Safa Ali
History 103
June 23, 2008
Chapters [4 & 5] Primary Source [A Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim along the Silk Road] One of the predominant luxuries in the 1750's that had an economic, political, as well as a religious value was silk. Its production first began in China circa 5000 B.C.E. Although the technique used in producing it, was kept a secret for many centuries, its cultivation, nonetheless, spread to other regions in the world including Europe, North Africa and the Middle East via the Silk Road. In the narrative, A Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim along the Silk Road, Xuanzang describes how silk was introduced to the Western kingdom of Khotan and how it has flourished the many centuries since the Chinese princess imported the first mulberry seeds.
Xuanzang began his journey traveling west to improve his religious knowledge, explore the various Indian Buddhist Temples and to retain scriptures as well as statues of the Buddha. It was in Indian that Xuanzang learned the main difference between the Chinese's silk production and the Indian Buddhist use of silk. As the Trading Tastes book mentions, Buddhism was considered a "salvation religion" which meant that Buddhists believed in an afterlife depending on the way one lives in this world. If they lead a pious, righteous life where they adhere to the rules set by the Buddha; they will be rewarded a blissful life after death. In other words, this idea of "salvation religions" decreased the value of silk as a luxury good because people believed in a higher power of spiritual salvation which lessened the value of all materialistic things in the eyes of Buddhists, among many others believers. Furthermore, as a Mahayana Buddhist, Xuanzang and others were expected to donate the silk they possessed to Buddhist shrines, monastries, and various religious institutions; instead of retaining them in tombs and graves. As the book observes, "thus wealth that might once have been buried with the rich and powerful was instead donated to religious institutions." This new spiritual growth as well as mentality shift resulted in a "steady growth in the wealth of churches and monasteries all over Eurasia".
The second issue that the Chinese scholar narrates is how silk spread to various parts of the world. It was said that the King of Kustana wished to marry one of the Chinese princesses from the royal family to better relations with the Chinese. Knowing that western kingdom, lacked any sources of silk, the Chinese princess hid some mulberry seeds and silkworm eggs in her headdress; thus she was a means by which other western nations discovered the secrets of silk production. The princess journey also, had an economic implication on the Eastern Kingdom namely China because it was no longer the leading country exporting the world's most expensive and highly valued commodity. In addition, various European and Middle Eastern nations competed with China, not just on the basis of silk, but perhaps on lines of introducing new cultures and religions such as Christianity and Islam, which transformed the believes and lives of many citizens. Furthermore, the textbook argues that the "main hindrance" to the spread of silk "was the vast amount of knowledge and the need for a significant investment in (otherwise pretty useless) mulberry trees and bushes that slowed the expansion of sericulture" (pg. #114). However, this problem was later resolved by sending expert silk growers and weavers to other countries such as Japan.
Unlike the primary source,
the Trading Tastes book, mentioned a third political and economic
factor in the
use of silk. It was a form of currency
mainly during the Zhou and preceding eras.
As noted in the text, "the Han government collected silk as
payment
from taxes and paid the salaries of imperial officials in silk" (pg.
#120). This placed the power on the
hands of government agents which further contributed to the growth of
an elite
and rich bureaucratic class and perhaps a devoted merchant and
religious monk
such as was the case with Xuanzang.