The Silk Road: Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran: A Travel Companion

by Jonathan Tucker, Paul Theroux (Introduction)

Stretching from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian across the expanses of Central Asia to Rome, the Silk Road was, for 1,500 years, a vibrant network of arteries that carried the lifeblood of nations across the world. Along a multitude of routes everything was exotic goods, art, knowledge, religion, philosophy, disease and war. From the East came silk, precious stones, tea, jade, paper, porcelain, spices and cotton; from the West, horses, weapons, wool and linen, aromatics, entertainers and exotic animals. From its earliest beginnings in the days of Alexander the Great and the Han dynasty, the Silk Road expanded and evolved, reaching its peak during the Tang dynasty and the Byzantine Empire and gradually withering away with the decline of the Mongol Empire.
In this beautifully illustrated book, which covers the Central Asian section of the Silk Road - from Lake Issyk-kul through Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, the Kyzyl Kum Desert, Khiva and Merv to Herat, Kabul and Iran - Jonathan Tucker uses travellers' anecdotes and a wealth of literary and historical sources to celebrate the cultural heritage of the countries that lie along the Silk Road and illuminate the lives of those who once travelled through the very heart of the world.

Genres: Asia

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2015

Reviews

[جبرئیل · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was more like the history charts that you read in a museum.

Some chapters were goood, the ones which didnt just describe the route and what was on them.

The historical chapters were worth reading. You skim the rest.

Okay read.


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and the Silk Road’s decline became irreversible after the Timurid Empire disintegrated in 1449, town after town fell to the Uzbeks.

The centralised control in Central Asia was lost, making it harder for merchants to move safely. Caravans had to hire their private security to escort.

To the west, Constantinople fell to Ottomons. All east-west trade was now linked through Ottomons, resulting in additional taxes and tolls on Caravans.

Then, the European powers started to find a way to evade the taxes & monopoly of Ottomons. Using an era of maritime exploration.

The Portuguese captured northern African city “Ceuta”, and emboldened by success, started exploring the coastlines of Africa.

Vasco da Gama in 1498 discovered maritime route to India. And the Porteguese started trade with newly established Mughals. Through them, they traded with Thailand, burma and combodia.

Whilst the Spanish started to colonise the New World discovered in maritime exploration of Christopher Colombus, who ignorantly thought that he reached Asia after a round trip.

By 1580, Portugal got annexed by Spain. Sir Francis Drake defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, putting an end to Spanish control of seas, and ushering the Great English & Dutch era of trading companies, hence colonisation.

This all starved silk road of its revenue. Land based trade withered.

[Eva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Too dry of a read for me.

[فیصل مجید · Rating 4 out of 5]

ایک معیاری اور معروضی سفرنامہ جو تحقیقاتی اور معلوماتی بھی ساتھ ساتھ ہے۔ اور سفرنامہ نگار کے اندر تعصب نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے۔ مشرق وسطیٰ، افغانستان اور ایران سے گزرتی ہوئی سلک روڈ اپنی تاریخ اور ثقافت کے لحاظ سے بہت زرخیز ہے اور شائد وجہ تجارتی راستہ ہے جسکی وجہ سے خوشحالی نے جنم لیا ہے اور تہذیب و تمدن نے پھر اس وجہ سے جنم لیا ہے۔ ساتھ میں ہر علاقے کی معروف یادگاریں اور شخصیتوں کا ذکر ملتا ہے۔ مجھے بخارا شہر کا بیان دلچسپ لگا ہے۔ دو سو سے زائد صفحات پر مشتمل سفرنامہ چار ستارے کا مستحق ہے

از Faisal Majeed

[São Gandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informação importante para quem viaja para a Ásia Central

[Asghar Mayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is wonderful book to know the past of Asia particularly trade routes of Central Asia.