The Great Silk Road and Merv
Merv and Silk Road
The Great Silk Road, the romanticism of long distance journeys and the exoticism of overseas countries are felt in the composition of this word. However, hidden behind it, above all, are geographers’ fight, the courage of caravan leaders and daring sailors, and witty reckonings of merchants and foreseeing politicians. Naturally, skillful handcraft work of craftsmen whose goods were carried from east to west and from west to east, along the vast steppes, dense forests, and mighty mountains reaching the sky and along the width of the seas and oceans. The Great Silk Road is an exchange not only of goods, but also of the ideas produced in science, culture, arts, and eventually lives of people (Boris, 2002).
Silk is a soft and shiny fiber produced by silkworm and most often used as an industrial material in China previously, was later utilized as a commercial medium of exchange.
Each country had a profit in transporting silk to the west. It was very important to possess the caravan routes for this. The roads which caravans used were called as “the Silk Road”. On the Silk Road, in addition to silk, spices, precious stones, fur, grain, glass, oil, honey, ivory products were transported.
The caravan setting out from China’s historical city of Xian, which is considered as the beginning of the Silk Road arrives in Istanbul passing through China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, respectively. From Istanbul or the Aegean coast, Venetians and the Genoese transport these goods to Europe.
During the times when such Turkmen states as Parfia, Hun and Gok Turkmen’s gained strength, they kept the control of the Great Silk Road. This in turn had a major impact on the strengthening of the public economy and the increase in welfare.
The goods of trade caravans travelling through the Great Silk Road were marketed in the September bazaar established every year in the city of Batnu in Mesopotamia by Parfians. In this place, they sold Syrian, Greek, Roman and other European traders of silk Indian fabrics, expensive stones, iron products, ivory and so on (Garayew, 2010).
Commercial activities developed within the setting of political unity provided by the Seljuk’s. We can handle trade in three categories: internal trade, external trade and transit trade. There was an interaction between the domestic trade and development of city life.
Open space markets and grand bazaars in retail trade and public houses in wholesale trade were important. The merchants in the open space markets and grand bazaars were busy with production and retail trade. The merchant body was a group of entrepreneurs participating in internal and external trade, equipping caravans, importing goods and organizing industrial activities for trade.
Bazaars and fairs were under state protection and control. Exchanges of goods and cash took place side by side.
Apart from the taxes collected from markets, other goods of all kinds brought in and out of the city were subject to taxes. This tax called tunga during the time of Ilkhanids was collected by sahnes.
In the 13th century, masters of trade and crafts came together within the body of organization called Akhi community. This organization regulated economic, political and moral rules and performed important services in overcoming of political crises and difficulties (Tezgen, 2011).
During the time of the Anatolian Seljuk’s, by acting as judges in problems of various professions, members of the Akhi community controlled institutions’ relations with the state.
The control of goods sold in bazaars and markets in terms of both quality and price was one of the main tasks of the organization of Akhis. Akhi organization, operating in a wide range of fields, gathered many statesmen, brethren and scholars.
From the 14th century onwards, it highlighted its activities in the economic field by taking the form of organized trade unions.
12th century onwards the Turkmens settled in Anatolia were involved in foreign trade both among themselves and with the Greeks and Armenians.
Horses, camels and mules transported people and their loads in caravans. Since camels were able to carry the load at all times and in difficult conditions, they were ideal transporters.
A camel could carry around an average of 250 kilos, which was at least twice as much of the load a horse or a mule could, at a relatively low cost. Furthermore, hybrid camels Turkmens bred from Double humped camels of Central Asian camels and single humped Arabian camels (Baktriane) were highly appropriate for cold and rainy Anatolian climate and harsh Anatolian land.
These camels used in the caravan traffic between Tabriz and Istanbul could carry heavier loads than the Arabian camels.
However, since slowly walking camels were useless riding animals, merchants used to hire or buy horses, mules or donkeys in addition to the camels which carried their loads.
Although the Silk Road, which undertook a very effective role in the development of economy of countries, functioned as a bridge of friendship between nations in the past, it is a fact that in various periods of history there were battles to hold the possession of this international road (Garayew, 2010).
Importance of the Great Silk Road
We think that importance of Silk Road is:
a. This road was bridge between trade and culture of west and east.
b. Trade was developed and economy on this road was stirred up.
c. Life was improved by exchanging goods and foods from east to west.
The “Great Silk Road” was effective especially in the conversion of Merv into a cultural center. This road’s passing through Merv made it possible to get acquainted with Western culture and neighboring peoples’ cultures. Moreover, the translation of Greek and Indian books written in the 8th century about philosophy and medicine paved the way for this. There were many scholars from Merv such as Parfian scholar AN-shih-Gao, who founded the school translating the Buddhist texts into Chinese in 148 AD in China, Mar Ammon, who translated Mani texts into Parfian language, vizier Anushirvan I, the physician Barzia, musician and singer Barbad, Jewish scholar Sehil Ibn Rabban et Tabari, who translated Batlamius’ Almajest into Arabic, Farabi’s teacher İohann, who brought new views into world culture such as the idea that science, philosophy and religion are essentially the same and the idea of political science, and ibn Haylan’s teacher. The philosophy, expelled from Athens during the Hellenistic period reached Antioch from Alexandria and was passed on to people from Merv rather than those who had come from other cities. This indicates that there is an intellectual culture accumulated based on a solid foundation within the community that existed in this region.
One of the Middle-Age historians mentioned Merv as “the mother of the cities of Khorasan.” Caravans leaving from Merv went to Serahsa, then Nisaphur (Iran), and later Merv Abiverd, Nusay, Ferab and Dehistan. They went in the direction of Amul (now the city of Lebap in Turkmenistan) from Merv as the third road. One of the greatest trade routes in Merv was the caravan road.
It is understood that the city of Merv was also a center where agricultural products were grown. Because of the dense population in Merv, the available wheat wasn’t enough and the wheat was supplied from Abivert (the name of a city in Turkmenistan, Kahka city) and Serahs.
Moreover, the money earned through exports in Merv increased. Goods produced in Merv were sold to Iraq and Egypt, so serious export proceeds were gained at that time. In this regard, it is mentioned in the historical resource “Hudud al-alem” that products coming from Merv such as high-quality cotton, cookies made of goat’s milk, vine vinegar, silk fabrics were sold.
Merv’s dried fruits including raisins, melon and various other dry foods were highly demanded in other states. Istahri approved the quality of the fruits by saying that Merv’s fruits were so sweet that melons were sliced and sold to Iraq, such a situation cannot be witnessed anywhere else. Similarly, Kazvini says the best of (Merv’s) fruits such as pears, grapes and melon were dried and sold in several provinces.
Raw materials that formed the basis for trade were brought to Turkmens from neighboring countries. When there were trade relations with Turkic peoples during the Middle Ages, such metals as gold and silver and stones like agate, turquoise, garnet, coral, ruby, emerald and chrysotile were frequently brought from Iran, Eastern Turkistan, China and India.
These precious stones that came to Merv and processed by Turkmen goldsmiths were a significant source of income. One of the Turkmen handicrafts that was immemorially practiced and transferred to younger generations through master-apprentice relationship was jewellery. In the hands of goldsmiths, jewellery turned into a fine art and means of subsistence. Available archaeological and ethnographic sources demonstrate that the jewellery and craftsmanship were developed in Turkmenistan.
These findings provide information on the emergence and development of the art of jewellery among Turkmens. According to the information given by researchers, most of these adornments consist of ornamental jewellery items designed for women. The existence of necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets among these items shows that adornments by jewellers were designed for ornamental purposes and each of these had a significant place.
In this context, an international scientific research group called “the Great Silk Road –a dialog path – a path to peace” was formed with the decision of UNESCO by taking into account the historical significance of the famous Silk Road, and lots of effort is made to revive this international trade road. In this regard, six of the countries which “The Great Silk Road” goes through agreed to the opinion that this important heritage should be accepted as a part of the world heritage with the sponsorship of UNESCO.
