Short summary of chapter the silk road class 11
Answers
The author chronicles the challenges and hardships he faced in the Silk Road regions as they are now. The reader finds it refreshing to traverse such vast tracts of physical geography, expanses of the natural world that remain largely untamed.
As a trade route, the Silk Road has been less a single highway and more a network of overland routes linking Europe with Asia, making trade possible between those with a passion for silk, horses and exotic fauna and flora. Just about every transaction imaginable has occurred along its many trails over the centuries.
Middleton's particular passion consists of exposing himself to nature's vicissitudes like facing oxygen starvation in Tibet as he climbs towards the "navel of the universe," and other hardships during the journey.
The author is an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous academic than a daredevil. Researching the different forms of altitude sickness, he is alarmed to discover it can lead to swelling of the brain or to the lungs slowly filling with fluid.
Having no religious inclinations himself, he begins to speculate on Tibetan Buddhism as a prerequisite for survival at such an altitude, yet makes the classic Western error of putting bodily discipline before mental striving.
This account of the Silk Road, with its contrasts and exotic detail, certainly describes the challenges and hardships Middleton faced. However, if he had sacrificed some of the sense of his own heroism, and introduced instead more of a sense of wonder or of the absurd, the book would have proved a more entertaining read.
Answer:
Silk Road summary is about the author’s journey which starts from slopes of Ravu to Mt. Kailash. This was to complete the kora. Thus, it gives us an account of the journey they experience. Moreover, the main aim of the journey was religious mostly. We see that the author wishes to complete the journey to Mt. Kailash. Thus, in order to embark on this pilgrimage journey, he chooses a tough one. Further, the author hires Tsetan and takes along Daniel as an acquaintance to chaperon him to Darchen. Consequently, we learn about his journey and his experience through the Silk Road. He mentions how the people in hilly areas are rather sensitive. The author goes on to witness the beauty of Lake Mansarovar and Darchen. Moreover, he faces a lot of difficulties but is able to complete his pilgrimage due to his undeterred faith.
Explanation: