Map of the Silk Road
Analyzing the political situation of this Xinjiang area during the time of this map’s creation might yield a larger understanding into the impact that various rulers had on the Silk Road’s direction. 1864 saw an uprising led by Khoqandi general Yaqub Beg revolting against the local Qing empire; Beg eventually moved his armies into a defensive position in the Tarim Basin and governed them as an independent state for several years. (Jacobs, 5) The Russian empire swooped in and conquered several of the remaining khanates which also contributed to the politically challenging atmosphere of this timeframe. (Jacobs, 5) British troops heading North from India similarly sought dominance in Central Asia in the Xinjiang region which created even more political turmoil. Their main enemy was the Russian empire; this battle soon became known as “The Great Game” across the world. (Jacobs, 5) Qing, Russian, British, and locally-based forces converged in this area when Richthofen’s illustration emerged which subsequently impacted how later generations depicted the Silk Road routes on paper.
Next, the historical importance of multiple cities along the Silk Road also impacted how Richthofen illustrated this collection of trade routes in 1877. Most notably, Dunhuang. Every cartographer needed to include this city at the forefront of any illustration of the Silk Road, and Richthofen’s map was no exception. Housing Cave 17, otherwise known as the Library Cave, proves one of several reasons why Dunhuang held so much historical importance. It can be found on the Eastern edge of the Taklamakan Desert very near the split between northern and southern routes around the barren wasteland. As such, Dunhuang culture had influence from travelers of numerous persuasions. Documents from seemingly every corner of the planet found themselves in this cave and in turn, probably along the entire Silk Road. This information tells us several things: physical items were passed along these trade routes, obviously, but the cultural exchange that followed these merchants had a significant impact on this region’s history.
In a similar way, Richthofen’s map held deeper significance amongst other scholarly works that emerged during and after this time. Famous thinker Emmanuel Kant even wrote sometimes in gross opposition to Richthofen’s definition of the Silk Road itself. (Chin, 196) Another famous geographer Sven Hedin even dove into this conversation later on in the 1930s after the popularity of the term “Silk Road” soared rapidly after Richthofen’s map published. (Chin, 196) Scholars from all around the world soon took notice of this map’s attention to detail and revered it as outstanding in the field of cartography. For example, one historian focused on Richthofen’s legend found in the bottom right hand corner of the map; here it explains how the blue colored path differs from the red one. “The blue color shows everything that is obtained from Chinese sources, the History of the Former Han Dynasty, in particular.” (Chin, 199) Richthofen graphed this region with incredible precision and inclusion of multiple viewpoints from around the Silk Road. His work then sparked a larger conversation surrounding the definition of the road itself and how it altered history of the Xinjiang area.
Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen’s map deserves the majority of the credit for spiking popularity in the Silk Road. As we discussed, many later generations of explorers utilized Richthofen’s map in their exhibitions to Central Asia. Several unique powers occupied territories along the Silk Road when this map emerged meaning the routes merchants commonly traveled contained numerous cultural influences. A concept now called “The Great Game” surfaced during this era and continued to influence politics along the longer collection of trade routes. Overall, this map holds significance in many ways. It was one of the very first to accurately portray the extensive paths connecting China and Rome. Incorporating viewpoints from several different sources was one of the several techniques Richthofen used to craft this masterpiece. Most importantly, the cultural exchange happening along these trade routes could now be traced back to various parts of the world. Wondering how Hebrew manuscripts made their way into Mogao Cave 17 became unnecessary once Richthofen circulated his illustrations. As we can deduce, this map played a significant role in the development of the larger Xinjiang area.
-Kevin Tinsley
Works Cited:
Chin, Tamara. “The Invention of the Silk Road, 1877.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 40, no. 1, 2013, pp. 194–219.
Jacobs, Justin M. The Concept of the Silk Road in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Oxford University Press, 2020.