THE SILK ROAD

The Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan are adjacent to Central Asia that has been a point of interest for the contemporary civilizations and powerful empires. The area has been serving as a bridge between ancient Chinese, Persian, Arab and Roman Dynasties. During the first millennium AD those who fought for its control include Chinese, Arab. Turkic, Mongol end Tibetan empires.

The Silk Road consisted of a network of roads that crossed the Central Asia region and was used by traders, pilgrims, monks, mercenaries and military expeditions. The Silk Road was one of the most important trade route of the world. Over 5000 miles long route connected China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It passed through China, the Middle East, the Northern Eurasian steppes and ended in Mediterranean and Black Sea. In the south, it crossed over the Karakoram Mountain range to Indian Subcontinent. The Silk Road spawned stones of awe-inspiring mountains, fabled cities, exotic people, sprawling deserts and heavenly oasis towns. At that time the travel along the Silk Road was not so safe.

The perils of highwaymen, floods, sandstorms and risk of dying of thirst and hunger in the waterless desert expanses of Taklamakan and Gobi always haunted travelers on the Silk Road. The word Taklamakan means, "enter and you wouldn't return" in the local Uighur language. The Silk Road actually split into three routes, Northern Route, Central Route and Southern Route, in Western China, the Southern Route passed through Northern Areas of Pakistan.

In absence of any big and developed markets, the people of Northern Areas mostly served as intermediaries for Indian, Kashmiri and Persian traders. The people of upper Hunza Valley speak Wakhi language that is spoken by Uighurs of Xinjiang. Additionally the Southern Silk Route passed through high altitude passes before entering into the Sub-continent. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan, being native were more efficient in traveling through such passes. In addition to their services as intermediaries they were also a source of supply of mountain ponies and sheep and goats for Silk Route Travelers. The people Gilgit-Baltistan who traveled on Silk Road brought economic, cultural, religious, technological and social changes to mountain communities. We can see the Persian and Tibetan influence on Gilgit-Baltistan people even today also.

The word Silk Road was not used for this network of roads in ancient times. The name was coined by a German, Ferdinand Von Richthofen, much latter presumably because of the dominance of silk merchandise in the trade. Chinese silk was transported on mules, ponies, yaks and twin humped or Bactrian camels across the vast deserts and mountains to the Mediterranean ports.