origin of silk route

Contents

1. Central Asia Map (Location)

2. Map of The Main Trade Routes of The Western Himalayas.

3. Map of the Trans Karakoram Routes

4. Map of the South and South Central Asia Showing

Ladakh’s Place in the International Commercial Network.

5. Profile – Munshi Aziz Bhat.

6. Acknowledgement

7. Introduction - Silk Route and Central Asian Trade.

8. Kargil in Context of the Silk Route.

9. Munshi Aziz Bhat Sarai.

10. Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum.

11. Aims and Objectives of the Museum.

12. List of Archives and Artifacts at the Museum.

13. Bibliography.

Acknowledgement

This Catalog is an account about the great Silk Route,spawning the Asian Heart Land which was the most legendrytrading route in the history of mankind. Inspite of the manyfeatures of intrest of this great route no comprehensiveaccount of this trade has been published. I have tried toplace on record some of the important trading facts of thistrade through this catalog and have made an attempt to fillthis gap. I have also included some trading artifacts andarchives of this trade lying in my museum at Kargil and Ishould like to think that the catalog as a whole will givesome indication as toward this great trade has historicaland cultural aspect.

My first thanks must be to my Mother Hajira Begum andrespected uncle Munshi Mohd Sadiq with whome I shared thestories of the traders of the Trans Himalayan Caravan Tradeand about my families contacts with the people of theCentral Asian Countries. I am indebt to Jacquline Fewekesfrom university of Pensylyenia (USA) and Mr. Abdul NasirKhan from Khan family with out their support and ideas itwas not possible for me to setup this museum at Kargil.

Dr. Raveena Agarwal university of Indiana USA, MonishaAhmed Oxford university UK and Mona Bhan Reuters universityUSA helped me in preparing this catalog as well as I am verymuch thank full for them for their timely guidance andvaluable suggestion.

I am in debt to Mohd Hussain Karith (Ladakh SocialService Association) and Ali APTECH Computer InstituteKargil for their editorial and productive work which tookthem hours for computer work and took enormous pains overthe catalogs content and presentation I extend my warmestthanks to them.

I extend my sincere and respectable thanks to Jhon Brey(Presidnet International Association for Ladakh Studies,IALS) and Radhika Gupta from Oxford university for theirencouragement and appreciation for this project.

I thanks Al-haj Master Sadiq Ali (State Awardee) forsharing his knowledge on the trade and providing ahistorical background to trade in Ladakh with Central Asiancountries and neighboring countries . I am also thanksfull to my father in law Kachoo Ahmed Ali Khan (ChiefExecutive Councilor LAHDC Kargil) the great grand son ofShah Tha Tha Khan of Sot Royalty and Kachoo Skinder Khan(Pargue) Chigtan, the great grand son of Chigtan Razi Khar(Royalty) for their contribution and donation of theartifacts to my museum.

My deepest and most heartfull gratitude is also due toRiyaz - ul – Hassanain Munshi (President Kargil Social andCultural organization Kargil) and Fayaz – ul- HassanainMunshi for their kind contribution for the Photographs ofthe artifacts and I am also thanksfull to Mohd Sadiq Hardass(Kargil Social and Cultural Organization) for his kindnessand generosity in making up this book. I am also thank fullto the Ambassadors of the Embassy of Tajikistan, Embassy ofUzbekistan and to the Embassy of Turkiministan for theirvaluable suggestions and giving me a chance to attend ainternational conference on Central Asia at Delhi.

I especially like to acknowledge the support of all mywell wishers and Art lovers, Scholars, literary persons ofKargil, without their support and encouragement this catalogwould have not been possible to publish. I will also thanksto president, members of Kargil social and CulturalOrganization (KASCO) who have helped me during my researchand thanks for their kind advice and support.

Lastly I am thank full to Ajaz Hussain Munshi and toall those who had extended their helping hand in thepreparation of this catalog.

Gulzar HussainMunshi

Munshi Aziz Bhat 1866 – 1948Munshi Aziz Bhat, son of Khoja

Rasool Bhat was born in the year1866 at Leh. His father Kh. RasoolBhat was a record keeper, in thegovernment of Maharaja Pratap Singhof Jammu and Kashmir State. Kh.Rasool Bhat died after a shortillness in 1868, when Aziz Bhat’sMother, a courageous lady brought uphim with the pension amount she usedto receive from the Maharaja’s Govt.for whom Kh. Rasool Bhat worked.

Munshi Aziz Bhat was a bright student and managed topass the class V examination from Skardoo (Baltistan) (NowPakistan) Pry. School at that time the only Pry. School inBaltistan. He joined the revenue department as patawari(Record Keeper), but quit the job in 1915 AD to try his luckin business. In August 1915 he in partnership with a Sikhmerchant, Sardar Karan Singh started a retail cum whole saleshop with a buffer money of Rs. 6000 (silver coin) which isequalant to Rs600/thousand these days. Luck favored them andby the end of the first year they had made an annual profitof Rs. 9000/- (silver coin).

In the year 1920 his partnership with Sardar KaranSingh broke and he established his own large scale tradingbusiness with the help of his two older sons and a cousin.The enterprise was called “Munshi Aziz Bhat and Sons”. Witha short span of time Munshi Aziz Bhat became the large scaletrader of the region. In the mean while using his largescale and influence, he also managed to get himselfappointed as the official petition writer of Maharaja HariSingh of J&K State.

To increase his business contacts, Aziz Bhatconstructed a Sarai (inn) in Kargil known as Aziz Bhat Saraiwhich was constructed in 1920. this is a three storybuilding still situated in the old caravan bazaar of Kargiltown on the banks of river Suru. The structure was built in

order to enable Munshi Aziz Bhat to reach out as many traderas possible. The inn had seven shops on its front and rightside from where he used to operate his trade activities inall the four directions.

Aziz Bhat conducted a flourishing business from thissarai as already mentioned, the Sarai served as a boardinglodging and trade centre for the traders of Hindustan,Baltistan, Tibet, China and a favorite place for the centralAsian traders. He continued this business till 1947 i.e. theIndian independence, as all contact was lost with him sincethe international border with Tibet, Pakistan, Central Asiaand China were closed. The trading contacts and trade wasbadly effected as the main trade line known as the SilkRoute of central Asia, China and Tibet had to be closed.

By 1947 Munshi Aziz Bhat was compelled to shut down histrading business and Sarai. The following year in 1948Munshi Aziz Bhat expired at the age of 78 years.

INTRODUCTION OF THE SILK ROUTEThe Silk Route spanned two civilizations and is much

more than ajagged linedrawn acrossthe Asianheart landrunning from

Constantipole at one end to Xian at the other.

This route has been the connecting cord of civilizations.The recorded history of the Silk Route dates back toapproximately 138 B.C when General Chang of Chinese Armyset on a horse buying mission for the Imperial court. Hewent to Farghana Valley (Tajikistan) famous for its heavenlyhorses, believed to be the fastest in the world, legend hadif that the army which possessed these horses would beinvincible.Later this Route attracted the attention of the traderswhose merchandise consisted of Silk, Spices, Gold & PreciousStones. Thus the great East- West Trade and cross cultureexchange route was named in the middle of the 10th centuryby German Scholar:-BARON FERDINAND VON RECHTHOFEN AS “DIE SIEDENS TRASSE.”“The SilkRoute”

Adventures, Traders, Merchants, Prince Merchants,Conqueross, Philosophers & Poets have journeyed across thisdesolate Inhospitable Terrain drawn irresislibly by theMagic, the Mystique of the Silk Route, HunTseng, Marco polothe kushans & the Mangols.

Although one of the oldest of the world great highways, the Silk Road, (Some times known as the Silk Route),Started from Chang- an present day Sian & struck north- west– wards, passing through the Kansu Corridor to the Oasis ofthe Tun-Huang in the Gobi desert, leaving Tun-Huang &passing through the famous jade Gate or Yu -men-kuan, ittheir divided, giving caravans a choice of two routes aroundthe perimeter of the Taklamakan desert. The northern ofthese two trails struck out then hugging the foothills ofthe “Tienshan” or Celestial Mountains it fallowed the lineof oases dotted along the northern rim of the Taklamakan,Passing through Turfan, karakash Kucha- Aksu, Tumchuk &Kashgar, The southern route threaded its way betweennorthern ramparts of Tibet & the desert edge, againfallowing the oases, enduring Miran, Endere, Kariya, Khotan& Yarkand, form there it turned north wards around the farend of the Taklamakan to rejion the northern route atKashgar, from Kashgar the Silk Road continued west wardsstarting with a long perilous ascent of the high Pamir, “

Caravans at the Silk

The Roof of the world” Here it passed out of the Chineseterritory into what is now Soviet central Asia, ContinuingVia Khokand, Samarkand, Bokhara, Meru through Persia andIraq.

Another branch left thesouthern route at the farend of the Takalamakan &took in Balkh, today inNorthern Afghanistanrejoining the west- boundSilk Road at Meru- animportant feeder Road, toIndia, also left thesouthern route at Yarkand,climbed the hazardousKarakoram Pass, the ‘Gate ofIndia’ to Ladakh & Srinagarbefore beginning the easyride down to the markets of

Mumbai coast.The traders who came from Sinkiang or Central Asia to

Ladakh were called Hor’s or Yarkandis. They were partiallyor fully involved in trade. The traders ranged from merchants-princes to aristocrats, ordinary peasants, nomads & porters. Theybrought north them Pashmina, Salt. Carpets, Bales of Cotton& Silk Fabric, Porcelain Crockery, Dyes & Medicines amongsthost of other commodities & luxurious goods. Some of thismerchandise they traded in Kargil & the rest they carriedwith them on their future following distinct lands.

The Silk Route carried much else besides silk. Thesecaravans were laden with gold & other valuables metals,woolen & linen textiles, Ivory, Coral, Amber, Preciousstones, fur, bronze objects such as belts, buckles, weapons& mirror not all these goods traveled the whole length ofthe silk Road many if the item being bartered & sold at theoases or towns on the way. . The Central Asian traders had acaravan of 30 to 40 horses each. Each horse carried two totwo half mound.

Uzbek faces

The traders came to Ladakh through the caravan routeover the Karakoram pass which was connecting easternTurkistan with ladakh. However there were three famousroutes which were known as feeder route from Kashgar toGilgit over the Hindukush via Nagar and Hunza. From Yarkendto Skardoo via Kargil and from Kashgar to Yarkend to Lehand Kargil over Karakoram. Thus eastern Turkistan known asSiankaing had routes with Ladakh.

KARGIL IN CONTEXT WITH SILK ROUTEFor many of us Kargilhas become synonymouswith the indo Pakistanconflict and war of1999. But perhaps whatis little known is thatfor centuries the areaLay on the southern partof the silk route andwas an important tradingpost on a network ofregional and international routes. Traders from india,Yarkand, Kashgar , Kotan , central Asia, Tibet, Kashmir,china, Baltistan and within Ladakh itself all came throughKargil with their wares. Kargil has a rich history andculture and has nurtured several tribes and languages, thesix major tribes in the region are Purik, Balti, Bhoto,Shina, Dardi and Kashmiri. These people mostly depend onagriculture and animal husbandry for their subsistence. Theclimate of the region is harsh, with temperature droppingto -300C to -400C in winter. Heavy snowfall forces people tolive in isolation for longer periods.

CENTRAL ASIANTRADE AND MUNSHIAZIZ BHAT MUSEUM

During the period 1880- 1950 all trading activity in Kargilboth retail and large scale trading was run and controlledby Punjabis and Hoshiapuri Lalas. It was in this period thatMunshi Aziz Bhat, 1866-1948 managed to rise as a large scaletrader in the region. Munshi Aziz Bhat joined Revenuedepartment as a Patawari, but quit his job in 1915 to tryhis luck in business. In August 1915 he in partner with aPunjabi Sikh merchant Sardar Kanth sing started a retail cumwhole sale shop with a buffer money of 6000 silver coinswhich is equal to Rs. 600,000 these days. Luck favored themand by the end of the year they had made an annual profit ofRs 9000 . in the year 1920, his partnership with SardarKanth Singh broke and he established his own large scaletrading business with the help of his two older sons and acousin.

The enterprise was called “Munshi Aziz Bhat And Sons”within a great span of time Aziz Bhat became the large scaletrader of the region having his trade contact in all thefour direction. In the meanwhile he was also appointed asthe official petition writer of the Maharaja of the Jammuand Kashmir state for Baltistan Wazarat.

Beside he also construct a sarai the Aziz Bhat Sarai.The first ever inn in Kargil for the central Asian traders.The Sarai is a three storied squared building in old KargilBazar and also housed with seven shop from where Aziz Bhatoperate his business. The ground floor of the inn was usedto keep horse and straw. The first floor to keep the goodsof the traders and the third floor was used for theirboarding and lodging by the traders. The Sarai wasconstructed in 1920. This sarai was the main hub ofactivities which was a depot for goods going in alldirections not only the silk route but also to Tibet, Indiaand Baltistan routes.( Jannet Rizivi, Ladakh the cross roadon Himalayas p:260). The sarai can even be found in Kargilon the banks of river Suru in old Caravan Bazar.

Aims and objectives of the museum The main aim of us is:-

Rear view of Aziz Bhat

1. To establish the first evermuseum of its kind in Ladakh(and most probably in India) ofCentral Asian Trade and Kargilarts and Artifacts.

2. To establish a centre topreserve the artifacts presentlyavailable to us, that we might

acquire in future or might be donated by variousinterested persons.

The aim is not just to preserve these artifacts but alsothrough these to preserve our culture, history, traditionand customs which are fastdisappearing especially becausethe younger generation is copyingthe western culture and habitsbadly. A few years ago our friendDr. Raveena Agarwal fromUniversity of Indiana (USA) wasdoing her thesis “Kesar Saga” in Kargil and she told manythings that we didn’t know about the Saga. She also saidthat if our culture were not preserved locally, some day wemight need to travel to USA or England to know about ourculture, we plan to add a contemporary art section in theMuseum to encourage young upcoming artists.

Though 95% of the artifacts belong to us, we do notwant to make it a personal or private Museum. We want toconvert it into a trust which will have local, National andInternational members, who take interest in our history andculture and the overall development of our area. Thus theaim is to establish a centre in Kargil for visit, study andresearch for locals, tourist and research scholars and keepit growing with the passage of time. We also want to try forcultural exchange and experience sharing and organizingexhibition with other National and International Museums andOrganization.

Text by :- Gulzar Hussain Munshi

Computer and edition :- Mohammad Hussain Karith (Ladakh Social Service Association Kargil)

Desigend by :- Ajaz Hussain Munshi, Hassan Khan Shakar

Graphics :- Own Ali (APTECH Computer InstituteKargil).

Photographs by :- Riyaz – ul- Hassanain Munshi Fayaz – ul – Hassanain Munshi.

Cover :- Ariel view of Kargil Town End Paper :- Kashgar International Market.