Silk Road Summary

The Silk Road is covered in one of the English textbook's most fascinating chapters for Class 11 students. Historically, the trading route that linked China and the rest of the Far East alongside the Middle East & Europe was known as the Silk Road. The Han Dynasty in Chinese history ultimately opened the doors for trade with Western nations in 130 B.C., opening the route for the first time. The route is known as the Silk Road was then opened, and until 1453 A.D., merchants from the West travelled along it with their wares. The Ottoman Empire rejected trade with China, leading to the Silk Road's closure. Since 600 years ago, the road has been closed. Even yet, it had such a profound effect on Asian trade and commerce that it fundamentally altered the region's economy, culture, and history?changes that are still evident today.

Biography of Nick Middleton

Nick Middleton, a British physical geographer, was born in 1960. His area of expertise is desertification. Nick Middleton is an author, TV host, environmental scientist, and university lecturer who has won awards for his work. He was fascinated by his family's globe atlas, Herge's Adventures of Tintin, and an unending supply of Willard Price books from an early age, which stoked his curiosity regarding the way the planet Earth functions and how people engage with it. At the present, he works and speaks on a wide range of environmental concerns and travel-related topics for a wide range of audiences, including government policy-makers and elementary school students. He teaches at the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of "St Anne's College" there.

In addition to a television series he created and hosted for Channel 4, including the National Geographic Channel, about hostile environments with the people who live in them, Nick is a writer of seven travel books, which include the best-seller Going to Extremes. In addition to his television documentaries, his books have been translated into more than 12 different languages.

The birthplace of Middleton is London, England. He has visited more than 70 nations while working as a geographer. In the class 11 NCERT textbook, a section of his novel Silk Road is incorporated. In 2002, he was given the Ness Award by the Royal Geographical Society. He's been featured on BBC 2's In Tibet; he met Norbu, who later joined him in Through the Keyhole.

Character Analysis of Story

Nick Middleton

The story's narrator is Nick Middleton. He's headed for Mount Kailash. He is exceedingly bold, fearless, and brave. While traveling, he encounters numerous challenges.

Lahmo

In order to practice Kora, the author, Nick Middleton, travelled to Tibet. He had to stay with locals in Ravu while traveling to Mount Kailash; Lhamo was the daughter of the family he had lived with for a few days. She became friends with the author and gave him a drokba, a long-sleeved wool coat that Tibetan men typically wear, just before he left Ravu. Lahmo believed the author lacked adequate warm clothing for the bitter cold he would experience later on when finishing the Kora.

Tsetan

Tsetan was an indigenous Tibetan who made a living driving tourists and visitors to tourist attractions in Tibet. Nick Middleton, the narrator, had booked a cab to take him from Ravu to Darchen. Tsetan was a pro at navigating the difficult high-altitude roads and rocky Tibetan landscape. When the author became unwell in Drachen as well, Tsetan brought him to medical school there. Tsetan thus provided the author with a lot of assistance in Tibet.

Daniel

The translator Nick Middleton had hired was named Daniel. He assisted the narrator in communicating with the Tibetans in the area. He travelled with the narrator all the way up to Hor. He left him there as he was leaving for Lahsa. Thankfully, he was given a lift in a truck to Lahsa.

Norbu

Norbu and the author met at Darchen. The "Chinese Academy of Social Sciences" at Beijing employed him as a Tibetan. He has also travelled to perform the Kora. They became friends and decided to practice the Kora together.

Silk Road Summary

Silk Road to finish the kora, the main character wishes to travel to Mount Kailash. He hired Tsetan to take him to Mount Kailash. Lhamo offered him a long-sleeved wool coat as a parting gift. Daniel served as his traveling buddy until Darchen. When they first began their trek, Tsetan went directly southwest and took a shortcut to Mount Kailash. To get there, they had to travel via several challenging mountain passes. Tsetan reassured him that it wouldn't be an issue if there weren't any snow. In addition to a few gazelles and shepherds caring for their sheep, they also passed across a tiny herd of wild asses.

When they reach the top of the hill, they come across some tents that are completely black. They found out they were nomads' homes and observed a Tibetan mastiff guarding the tents. As soon as they approached the tents, the canines with large fangs started chasing after their car. As they get closer to the valley, they notice rivers and mountains covered in snow and ice. The journey up the slope starts to turn drastically and become more uneven. As they kept going up and experienced the pressure, the author realized they were standing at 5210 m above the sea level. After conquering the first challenge of snow-covered roads, they were moving. The author starts to get anxious because of the height and pressure. After two o'clock in the afternoon, they stop for lunch. They ultimately arrive in the small village of "Hor" in the late afternoon. The author took a break in Hor and sat down to drink tea at a nearby caf�. Tsetan fixed the automobile during this period, and Daniel departed for Lhasa. Hor did not particularly appeal to the author. They continue their walk and spend the night at a guest house in Darchen. Due to the cold and elevation change, he suffers nasal congestion. He goes to a Tibetan doctor, who gives him a five-day prescription of medication.

When he encounters Norbu, another traveller, he becomes more at ease and loves his time in Darchen. The author decides to complete his journey alongside Darchen after learning that he has no fellow travellers. When they ultimately decide to employ yaks to transport their luggage, Norbu loses while grinning and slouching across the table. Norbu asserts that he would be unable to do it due to his enormous stomach.

Analysis and Conclusion of the story

The class 11 summary from the Silk Road demonstrates the benefits of perseverance and self-belief. The author had numerous difficulties that frequently caused him to lose enthusiasm for his travels, but he persisted and eventually managed to connect with someone who shared his enthusiasm for the kora. Both individuals discovered they shared the same reasons for making the trek. The author closes his travelogue on an upbeat note. He discovers that adopting a positive outlook on life does result in favourable outcomes.

To have a solid understanding of literature, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying meanings entailed in a work of writing, and this story beautifully portrays the art of literature.