Reflections of the Silk Road

Kaifeng Jews

2010-03-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

I've always known that there have been recognized Jewish communities almost everywhere in the world, but I was never familiar with their histories and traditions specifically. I was thus pleasantly suprised to learn that there was a recognized Jewish community in China. The Kaifeng Jews have existed in Kaifeng, in Henan province, for hundreds of years. The Kaifeng Jews were not considered to be traditionally Jewish by the Han Chinese, who recognized the Kaifeng Jews by the term "tiaojinjiao", which means "the religion which removes the sinew." This is considered to be a reference to kashrut (kosher), the Jewish dietary proscriptions.

It's interesting to note that Europeans had no idea that Jews existed in China until 1605, when Matteo Ricci, a jesuit priest from Italy, was visited by a Jewish man from Kaifeng, who had come to Beijing to take examinations for his jinshi degree. Ricci recognized the man to be Jewish because when he saw an image of Mary and the Christ child, he believed that it was an image of Rebecca with Jacob. The priest learned from this man that there was a community of Jews that lived in Kaifeng, and they had a synagogue and volumes of textual and pictorial materials, as well as books. Ricci included this encounter in one of his accounts, "de Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Jesu," or "on Christian expeditions to China undertaken by the Society of Jesus."

The following link is to a short video that shows the Kaifeng Jews arriving in Israel to study the Torah. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edhtdoPukk0

Blog Entry XII - The Great Game

2010-02-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

Not only the title of a book by our good and familiar friend Peter Hopkirk, "The Great Game" is a term that embodies the rivalry and conflict between the interests of the British Empire and interests of the Russian Empire for power in Central Asia. The so-called "classic" Great Game period is generally thought to range approximately from the Russo-Persian Treaty of 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. A second, less intensive phase, the so-called "renaissance," followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The term "The Great Game" is usually associated with Arthur Conolly, who was an intelligence officer of the British East India Company's Sixth Bengal Light Cavalry. The Great Game was almost altogether unheard of in popular culture until it was introduced into the mainstream media by British novelist Rudyard Kipling in his novel "Kim".

It seems as though there is a lot of grey area when it comes to this period in history, and thus it's fitting that there is a book titled "Myth and Reality in the Great Game," by Gerald Morgan, that attempts to clarify the issues surrounding the period. Morgan researched and examined various departments of the British Raj to determine if there ever existed a British intelligence network in Central Asia, and, he concluded that such an organization did not exist. To Morgan, it appears that British efforts to obtain information on Russian movement in Central Asia was limited, and described as "rare", and in the least was not a priority in their Central Asian affairs. It's almost amusing to think that events resembling The Great Game adventures described in "Kim" were shaky rumors that were popular folk-tales in Central Asia, and were applied as much to Russia as to Britain.

The primary interest of the British Empire in India and in Central Asia was to have control of the native population, not prevent a Russian invasion. The latter was certainly just as eminent, however, the former seems to take precedence. According to Connelly himself, this is indeed true, and the proof is furthered by the display of British sympathies toward Christians in Central Asia, a sympathy that the British Empire also shared with the Russians. This pretext does seem like a suitable one, one to disguise the desire of a particular power to control a particular region. Historians don't deny this shared religious interest between the British and the Russians, but it has often been described as somewhat unrealistic, for the reason I've just previously described.

I was unaware that, recently there has been recognition of the idea that The Great Game continues as a conflict between the United States led NATO and the Russia-China led SCO over the Central Asian oil pipelines....

A charicature depicting the Amir of Afghanistan, Sher Ali Khan, between the British lion and the Russian bear, exclaiming "Save me from my friends!" The rule of the Amir Sher Ali Khan was hindered by pressure from both Britain and Russia, though the Amir attempted to keep his country neutral in their conflict.

Blog Entry XI - Bewildering Interdependence

2010-02-08T18:46:00.001-08:00

Said's article in "The Nation" highlights the influence that the media has on public thought and opinion in regards to Islam. He brings to light in particular the hostility and ignorance that is diffused through time and space based media alike--television, internet, and newspapers--which promotes an atmosphere of fear and misunderstanding in non-Muslims. It's important to note that the inherent subjectivity of the media is bolstered even further by important nationals and public figures adhering to the notion of "West" versus "Islam," by openly and admittedly deconstructing the complex issues of international relations and "interdependence" to such a base degree that, as Said explains, that their so-called enlightened commentary can be compared in nature to simple catch-phrases like "War of the Worlds." I found that assessment slightly humorous, because in fact, so much of non-Muslim ideas about "Islam and the West" that come from the media are prefaced in such a ridiculous way, and yet, sometimes these ideas are not questioned.

Unfortunately, ideas that mainstream media present to us about Islam are like any other ideas; they are sensationalist and for the most part, are uneducated and uninformed. Living under the umbrella of importance and prominence of the "West" is naturally accompanied by living in a culture where we are constantly compelled to feel threatened, and whether the threat is immediate or not is determined by the media and what the media chooses to transmit. When such a powerful society as the West feels threatened by the unknown, they feel the need to retaliate rather than understand. Retaliation is quicker, simpler, than making an effort to understand, and making an effort to educate the public in this same manner of understanding would not belong to the realm of "quick and simple". The media is known for over-simplified, over-hurried presentation of ideas. To summarize crudely, most public discourse on "Islam and the West" perpetuates a circle of ignorance.

I would like to mention that I couldn't access the full article by Hirschkind and Mahmood, and thus am unable to comment on it!

Blog Entry X - On Islam...

2010-02-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

Where to begin? Perhaps by noting that, although in Europe and North America we think we're knowledgeable and understanding in regards to other cultures, we are not as knowledgeable or understanding as we may think we are (I'm speaking on broad terms here, what a coincidence!). When it comes to Islam in particular, we've developed, or perhaps spawned, a multi-lateral culture that ranges from positive interest, to tolerance, to fear. It may be fair to say that the media is mostly responsible for this, yet at the same time, certain scholars and academics are marginally responsible, too. Take for example, Huntington's article "The Clash of Civilizations", that implies that, once the various civilizations have been eliminated through diverse means, "the West" will be pitted in an inevitable death match against "the Muslim world." Add this and other articles and books on the subject to media portrayals of fundamentalists, and we have a very one-sided, over-simplified approach to Islam.

Most of us know better, or at least, I hope we do. Have the strong economic and political ties between "the West" and "the Muslim world" been forgotten? What about the centuries of rich and vibraint history, of Islamic art, architecture, and literature that is often ignored? What about our Muslim friends, neighbours, and colleagues? The blinders should be removed so that the complexity of Islam can be fully understood and appreciated, just as we in "the West" expect other cultures to do. It's proof of the present when Ernst has to preface his book, "Following Muhammad", with an explanation that by defending Islam (or attempting to clarify the current issues surrounding it) he is neither an impostor nor a traitor, in order to have his book published.

Blog Entry IX - Syncretism

2010-01-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

Syncretism is a term that can be applied to a widely ranging variety of social, political, historical and anthropological areas of subject matter. It imparts the same meaning when used to describe religion. Thus, religious syncretism is "the attempt to unite disparate or contrary" beliefs, practices and ideas, and often involves the amalgamation of these beliefs, practices and ideas from various religious schools of thought.

I think what separates Manichaeism from other syncretic religious traditions is that other syncretic religious traditions have a tendency to refute their syncretic origins and profess to be a "pure" or "revealed" religious innovation. These exclusivist religious schools feel that an addition to their faith or an amalgamation with another faith would corrupt or distort the "truth" of their religion and are thus hesitant to be part of, or admit to syncretism. For example, both Judaism and Islam have been interpreted as having syncretic elements, but both religious schools refute these conjectures despite any plausible academic evidence in favour of maintaining their "pure" and "truthful" titles.

In contrast to exclusivist traditions that refuse to acknowledge their potentially syncretic orgins, the mythological religions of Classical and Hellenistic Greece and Rome both openly describe their schools of thought as syncretic. They admit to sharing and variating eachother's traditions, as well as adopting traditions from Persian, Anatolian and Egyptian traditional sources. To the religious innovators and followers of mythological religions of Greece and Rome, syncretism was a means to reduce potential inter-religious tension and hostility.

Manachaeism, in this context, neither refuted or professed its syncretic nature. Manichaeism aimed to present the complete version of teachings that were deemed to be corrupt, distorted and misinterpreted by the followers of its "ancestors" Adam, Zoroaster, Buddha and Jesus, and as Manichaeism was diffused, it also amalgamated dieties, spirits and themes from various religious scriptures.

Colourfully illustrated Manichaean iconography.

Elicti writing from a Manichaean book found at Turfan, Turkestan.

Blog Entry VIII - Horses and the Golden Age of the Tang

2010-01-08T12:16:00.001-08:00

The high culture of the Tang dynasty is suggestive of typical western perceptions of late classical China—typical in a good way. The descriptions of the culture in Chang’an evoke a sense of romanticism, adventure, and a flourishing era full of wonder that many of us are familiar with, perhaps even since childhood, of what it may have been like to experience classical China. I personally found the position of upper class women and their material and social culture to be especially interesting. To me, the horsewomen of Chang’an are symbolic of the Tang dynasty.

Women in Chang’an had the opportunity to become skilled horsewomen, riding in the same style and with the same caliber of horses as the men did. In classical Europe, however, it was unfathomable for women to become adept horsewomen, let alone ride at a level comparable to men. In Chang’an, the horsewomen rode full-saddle, and could partake in various hunting activities with or without the accompaniment of men, including falconry and small game chases. Conversely, women in classical Europe rode side-saddle, usually rode only with male company, and very infrequently partook in falconry, small game chases, and other equestrian related sports. Furthermore, the riding costumes of the Chang’an women are particularly representative of their bold, progressive style. They adopted riding costumes similar to those of men, wearing long, tailored pants and leather boots, with billowing shirts and hunting caps that barely covered their hair or their faces! At the time, that would have been considered quite risqué, and yet, remains fashionable for horsewomen even contemporarily. In Europe, this fashion of riding costume wouldn’t take precedence for horsewomen until over a thousand years later. Women rode horses wearing flouncy, ruffled dresses, wide-brimmed hats and chiffon veils well into the late seventeenth century!

The direct image link is broken, so I've provided the link to the image on it's website. It's a clear, simple painting of Tang dynasty horsewomen and their costumes. There are accompanying images of similar genre on this website.

http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/images/arbigimages/38ddb1ceeeee89f3f802f57d96b06a14.jpg

Below, a contemporary re-enactment of Tang dynasty costume and performance.

Blog Entry VII - The Dunhuang Exchange

2009-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

A prefecture and place of military importance, Dunhuang was a major point of cultural exchange during the Han and Tang dynasties. Dunhuang was accessible from both east and west on the Silk Road, and thus made it a primary stopover for pilgrims, merchants, and monks who were passing through the region. The variety of art and artifacts found at Dunhuang attests to the diversity of the people who made their way along the Silk Road at various times, from various places.

Buddhist masters and monks alike, from India and Central Asia, often stopped at Dunhuang while travelling to the Chinese capital of Chang'an. The abundance of painted caves and illuminated manuscripts made it an ideal place for Buddhists to meditate, read, or learn about Chinese culture before entering the capital. It was a Buddhist epicentre that provided temples, gardens, and lecture halls for anyone who desired to utilize them, and as such, Dunhuang was a thriving monastic community.

Frescoe from one of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang. Preservation of these frescoes is of utmost priority, with visitors from all around the world who come to Dunhuang to view them.

Blog Entry VI - Parallels in Buddhism and Christianity

2009-11-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Thematic parallels among religions are consistently evident. For example, the fundamental themes of typology, purity, and morality that are found in Zoroastrianism are found also in the three major religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Following the reading there was nothing that inspired me to write an entry immediately. Suddenly, I just thought it would be interesting to look into possible parallels, obvious ones perhaps, between Buddhism and other religions, as following the thematic form of my previous entry, entitled "A Thematic Approach to Zoroaster’s Gathas". The parallel I’d like to point out, with no solid scholarly proof but merely opinion, is the possible link between the Holy Trinity in Christianity and the Three Jewels in Buddhism. It’s not necessarily that one was derived essentially from another as a carbon copy, but the concepts in themselves, rather, what the Holy Trinity means to Christianity, and what the Three Jewels means to Buddhism, are similar in their function and their meaning to each religion.

In Buddhism and Christianity, the counterparts of the Three Jewels and the Holy Trinity are not more important than the other, but the counterparts form one cohesive unit that cannot exist without the individual counterparts. The three counterparts in each respective religion form what could be interpreted as emanations of a greater “godhead”, or the entity in it's entirety. From a most rudimentary approach, let’s take a look at the actual names, representations, and parallels of the figures within the Three Jewels and the Holy Trinity. The Father, and the Buddha, the Son and the Dharma, the Holy Ghost and the Sangha, respectively.

First let’s focus on the parallels between the purpose of the Father, and the purpose of the Buddha. Both the “father” and “Buddha” are actual representations of a “person,” but also metaphorical, as well as metaphysical representations of the concept of someone more divine than us unenlightened ones. Second, let’s look at the parallels between the purpose of the Son, and the Dharma. The son was the “person”, or concept, that diffused the ways and doctrines of the overall “religion.” The son and the Dharma are the constructs of the father, or rather, the father and Buddha were the vehicles for wisdom to be diffused through the Son and the Dharma upon the less enlightened ones. The son and Dharma could also connote “the ultimate and sustaining reality which is inseperable from the Buddha.” Just as the Son is the real, tangeable representation that is inseperable from the Father. Third, we have the Holy Ghost and Sangha. The Holy Ghost is how access to enlightenment is gained within the entire entity. We gain access to the Son through his Holy Ghost, and through the Son we gain access to the Father. The Holy Trinity and the Three Jewels are individual, but cannot exist without one another and therefore represent a whole “experience” within each religion.

Relief depicting "The Holy Trinity", Basilique Saint-Denis in Paris, exact date and artist unknown.

Sculpture, or possibly a relief of "The Three Jewels" or "The Three Refuges", exact date and artist unknown.

Blog Entry V - A Thematic Approach to Zoroaster's Gathas

2009-11-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

Founded in approximately 1,000 BCE by Zoroaster—also known as Zoroastra, or Zarathustra—Zoroastrianism comprises his philosophical and ethical wisdom as preserved in his Gathas, or hymns, written in Avestan, which is said to be a sister language to Sanskrit. Zoroastrianism was at one time the dominant faith of the Persian Empire, and today it maintains significance as the smallest major religion in the world. As Mary Boyce explains; “Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the revealed world religions, and it has probably had more influence on mankind, directly and indirectly, than any other single faith.”

Zoroaster was the first known person to interpret and teach the doctrines of light and dark as metaphors for truth and falsehood, “heaven and hell”, the “last judgment”, and the “everlasting” states of the reunited mind, body, and soul. These doctrines—which for the purpose of this blog I prefer to call concepts—became recognizable and significant interpretations of faith to much of mankind, evidently inspiring Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The themes in the Gathas have inspired themes in the world’s three major religions, and even a rudimentary understanding of any of the three faiths will prompt immediate recognition of the great similarities in the fundamental themes of these religions and the fundamental themes of Zoroastrianism. In the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur’an, most general messages, doctrines, concepts and so forth revolve around the themes of good and evil, cleanliness and impurity, righteousness and wickedness, life and the afterlife—that constitute the teachings underlined in the Gathas.

Even routine practices, still implemented currently, seem to be inspired by practices explained in the Gathas, and there are two examples which immediately came to my mind while reading the course material. Firstly, in the Jewish faith, one cannot blow out a lit flame, but rather let it burn until the flame dies out naturally. Secondly, in the Muslim faith, one must wash before entering a place of worship, and before beginning prayer. I had never realized the overwhelming significance of Zoroastrianism before…!

Interpretive image of Zoroaster. Dare I say, note the similarity between this image of Zoroaster and the modern image of Christ?

Blog Entry IV - On Religion...

2009-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

Religion, I think, is a subjective name given to classify shared systems of thought that include narratives, symbols, values and applications that comprise what individuals interpret as an overall experience. Religion should not exclusively study the ways in which people express their religion, but rather should study why people express religion in these ways and what their religious experiences mean to them. Until recently, anthropologists have focused on particular stories, icons, and rituals, and how culture affects them, how they affect culture, and how they compare to the religions of other cultures. This method of inquiry is limited similarly in the way that ethnographic writing is limited, not taking into account the individual members of particular cultures, and religions in this case, and what and why they believe, think, and feel.

For two centuries, anthropologists attempted to define religion by separating societies and cultures into those that were civilized and those that were uncivilized, and used religion as a primary means to measure the level of advancement a particular society or culture displayed, and their advancement was accordingly demonstrated by the complexity of their religion. Anthropologists compared the spheres of “Western” religions to “non-Western” religions, as they similarly compared the relative intricacy and progression of “Western” and “non-Western” spheres of thought. Until the mid-twentieth century, anthropology and the study of religion endured a conceptual polarity between “primitive” and “civilized” modes of thought and inquiry. As in Edward Said’s “Orientalism”, scholars were constantly attempting to make comparative analysis based on the comparison of “Us” and “Them,” and on the Silk Road, anthropological concepts were derived from the ethnographic accounts of explorers and missionaries who originated from clear-cut religious traditions, and these accounts were assessed by scholars whose concepts were shaped by the same clear-cut religious traditions.

Current studies of religion still struggle to overcome the biases that anthropologists of religion established throughout two centuries of study, but current anthropologists have realized that the focus of their study should not be a comparison of religions and cultures, but to the way that religion is experienced by people as individuals, and how these individual people express religious experience. This idea is appropriately summarized as follows: “An important concept in the study of religion is that anthropologists fail to take religion seriously, and hence no matter their level of methodological sophistication, they simply cannot fully understand and appreciate the experience of people for whom religious experiences are real.”

Blog Entry III - A Glimpse of Sogdian Art

2009-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Sogdians became prominent as traveling merchants subsequent to the domination of Alexander the Great, maintaining a crucial position both culturally and geographically on the Silk Road. They ruled the trading economy across the Silk Road from the 2nd century BCE until the 10th century. Their language became the lingua franca of the Silk Road, which was important not only to the propagation of Buddhism, Manichaeism, and Zoroastrianism, but to the diffusion of art!

Most sites where Sogdian art has been recovered are in modern Uzbekistan and northwestern Tajikistan. This location allowed for the infusion of various influences ranging from western, Hellenistic-style art to southeastern, Buddhist-style art. The amalgamation of techniques from such diverse sources coupled with a local ingenuity inspired a rich artistic culture that was the symbol of Central Asian art at it's finest. The Sogdians were the first Central Asian people to display technique and style of unprecedented caliber in their murals, paintings, sculptures, woodwork and gilding. There art was diverse in it's sources, but more importantly, Sogdian art made its way across an entire continent; penetrating almost as far west as it did east.

Identifiable for its varied characteristics, the art of Sogdiana is most recognizable for influencing the art of other cultures! Their location on the Silk Road made it possible for the unassuaged transmission of artistic techniques across space and time. Geographically, influences of Sogdiana have been recorded all throughout Central Asia and north into the steppes, south into the Arabian Peninsula, east across the Taklamakan through to central China and as far west as the Balkans and the rest of Southern Europe. Historically, and geographically correlated, influences have been recorded from the end of the Early Christian Period until the beginning of the Byzantine Period. (Prior to researching Sogdiana, I wouldn't have fathomed the breadth of importance their art possessed!)

According to archaeologists and anthropologists alike, the 6th century was the pinnacle of Sogdian culture, and also when they flourished with artistic tradition. Appreciable amounts of temporal and religious pottery and sculptures were discovered at Samarkand, the best examples dating from before the Hellenistic period in the mid 3rd century BCE, to the Muslim conquests of Persia in the mid 6th century.

Some of the most revealing of these Samarkand finds include statuettes of women that characterize Zoroastrian deities like Anahita, revered as the deity of water and fertility (all the figures hold a piece of fruit, a symbol of fertility in terms of childbearing and of trade). It’s interesting to note that, in comparison to the discovery of other similar statuettes, Anahita was the most frequently discovered, which implies that water and fertility were very important in the everyday life of Sogdians.

Sogdian art frequently reflected the routine and banal, but it's style was often whimsical. For example, there were several benches recovered from Bukhara that displayed murals and paintings depicting processions of various animals that were escorted by elaborately clad hunters seated on elephants, chased by leopards and griffins (neither native to Sogdiana). Scenes of sportive pursuit such as these were popular in Sogdian art, and were often depicted on wooden shields painted with figures of riders mounted on festively decorated horses, wearing hunting robes donned with knives, bows, and a quivers of arrows. This theme is thought to have influenced the style of book illumination in Islamic Persian art following the Muslim conquests of Persia.

Sogdian art reflected what was important to them as people and as a culture. Their art portrayed their strong beliefs, both religious and temporal. What was more significant than their refined techniques and vibrant style was their capability to transmit these aspects liberally. Their prominence as merchants and strength as a culture made the diffusion of their art possible then, and admired now.

Sogdian mural recovered at Bukhara, exemplifying the style that would later influence Islamic Persian art. Note the rich colours, flowing lines and well defined features.

Blog Entry II - On Ethnography...

2009-10-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ethnography, as it is defined, doesn’t employ any particular method of inquiry or research, but rather is a written account of people as interpreted by the writer. By current standards, the Hou Hanshu writings would be particularly ethnographic in the sense that there were no standards or methods by which these Chinese accounts of Central Asia were written, other than documentations of firsthand observations and immediate encounters. There are two passages in Section 11 of the Hou Hanshu that are good examples of ethnographic writing, firstly “…the one who has been dismissed quietly accepts his demotion, and is not angry…” and lastly “…the people of this country are all tall and honest.” This style of anthropological and historical writing is interesting because, by current standards of writing, it’s not only unacceptable to give subjective accounts of the physical and emotional characteristics of people, but unacceptable to present the accounts in a scattered, general fashion.

Overall, it’s what we would call the antithesis of scientific writing. Today, we would separate the anatomical from the psychological, the economic from the political and so forth, whereas in the Hou Hanshu, all descriptions are collected together without a system. This way of describing people is refreshing because it shows that the Chinese placed almost as much importance on peoples’ personalities and customs as they did on their economic constructs and military initiatives. I find it interesting to read ethnographic writing because it lacks the set system of inquiry and research that science employs, and you’re experiencing the writer’s individual thoughts and perceptions as they initially experienced them; the people, their dress, food, homes, their capability to bear arms, trade, interact, and the actions of their daily lives are tangible, and relatable because they leave science aside.

Artistic rendering of Sima Qian (135-86 BCE), regarded as the father of Chinese historiography, and whose accounts were frequently sourced throughout the Hou Hanshu.

Excerpt from the Hou Hanshu.

Blog Entry I - Reflections of the Silk Road

2009-09-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

When initially contemplating the Silk Road, I, like so many others, romantically envisioned deserts, plains and mountains covering limitless distances, traversed by men and beasts as rugged as the topography; expeditions of merchants and archaeologists transporting precious cargo from east to west and back again, all in the name of accolade and profit. I admit my ignorance in not taking the time to consider that there was more to the Silk Road than it's economic uses; failing to recognize the amalgamation and separation of religions, art and architecture techniques, literature and language, not to mention the blending of the people themselves.

Upon reading Wood's "The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia" I was able to expand my existing knowledge of the Silk Road by linking names, dates and places that were already familiar to me, to form a solid backdrop for the Silk Road. The Silk Road became a more tangible time; from the Han Dynasty of the 2nd century B.C.E. to the Age of Industrialization in the 18th century A.D., and too, became a more tangible place; from China and Mongolia, to India, Iraq and Iran, through to present day Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the other former Soviet states, Afghanistan and Turkey, until Rome and the rest of Europe.

Almost immediately, it was no longer difficult to picture the arduous journey from Chang'an to Kashgar, north or south through the treacherous Taklamakan, the hostile mountain ranges of Pamir and Hindukush, through endless barren landscapes in Balkh and Merv, and finally to Rome; the epicenter of Europe, and the conquerors and explorers, from Alexander the Great to Aurel Stein, who traversed these places for personal and grand gains alike, despite bandits, wolves and lethal sandstorms, blizzards and droughts.

Due to its cultural and religious mosaics, the beauty of the land and the luxury of the goods it produced, the joining of people so far apart, their ideas of one another and how it affected their relations, their ability to share language, art, and music, the Silk Road retains a form of romanticism despite the very real history behind it. In relation to the music of the Silk Road, I've included a video featuring Yo-Yo Ma's "The Silk Road Project" (which I was fortunate to have seen recently when the tour came through Toronto). While listening to the music, you can pick out various instruments from different places along the Silk Road, and envision the musicians who played their pieces for audiences very far from their homes and perhaps very far from the roots of their own culture. The piece is a perfect, modern interpretation of how the cultures of the Silk Road shared common interests.

Yo-Yo Ma's "The Silk Road Project" - an excerpt from the Lincoln Center, live in New York City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08x6OeqC3Y