Exploring the Silk Road: East-West Trade's Rich Legacy
- Two exhibitions opened in London, highlighting ancient trade routes and cultural artifacts.
- The British Library's exhibition features significant documents, including the Diamond Sutra, and emphasizes the romanticized concept of the Silk Road.
- The exhibitions reveal that silk was mainly sourced from India, indicating the country's crucial role in ancient trade and its cultural influence.
In London, two significant exhibitions opened last week, showcasing the historical and cultural significance of ancient trade routes. The British Library's exhibition, A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang, features a remarkable collection of documents discovered in the Mogao Buddhist cave temples, including the Diamond Sutra, the earliest complete printed book. The exhibitions promote the romanticized idea of the Silk Road as a vital east-west trade network, although this concept was largely unknown before the 19th century. Notably, silk was not the primary commodity traded between the east and west; instead, much of it was sourced from Indian ports, highlighting India's crucial role in ancient commerce. The exhibitions also reflect a broader trend of underrepresenting India's historical influence, despite its significant contributions to culture and trade during this period.