans was actually China, which the Portuguese "discovered" only in 1513. In the 1st century BC, the Romans learned about a mysterious textile from the Far East through the Parthians. When silk appeared in Rome, the Romans called it serica. Like other precious fabrics, silk had to pass through multiple hands to reach Rome. Therefore, the term serica might have originated from the Chinese character "" (sī), but its pronunciation evolved during the journey: At first, the Romans had no idea where silk was produced and thought it was made by the "Seres," a mysterious people living at the distant borders. They only knew that beyond the Seres, there was another mysterious country called "China" (Chine). This name likely came from the Qin Dynasty (221 BC), which was established in 221 BC. At that time, there was no direct contact between Romans and Chinese. However, after Rome conquered Syria in 64 BC, they cooperated with the powerful Parthian Empire and engaged in trade with desert caravans from Central Asia under the empire's protection. The Parthians were Persianized Scythians, known as the Anxi in ancient China. From approximately 250 BC to 224 AD, they established a powerful empire in southern Persia. Silk was highly popular due to its mystery and excellent quality. It was a commodity that symbolized the exchange between China and the West, as evidenced by the following discussion. During Rome's decline, luxury became rampant, and expensive silk quickly became a necessity, like red clothing and glass. Silk was initially used for decoration, then wrapped around cushions, and later made into clothing. Compared to flax and wool, silk was more flexible and comfortable, making it beloved by both men and women. Silk was not only complex to produce but also risky to transport, and with merchants' profits and official taxes, it naturally became an expensive commodity. Rome lost a significant amount of money importing silk. Therefore, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) and the philosopher Seneca (4–65 AD) considered silk a symbol of national decline and looked down upon it. The Roman Senate passed laws multiple times prohibiting the wearing of silk, but they had no effect. Chinese sailing ships also ventured to India and even the Persian Gulf for maritime trade, not just the Arabs. The Battle of Talas in 751 not only halted the expansion of Islam into the East but also restricted China's active role in Central Asia to a more limited one. The Journey of China and India also mentions that Chinese ships sailed between Siraf and Guangzhou. Due to some shoals, these deep-draft ships could not reach the deeper parts of the Gulf, such as Basra. These ships carried large cargo loads, so even if they stopped at Quilon, they had to pay heavy taxes. "He did not want to be idle and decided to compile his book so that it could be read with pleasure." In 1298, during a naval battle between Genoese and Venetian fleets, Marco Polo was captured and brought to Genoa. He may not have been imprisoned but was likely held as a hostage. Regardless, he met Rustichello da Pisa in Genoa in 1284, who had been captured earlier. Rustichello was a court writer who wrote some knightly tales in French.