Historic Tea Horse Road: Ancient trade route connecting India-China via Tibet

Why in the NEWS?

• China's ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, posted on X about the historic Tea Horse Road, which is more than 2,000 kilometers long and connects China to India through Tibet.

Key Points:

• The ancient Tea Horse Road bears witness to the exchange and interaction between China and India during the long river of history.
• Though not as famous as the Silk Road, which linked China and Europe, the Tea Horse Road was an important commercial route for centuries.
• Tea from all over China was transported to Xizang [Tibet], then transported through the Himalayan passes to Kolkata and sold widely in Europe and Asia.

What will you read next in this topic?

• What is the Tea Horse Road?
• Historical origin of the Tea Horse Road
• Centre of Trade: Tea and Horses
• Trading activities and government control
• Cultural and political impact of this route
• Decline of the Tea Horse Road
• Conservation and tourism of the Tea Horse Road

What is the Tea Horse Road?

• The Tea Horse Road was not a single route, but a network of many small paths.
• This route passed through the southwestern Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China to Tibet.
• From there it spread towards India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
• The major cities on this route were Lhasa, Dali, Lijiang and Kolkata.
• The journey on this route was extremely difficult, as it passed through high mountains, dangerous valleys and snowy passes.

Historical origin of the Tea Horse Road

• This route is believed to have originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
• The famous Buddhist monk Yijing has mentioned this route in his writings.
• At that time, tea, Chinese cloth and rice noodles were sent from southwestern China to Tibet and India.
• In return, horses, leather, gold, saffron and medicinal herbs were transported to China from Tibet and India.

Centre of Trade: Tea and Horses

• The Tea Horse Road was named "Tea-Horse Route" because it mainly traded tea and horses.

Tea Trade

• The production of tea in China was very high, but there was a huge demand for it in Tibet.
• According to a folklore, when Chinese princess Wencheng went to Tibet after marrying Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century, she also took tea with her.
• Soon, tea became an essential part of daily life for Tibetan nomads.
• It proved helpful in providing warmth and maintaining energy in cold weather.

Horse Trade

• There was a shortage of horses in the plains of China, while good breeds of horses were found in Tibet and Mongolia.
• China needed strong Tibetan horses for military campaigns.
• Under this trade, China used to send tea to Tibet and receive horses from there in return.
• Horses were very important for the Chinese army, especially during the Mongol invasions.

Trading activities and government control

• In the 10th century, the Chinese government established official centers in border counties to control the trade of this route.
• The function of these centers was to ensure the quality of tea and horses.
• The merchants also traded other goods through this route, such as cotton, silk, medicinal herbs and precious metals.
• The tea was packed in the form of "Compressed Tea Bricks", which were used as currency in Tibet.

Cultural and political impact of this route

• This route not only promoted trade, but also encouraged cultural exchange between China, Tibet and India.
• This route played an important role in the propagation of Buddhism.
• Tibetan Buddhist monks used to travel to various pilgrimage sites in China and India through this route.
• Through this, traditions of crafts, architecture and food also reached each other.

Decline of the Tea Horse Road

Decline in the 19th and 20th centuries

• The Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, due to which the importance of this route started decreasing.
• The development of sea routes between Europe and Asia reduced its utility.
• During World War II, this route was used to transport troops and supplies, but after that its commercial importance decreased.

Decline in the modern era

• After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, new roads and railways were built, making this route obsolete.
• The availability of modern means of transport eliminated the need for this route.
• After Mao Zedong's land reforms, the number of porters and labourers working on this route also decreased.

Conservation and tourism of the Tea Horse Road

• In recent years, China has developed this historical route as a tourist destination.
• Lijiang was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
• The historic centre of Lijiang is regarded as the confluence of the Southern Silk Road and the Tea Horse Road.
• The influence of different cultures can be seen in its architecture, art and social life.
• Local governments are making efforts to preserve the cultural significance of this route.