Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s1.18

v2.c13.s1.18

Besides the main lines of the Silk Road mentioned above, there were a lot of branches. With the changes over time and the development of political and religious conditions in the regions through which they passed, the importance of the various routes changed and new roads were constantly being opened up. In recent years, some scholars have broadened the concept of the Silk Road. They call the road passing through the oasis states through the desert as the Oasis Road. The route passing through the nomadic areas in northern China is called the “Prairie Road” and the southernmost route has been termed the “Maritime Silk Road” or “South China Sea Road”. Some scholars also emphasise the importance of a particular commodity or religion so they refer to various roads such as the “Fur Road”, “Jade Road”, “Jewelry Road”, “Perfume Road”, “Ceramic Road”, “Buddhist Road” etc. Although these concepts help to throw light on the broader nature of east-west traffic, they cannot fully convey the character of the original Silk Road.