Which of the following statements with regard to the famous 'silk routes' are correct? 1. Silk routes refer to East-bound European silk cargoes along these routes. 2. There were several silk routes, over land and by sea, joining together vast regions of Asia with Europe and northern Africa. 3. They are known to have existed since before the Christian Era and thrived almost till the fifteenth century. 4. Besides silk, Chinese pottery, textiles and spices from India and South-east Asia travelled the same route. Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a)1, 2 and 3
- (b)1, 3 and 4
- (c)2, 3 and 4
- (d)1, 2 and 4
Correct — C, statements 2, 3 and 4. There was not one but a network of silk routes, running both overland and by sea, that tied together vast regions of Asia with Europe and northern Africa, so statement 2 is right. These routes are known to have existed from before the Common Era and to have flourished almost until the fifteenth century, so statement 3 is right. And alongside silk, goods such as Chinese pottery and textiles and spices from India and South-East Asia travelled the same routes, so statement 4 is right. Statement 1 is wrong: the routes are named after the West-bound Chinese silk carried along them, not 'East-bound European silk cargoes', which reverses the actual direction and origin of the trade.
- (a)1, 2 and 3 — Includes the false statement 1 (East-bound European silk) and leaves out the correct statement 4 about the other goods carried.
- (b)1, 3 and 4 — Includes the false statement 1 and omits the correct statement 2 about the network of land and sea routes.
- (d)1, 2 and 4 — Includes the false statement 1 and drops the correct statement 3 about the time span of the routes.
The 'silk routes' were a network of overland and maritime trade routes that connected China, India, Central Asia, West Asia, the Mediterranean world and northern Africa. They are named for the prized Chinese silk carried westward along them, but they also moved many other goods and, importantly, ideas, religions and technologies between civilisations.
The reasoning is to reject the reversed description in statement 1 and accept the network, the long time span and the wide range of goods. Silk went west from China; it was not 'European silk going east'. The other three statements describe the routes accurately, so the correct set is 2, 3 and 4.
- The silk routes were a network of land and sea routes linking China, India, Central Asia, West Asia, the Mediterranean and northern Africa.
- They are named for the West-bound export of Chinese silk.
- They operated from before the Common Era until roughly the fifteenth century.
- Besides silk, goods such as Chinese pottery, textiles and Indian and South-East Asian spices, along with ideas and religions like Buddhism, travelled the routes.
- Reading statement 1 as correct — the routes carried West-bound Chinese silk, not East-bound European silk.
- Assuming a single route rather than a network of land and sea routes.
A statement-code item on the silk routes — reject the reversed 'East-bound European silk' claim and accept the network, the timeline and the range of goods.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The 'silk routes' are so named because they carried
- (a)European silk eastward to China
- (b)Chinese silk westward
- (c)Indian cotton to Rome
- (d)Arabian spices to India
Answer(b) Chinese silk westward — the routes take their name from the West-bound export of silk from China.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which religion spread from India to Central and East Asia largely along the silk routes?
- (a)Buddhism
- (b)Zoroastrianism
- (c)Judaism
- (d)Shinto
Answer(a) Buddhism — it travelled from India along the silk routes into Central Asia, China and beyond.