Silk Road, Essay Example

Silk Road is very widespread and important network of trade routes which connects East, South, and West with the Mediterranean along with the northern and eastern Africa and Europe. Silk trade started during the Han dynasty (Balfour, 2010). Silk Road not only deals with silk trade but also carry other commodities which are very important in the world history. Silk Road promotes and spread different other religions, for instance Buddhism through central Asia (Hedin , 2009). “The Silk road or silk Route, is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting East and West by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from china to the Mediterranean sea during various periods of time” (Waugh, 2007).

The transmission of Silk Road influences the culture and lives of those areas and has provided historical arts and literature. Along the Silk Road in the expansion of religious traditions Arts and Iconography play very important role. This paper will explain why and how religions use material culture to promote their cause and whether a religion needs to express its faith and identity through art and architecture and the function of art that serve in shaping a particular religious world view.

Figure 1. Silk Road Introduction (Wauh, 2007)

Another view of the Silk Road is as a trading connection between Chang’an in China, with Asia Minor and the Mediterranean extending over 8000 km on land and sea. (Rezakhani, , 2010). “Trade on the Silk road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Indian subcontinent, and Rome and helped to lay the foundations for the modern world” (Rice, 1999).

Art is the key factor in expanding the culture along the Silk Road.  There are several factors, for instance design motifs, statues, and an art object, serve as substantial tools for the expansion of culture. Furthermore, the role of trans-continent exchange of spiritual tradition along the Silk Road is very important factors. Art plays very important role in promoting diverse religious traditions and religious vision because it is imperative that art is worldwide language.

So, religious concept can be definitely spread and promoted through arts, iconography and architecture alongside the Silk Road. It is exceptional that spiritual art is liable to create powerful statement regarding the emotions and extended figurative which carries religious message and people felt it in their own way. “This is when religious sculptures become living things rather than objects, as religious arts were made to come alive with emotion to fright and attract the faithful” (Austin, 1995).

We humans are very visually oriented creatures and use the sense of idea to collect world information. The use of art and architecture can be use as an extension of storytelling. For thousands of years, oral and written stories remain the backbone of religious beliefs. “They outline the communal cultural heritage within communities and often are of great poetic attractiveness and of symbolic insights” (Whitfield, 2004). Graphic appearance has very big role in solidifying cultural heritage of different religious groups.

“Religious art work also utilizes forms and signs for putting the instant and solid events into options and views which are idealistic and imaginative. It assists to combine the actual and the perfect and illuminates the present with the inheritance of the past and outreaches of the future. In which, perceptual experience is being exaggerated by the conceptual” (Ames, 1928). To conceive the past and future, art and religion both established the power of imagination. Physical and intellectual skills are used in both creations and they give human life beauty that is beyond just survival, as well as with purpose. Appreciating the nature of religion as well as human is vital in order to fully comprehend the contribution that iconography and art has made to diffuse the religious traditions along the Silk Road.

The social bond that exists between humans is strengthened through the creation of religious art work; this is for the goal of species survival as art and religion go farther beyond the immediate survival purposes (Austin, 1995). An example of this would architecture that is religious.

Religious architecture is the statement of human devotion, association, amplitude, and honor beyond any amplification. The most important argument is that religious architecture played important role in the contribution of religious expansion along the Silk Road. “For example, the basic structural features of a Mosque can substantially reflect the practice of Islam.

As a centre of worship and community activity, the mosque also accompanied the spread of Islam” (Levin, 2011). Religious architecture presents ambition and declaration of grace and strength, therefore closely linked to religion. There are different factors of religious architecture. For example, Buddha was a spiritually perfect statue and provided an ideal physique image. “The image was created according to the systems of proportion and certain features that were sometimes given legendary origins” (Barrett, 2005).

Figure2. .Buddha (Barrett, 2005)

For instance, many Buddha images show tight curls on the top of their heads which represent shield from the sun during meditation. “The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism essentially ended around the 7th century with the rise of Islam in Central Asia. Many artistic influences transited along the Silk Road, especially through the Central Asia, where Hellenistic, Iranian, Indian and Chinese influence were able to intermix” (Barrett, 2005).

During the travel of missionaries and traders along the Silk Road, Buddhist images were transmitted. Those images included copybooks and text facilitated by printing which is one of the greatest inventions of China. “The arts are central to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist message. Famous Buddha images or monuments have subsequently attracted pilgrims from all over Asia; great cave temples filled with sculpture and paintings were used for worship and meditation” (Barrett, 2005).

Silk Road Art

Figur3 . Rice, 1999.

Along the Silk Road, in order to diffuse the religious traditions, art and iconography have made considerable contributions. The process of shaping the world wide religious view today has been facilitated through the use of art as a universal language. In the trans-continental exchange of religious idea along the Silk Road, art work such as paintings, statues and religious architecture all have an important and integrated role to play.

For religion, art plays a vital role in promoting their causes and it is, therefore, of no surprise that religious has greatly contributed to the material and inspiration needed in order to create a work of art, according to Ames (1928). The link between religion and art is interrelated and was established a long time ago. It is making an impact on the modern world to diffuse the religious traditions around the world today and will continue to do so in the future.

Conclusion

Silk Road is very important and valuable trade route between south, west, east and Mediterranean. The promotion and spread of Buddhism religion is through Silk Road. Silk Road has great impact on the lives and cultures of those areas and has also a great source of historical art and literature, which includes tradition arts and Iconography. Arts is a key role in leading diverse religious traditions and visions. Art remains a great source of storytelling and which remain the backbone of religious beliefs. Architecture related to religion is the assertion of human devotion and association beyond any effect. Silk road plays important role in the expansion of religion along the silk road.  Religious architecture shows the importance and value of grace and strength that are related to religion.  Silk Road made it possible to broadcast the religious traditions, art and Iconography.

References

Ames, Edward Scribner. "Religion and Art". The journal of religion, Vol.8, No.3 (Jul. 1928),pp. 371-383.The University of Chicago Press 1928.

Austin, Michael. "Art and Religion as Metaphor. Vol35, No2, April, 1995. British Journal of Aesthetics. Oxford University Press 1995.

Barrett, T.H. "The religious meaning of Buddhist sculpture in its cultural setting: the Buddha images of Qingzhou in the light of recent scholarship". Buddhist Studies Review 22, 2005: 44-69.

Balfour-Paul, J. (2010). The Silk Road Connects. Calliope, 21(1), 12.

Hedin, Sven: The Silk Road: Ten Thousand Miles through Central Asia. Tauris Parke Paperbacks, June 2009.

Levin, D. (2011). Return to the Silk Road. Fast Company, (157), 104.

Rice, Tamara Talbot, Ancient Arts of Central Asia. London: Thames & Hudson 1965. Richard

Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road. New York: St Martins Press 1999.

Rezakhani, K. (2010). The Road That Never Was: The Silk Road and Trans-Eurasian Exchange. Comparative Studies Of South Asia, Africa, & The Middle East, 30(3), 420-433. doi:10.1215/1089201x-2010-025

Waugh, Daniel. (2007). "Richthofen "Silk Roads": Toward the Archeology of a Concept." The Silk Road. Volume 5, Number 1, Summer 2007, p. 4.

Whitfield, Susan (ed.), The Silk Road. Trade, Travel, War and Faith. Hong Kong: Serindia Publications 2004.