A recent publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documents the flora and landscapes of the ‘Silk Route’, one of South Asia’s oldest trade routes, in a book titled ‘A Southern Silk Route: Sikkim and Kalimpong Wild Flowers and Landscapes’. The book is authored by Rajib Gogoi.
Some of the topics covered in the book
- Various species: The book documents 1,137 flowering plants, many butterflies, insects, birds and mammals.
- Apart from this, details are also given about the historical significance of the Silk Route and the relationship between botany and politics of the region.
- Windamere Palm: It is the main flowering plant found along the Silk Route. It is a wild palm species. Its scientific name is ‘Trachycarpus latisectus’.
- This species is facing the threat of extinction and only a few trees are left in the Kalimpong area.
- Rhododendron Niveum: It is the state tree of Sikkim, endemic to the Eastern Himalayas and found in the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary along the Silk Route.
Other Species: Other important flora found along the Silk Route include
- Impatiens Sikkimensis: It is an endangered balsam species.
- Daphne Ludlowii: It was used for the purpose of making paper for Buddhist manuscripts.
The Silk Route
- The Silk Route is generally regarded as the first global trade route in history.
- The term originates from the ancient Greek word for China, ‘Ceres’, which literally means ‘land of silk’.
- However, the term ‘Silk Road’ was first coined by German geographer and historian Ferdinand von Richthofen in 1877 to describe the trade routes.
- It was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East (Korea and Japan) with Central Asia and Europe (Turkey and Italy), passing through Kalimpong and Sikkim in India across the Far East and Middle Eastern Himalayas of Europe to Lhasa in Tibet.
- It was constructed by the Han Dynasty of China (206 BC to 220 AD) in 130 BC.
- The route was closed in 1453 AD when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China.
- Officially it was a route for trade with Western countries. • In addition, numerous other routes interlinked with this route served as a pool for the useful exchange of art, religion, cultures, ideas and technology.
- This route played an important role in the development of the civilisations of China, India, Persia, Europe and Arabia.