[Reader-list] Kashmir as HUB on Central Asia Trade Route. When was that?

[S. Jabbar]

Very briefly: there are 2 routes that lead into C. Asia from the erstwhile
state of J&K.
1. Via Gilgit & Hunza through the Khunjerab Pass
2. Via Leh & Nubra through the Karakorum Pass

These routes allowed traders from north India to bypass the longer and more
treacherous routes through the NWFP and Afghanistan.  Hub, very simply means
a node through which trade passed.  The more appropriate word is entrepot.
Since time immemorial traders used these routes into Kashgar and Yarkand
respectively.

In the 19th c. the British East India co. realized the value of these 2
passes and so began their totally schizophrenic relationship with the Dogras
starting with Gulab Singh himself, whose rule they began to undermine from
1846 itself.  This policy continued with Ranbir Singh and Pratap Singh
respectively until they pressured Kashmir to lease the Gilgit Agency to them
in, if I remember correctly,  1931.

The Mughal Road has little or nothing to do with the Silk Route.  The latter
was the east-west route between China and Europe that went through present
day Xinjiang and the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan etc. The
2 north-south routes from Kashmir were like tributaries from which flowed
pilgrims, scholars and traders (Buddhism went from Kashmir into C.Asia and
onwards to China & Japan through this route).  The Mughal Road simply links
Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley and yes, it could be argued that
there was a flow of traffic that went through this route into the Valley and
from there over the Zoji La into Ladakh and then onward through Nubra into
C.Asia.

Further reading: The Gilgit Game, John Keay; Tournament of Shadows, Meyer &
Bryzac; The Great Game, Peter Hopkirk, Kashmir & C.Asia., K.N. Warikoo



From: Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:52:52 -0800 (PST)
To: Sonia Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>, sarai list
<reader-list at sarai.net>
Subject: Kashmir as HUB on Central Asia Trade Route. When was that?

Dear Sonia
 
Bipin seems to have inadvertently posted into the Reader List your
correspondence with him.
 
The two of you were discussing Abolition of Article 370 / Industrial
Policies / Business and Employment Opportunities. Very pertinent
observations by you.
 
I found interesting/intriguing the following comment by you:
 
""""" the fact that Kashmir which was once an entrepot, a hub on the
lucrative Central Asia trade route """"""
 
I wonder what you meant by "HUB".
 
The two of you were discussing Indian Controlled Kashmir. Please do inform
when it was that Kashmir was a "hub" on the the Central Asia Trade Route.
There must be credible references testifying to that. Never too late to
learn.
 
While asking my question I have kept in mind both the routing of the "Silk
Road" as well as that of the "Mughal Road" (and it's purpose).
 
Repeating myself, Indian Controlled Kashmir is under reference and
especially the Valley
 
Kshmendra