Silk Route brought various cultures together, says author

The Hindu

21-05-2025

The ancient Silk Route that connected the Roman Empire with China was not merely a road that facilitated transportation of goods but it also was a channel for exchange of cultures, author and retired IPS officer D.V. Guruprasad said in Belagavi on Tuesday.
'The Silk Route was not just a road. It was an organic being. It led to the growth of informed civilizations that assimilated languages and cultures that were alien to each other. It acted as a chain that held various land masses and cultures together,' he said.
He was speaking at a function to release his 100th book, Silk Route, in Kannada, and an interaction with readers at the Belgaum Club.
He described the book as a historical non-fiction work and not a travelogue. 'I have tried to cover historical facts that tend to have an influence on our modern life,' he said.
He said that he is working on five more books, including a detailed work on drug lord Pablo Escobar. 'All the five books will be released at once in June this year,' he said.
He said that he was fascinated by stories of the Silk Route since his childhood. 'I began reading all the books about it. They included The Silk Road by Peter Frankopan, I Xanadu by William Dalrymple, Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road, and Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud by Sun Shuyun,' he said.
He said that he prepared for writing the book for over a decade, of which he travelled two years.
'In preparing to write the book, I travelled to all the 40 countries on the Silk Route, except four. I met scholars, historians and even common people from these countries. I will go back and visit the four countries that I left out in the first leg of my research tour once the political conditions improve. I plan to write a sequel,' he said.
He said that he has ended the book saying how the world learnt important lessons on spirituality, culture, science, trade and agriculture and how it (Silk Route) has been a teacher of the world in the past.
'My research on the osmosis of Buddhism from India to the world made me curious enough to consider writing a book on spirituality,' Dr. Guruprasad said.
Superintendent of Police Bheemashankar S. Guled introduced the book. He described it as a treasure trove of stories that tries to capture a brief history of over 3,000 years in its 235 pages.
Dr. Guled engaged with young readers in the crowd by asking them questions about the Silk Route and the ancient civilisations of Asia and Europe and read out answers from the pages of the book.
Dr Guled said that the Silk Route read like a racy thriller but educated the readers as well. 'The reader is transformed into a time traveller who moves from China to Rome and back. It describes kings, merchants, commoners and even highwaymen,' he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Rani Channamma University C.M. Thyagaraj said that the book can help arose the curiosity of today's youth who have almost given up reading books. He appreciated the author's use innovative language.
'The book raises and answers several questions like, how was the Silk Route in the past, how is it now, what remains of it now? What was the life of the people like then and how it has changed now? It is history for the layman, presented in simple and engrossing language,' Dr. Thyagaraj said.
Commandant of the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre Brigadier Joydip Mukherjee released the book. He gave examples of books by various authors on history and international relations. He said that such works in Indian languages will lead to better research and publication of interesting material.
M.K. Jainapur, who has bought the first copy of every book by Dr. Guruprasad, received an autographed copy of the book.
The readers observed a one-minute silence in honour of Ramakant Joshi of Manohara Grantha Mala, Dharwad-based publisher of the book.
The event was organised by Belagavi Geleyara Balaga, World on Wheels and Belgaum 360.
Writer Sarjoo Katkar, Superintendent of Excise Vijay Hiremath, Assistant Drug Controller Raghuram Nidavanda and others were present.