Unit7TheSilkroad.docx
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Unit7TheSilkroad
Unit7-The-Silk-road
Unit7TheSilkroad
TheSilkRoadreferstoatransportrouteconnectingancientChinawithCentralAsia,WestAsia,Africa,andtheEuropeancontinent.Itappearedasearlyasthesecondcenturyandwastraveledmainlybysilkmerchants.Theterm"SilkRoad",or“dieSeidenstrasse”inGerman,wasfirstnoteddownbytheGermangeographerFerdinandvonRichthofenattheendofthe19thcentury.
TheSilkRoadbeganinChang'an(present-dayXi'an,capitalofShaanxiProvince),passingthroughGansuandXinjiangtoCentralAsia,WestAsia,andtolandsbytheMediterranean.TherewerenosignsofcommunicationbetweenancientChinesecivilizationandMediterraneancivilizationinearlierhistory.InabouttheseventhcenturyBC,theancientGreeksbegantolearnaboutanancientcivilizationtotheeast,yetknewlittleaboutit.BeforetheSilkRoad,accordingtoarcheologicalfindings,therehadalreadyexistedanintermittent(断断续续的)traderouteonthegrasslandsfromtheYellowRiverandtheIndusRiverdrainageareastotheEuphratesandtheTigris,andtheNiledrainageareas.YetrealcommunicationbetweenChina,CentralandWestAsiancountriesAfricaandtheEuropeancontinentdidnotdevelopuntilthe
Hanandblockedthedynasty'spathwest.Underthesecircumstances,EmperorWuappointedZhangQiantoleadateamofmorethan100envoys(使者)totheWestemRegions.ThemissionwastounitetheIndo-ScythicpeopleagainsttheHuns,whooncekilledtheirchieftain(首领).ZhangQian'steamsetoutin138BC.NosoonerhadtheyenteredtheHexiCorridor(northwestofpresent-dayGansuProvince),thantheywerecapturedbytheHuns.Afterbeingheldunderhousearrestforovertenyears,ZhangQianandonlyoneotherremainingenvoymanagedtoescapeandreturntoChang'anin126BC.TheiraccountsabouttheWesternRegionswerearevelationtotheHanemperorandhisministers.
Inthenexttwodecades,EmperorWulaunchedthreemajorcampaignsagainsttheHuns,forcingthemtoretreatfromtheWesternRegions.In119BC,theemperorsentZhangQianonasecondmissiontotheWestenRegions.ThistimeZhangQianwentfurtherwest,whilehisdeputiesreachedmorethanadozencountriesinSouthandWestAsia,andtheMediterranean.
ZhangQian'stwomissionstotheWesternRegionsopeneduptheroadtothewest.EmperorWuadoptedaseriesofmeasurestostrengthentieswiththeWesternRegions,includingencouragingHanpeopletotradethere.Soontheroutewasbustling(繁忙的,热闹的)withcaravans(旅行队)ofcamelscarryinggoodsofalltypesandreverberating(回响)withthetinkling(叮当声)oftheirbells.ThroughtheSilkRoad,tradeflourishedbetweenChinaandCentral,SouthandWestAsiancountries,AfricaandEurope.In166,envoysfromRomearrivedviatheSilkRoadinChang'an,wheretheysetupanembassy.
TheSilkRoadalsofacilitatedactivetradebetweenIndiaSoutheastAsia,WestAsia,Africa,andEurope.Theexchangeofnewgoodsandtechnologiesfromdifferentcontinentsgreatlyhelpedtopromotethedevelopmentofallthecivilizationsinvolved.
Openingtothe“West"
TheSilkRoadexertedaninestimableinfluenceonthelivesoftheChinesepeople.WhileChinesecultureandtechnology,suchaspapermakingandprinting,wereintroducedtocountriestothewest,Chinaalsoabsorbedmanyelementsfromthearts,philosophyandreligionsofmanyothercountries.ThishelpedtopromoteanopenpolicytowardotherculturesfromtheHantoTangdynasties.
TheSilkRoadhighlightsaperiodofhistorywhenChinalookedwestforafarthervisionoftheworld.Totheeast,apartfromtheislandsofthePacificandJapan,thecountryfacedonlyahugeocean.Tothewest,incontrast,thereweremanycountriesintheWesternRegionsandbeyond.Bythetenthcentury,Chineseexplorershadalreadyrealizedtherewererichcountries,attractivegoodsandartworks,anddifferentpeoplesbeyondtheWesternRegions.Thisarousedgreatinterestinthe"west"amongancientChinesepeople.
Buddhism,forexample,wasfirstintroducedtoKhotanKingdom(coveringpresent-dayHetianareaofXinjiang)intheWesternRegionsin87,andthengraduallyspreadtotheCentralPlainsalongboththesouthernandnorthernroutesoftheSilkRoad.ThisreligionhassinceexertedahugeinfluencenotonlyonChinesebeliefsbutalsoonthedevelopmentofChinesethinking.NestorianismandIslamwerealsointroducedtoChinathroughtheSilkRoad.
CulturesandartsfromotherlandshaveleftvaluablelegaciesalongtheSilkRoad,suchasthemurals(壁画)intheGaochang,KucheandDunhuanggrottoes.TheystandasevidenceofastunningblendofChineseandwesternartandculture.
MuralsintheKucheGrottoes
AsBuddhismspreadeastalongtheSilkRoad,manylargetemplesandgrottoeswerebuiltinoases(绿洲),housingexquisitestatuesandmurals.Mostofthemhavebeendestroyedordamagedoverthecenturies,yetsomehavesurvived,especiallythemuralsingrottoes.Ofthese,themuralsoftheQiuciKingdom,coveringtoday'sKucheareainXinjiang,aresomeofthemostremarkable.
WhilemostofthegrottomuralsinKuchedepictBuddhisttales,anumberofthemattractspecialattentionbyrepresentingarichmixoftheancientculturesofChina,India,Egypt,Greece,Mesopotamia,andCentralAsia.
SomepaintingsdepictimagesoftheBuddhawithabrightaura(氛围)emittingfromhisarms,legsandfeet.Flyingapsarasareseenplayingallsortsofmusicalinstruments,suchasthepipa,panpipeandflute.Thesungodsitsonatwo-wheeledchariot(双轮战车),andthegolden-wingedkingofbirdsappearseitherasatwo-headedeagleoraneaglewithahumanhead.SeahorseswithwingsinflightanddovesholdingringsofflowersintheirbeaksbearaclearresemblancetoGreekart.
Shiva,wearingacolorfulrobe,hasthreehumanheads,oneanimalhead,andthreehands.Parvati(alsospelledparvathiorParvathy,aHindugoddessandnominallythesecondconsort(配偶)ofShiva)sportsearringsandbeautifuljewelryonherhead,armsandhands.Somefrescos(壁画)depictPersiankingsandknightsinhelmetsandsuitsofarmor,andartistsinEgyptian-styleblackwigs(假发)holdingbrushesandpalettes(调色板)intheirhands.
Manypicturesportrayscenesofsonganddance.Amongthemanymusicalinstruments,rangingfromthoseofChina(panpipe[排箫]andruanxian,aplucked[弹]instrument),Persia(pipa,suona,awoodwindinstrument,andtheverticalkonghou,apluckedinstrumentwithfiveto25strings),India(bowedkonghouandafive-stringedinstrument),andGreece(lila,apluckedstringedinstrument),arealsoseenawidevarietyofflutes,hornsanddrums.
Dancerscanbedividedintosolosandduets(双人舞).Singlemaledancersusuallysportlongscarves(围巾),whichflyintheairasthedancersswirl(旋动)rapidly.Femalesoloistswearonlycapesandnecklacesofpearlsandjadeontheirnakedbodies.Duetscompriseamaleandafemaleofdifferentcomplexions.ThemaleusuallysportsBuddhistrobesandhashisarmonthefemale'sshouldersoraroundherneckinanintimatemanner.Thefemalewearsapairofpantswithflaredbottomsandplaysabowedkonghouinamostfeminineposture.TheirbodiescurveinanSshape,withboththemaleandfemaleinaduetdanceonhalf-tiptoes.ThedancingstylerepresentsthatofIndiaandWestAsia.
MostoutstandingofthemuralsinKuchearealargenumberofnude(裸体的)humanimages,especiallyofbeautifulfemalebodies.Theseincludemanyfemaleacolytes(随者)listeningtotheBuddhaespousing(拥护)Buddhistteachings.HighlightsarethefemaledancerswithS-shapebodycontours(轮廓),fullbreastsandroundbuttocks(臀部).ThesepaintingsshowaclearinfluenceofIndianandGreekart,especiallyBuddhistartfromIndia.
Afineexampleisthemuraldepictingwhatscholarscall"Mahamaya(motherofGautama)bathing".Theyounglady,uncoveredexceptforherprivateparts,standscrossedleggedunderatreewithfire-shapedflowers.Shesportsafewflowingribbonsonherbodyandjewelryaroundherneckandwrists.Twomaidsarekneelinginfrontofher.Twoothergirlsarewalkingtowardthetree,eachholdingajarofwateronhershoulder.Theircostumeshavewave-likepatternswithdark-yellowhems(褶边)andtheirwaterjarsevokeanancientGreekstyle.ThemuralasawholefeaturesbothGreekandIndianartisticinfluences.
AnotherfrescobearingclearGreekandIndianconnectionshasakingandhisqueenassubjects.Theking,withapaleyellowcomplexion,sitscross-leggedinthecenter.Hiswifesitsonhisright,restingherlefthandontheking’s,shoulder.Thequeenwearsassortedjewelryonhernakedbody,includingthreegoldchainsaroundherwaistthattieintoaknotinthefrontofherbody.Shewearssnake-shapedleggings(裹腿),andbothsheandthekingwearearrings.Thekinghasbrighteyesandhandsomefeatures.Heisholdingthehandofachild,andaBuddhistmonkiskneelinginfrontofhim.AladyinGreekcostumebehindthechildisspeakingexcitedlytotheking.Twoservantsstandbehindthekingqueen,withtheirpalmspressedtogetherinBuddhistgreeting.
Thekuchegrottomuralsrepresentarichtreasure-houseleftbytheSilkRoad.Theyarehistoricalconfirmationthattheexchangesandintegrationofdifferentcivilizationsbringforththemostbrilliantflowersofart.