Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-4

 Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

It is a bottomless ocean, am figuring out as I dive deep into silk theme. 

Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-3

 

Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

Heard of Niccolao Manucci? Unlikely. He was a Venetian writer from Italy. Doctor. Traveller. He spent time in India during the Mughal period as artillery man to Aurangazeb's younger brother Dara Shikoh. He lived, married and died in India. He wrote a book in French, Storia Do Mogor, and it was translated by William Irvine in 1913 under the name of Pepys of Mogul India (1653-1708), giving a detailed account of his observations during that period. 

What's of relevance to this series on silk is what he wrote. Scott Levi opens his chapter on Indian textiles with the following in his Caravan: Punjabi Khatri Merchants on the Silk Road...

It ought to be remembered that the whole of the merchandise which is exported from the Mogul kingdom comes from four kinds of plants - the shrub that produces the cotton from which a large quantity of cloth, coarse and fine, is made. .. The second is the plant which produces indigo... The third is one from which comes opium...  The fourth is the mulberry tree, on which their silk worms are fed ... and that commodity (silk) is grown on those tree. 

There are several other references to silk in Manucci's own book. Wherever he visits, silk is visible in some form or another. 

Forget Manucci's reference to silk about his commentary on silk recorded in early 18th century (1708 AD). Let us go back to travelogues of Chinese monks who came to India in search of visiting the Buddhist shrines. Taste this...

The Gomti priests, as they belong to the Great Vehicle, which is principally honoured by the king, first of all take their images in procession. About three or four li (0.5 km) from the city they make a four-wheeled image car about thirty feet high, in appearance like a moving palace, adorning with the seven precious substances. They fix it streamers of silk and canopy curtains..." 

...

"he makes gold and silver lotus flowers. He spreads soil behind the throne and arranges the paraphernalia of the priests' seats."

...

"having made figures of the devas, and decorated them with gold, silver and glass, they place them under canopies of embroidered silk. "

...

"The ground is rich inn minerals - gold, copper, iron and lead and tin. The air is soft and the manners of the people honest. The style of writing is Indian, with some differences. They excel other countries in their skill in playing on the lute and pipe. They clothe themselves with ornamental garments of silk and embroidery

These statements are strewn in the Buddhist Records of the Western World, translated by Sameul Beal in 1884 from the original Chinese written by Hiuen Tsiang in 629 AD. Yes, almost 1000 years before Manucci recorded his observations. 

More to come

CLICK here to reaad Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-1

CLICK here to reaad Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-2

Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-2

 

Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

Both India and China are ancient civilisations, an undisputable premise. If so, the debate over the origin of silk is inevitable: Who invented silk: China or India? Expectedly, it is dicey. Write I.L. Good, J.M. Kenoyer and R.H. Meadow in their research paper titled "New Evidence For Early Silk in the indus Civilization" published in 2009:

Silk is an important economic fibre, and is generally considered to have been the exclusive cultural heritage of China. Silk weaving is evident from the Shang period c. 1600–1045 bc, though the earliest evidence for silk textiles in ancient China may date to as much as a millennium earlier. Recent microscopic analysis of archaeological thread fragments found inside copper‐alloy ornaments from Harappa and steatite beads from Chanhu‐daro, two important Indus sites, have yielded silk fibres, dating to c. 2450–2000 bc. 

This study offers the earliest evidence in the world for any silk outside China, and is roughly contemporaneous with the earliest Chinese evidence for silk. 

Meanwhile, Carles Buenacasa Perez writing in National Geographic in 2017 tracing the origin of Silk Road, attributes the discovery of silk to Xia dynasty in 2070 B.C. How the wife of Yellow Emperor noticed something falling into her tea cup and her "Eureka" moment.

Leaving aside the India vs China debate for the moment, let us delve deep. Greek philosopher Aristotle talks about sericulture being practiced in 4th century BCE in Kos, a Greek island. How did the Chinese silk land in Greece? Trade. Via caravan. That's where the Silk Road comes in. As historians agree, the Silk Road is not a single highway network but an intertwined highways stretching from Pacific to Caspian Sea. 

Back to silk again.  Silk was equated with vanity in the Roman empire. This is what Seneca the Younger wrote in the first century B C:

I can see clothes of silk, if materials that do not hide the body, nor even one's decency, can be called clothes. ... Wretched flocks of maids labor so that the adulteress may be visible through her thin dress, so that her husband has no more acquaintance than any outsider or foreigner with his wife's body.

In China where silk is believed to have originated, silk was not for everyone. Not from the cost perspective. Of course, it was expensive. There were regulations. Even bureaucrats were given particular colours to adorn. Not every hue. Strict laws were in place and enforced. No wonder even the Roman kings demanded regulating who can and cannot wear silk. Such was the status of silk. 

China considered sericulture as state secret. Violators were severely dealt with. 

"Westbound traders had to wait several days to pay their exit duties while soldiers carefully searched their baggage to make sure no one was smuggling silkworms or cocoons out of the country," writes Carles Buenacasa Perez quoted earlier. 

If so, how did silk moved westwards is a pertinent question. Thanks to horses, silk came out of China for the first time, according to historical evidence. During the reign of Emperor Wudi (141-87 BC) of the Han dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD), he was briefed by the explorer Zhang Qian about a special breed of horses in the Fergana valley which the autocratic ruler felt was a perfect fit for his cavalry and thus allowed the trading of silk with the inhabitants of Fergana region. 

There is a first century B C poem on these Fergana steeds after their arrival in China...

The heavenly horses arrive from the Western frontier / 

Having traveled 10,000 li, they come with great virtue. /

 With loyal spirit, they defeat foreign nations / 

And crossing the deserts, all barbarians succumb in their wake! 

More to come...

CLICK this link to read Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-1

Nothing To Do With Silk Smitha!-1

 Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

Believe me when I say this posting has absolutely nothing to do with #SilkSmitha.... except...

this song, courtesy #QuarantineFromReality episode 292 triggered or reignited my "silk" connection. 

Not to be denied is my liking for Rajnikath, Ilayaraaja, SP Balasubramaniam, P Susheela. And of course, Silk Smitha, the sex siren who is no more. They contributed to this - one of the best compositions. Otherwise, Subashree Thanikachalam would not have episodised this song. 

Enough about silksmitha. 

This song triggered me to rummage through my travel-related collection in my modest bookshelf - particularly on the historical Silk Road theme Several historical characters tumbled out: Genghis Khan, Alexander, the Great. Marco Polo. Peter Frankopan's magnum opus The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, (read mostly during the 180 minute Delhi Metro ride between Mehrauli and Dwarka Sector 10 up and down 2019 January-February). Actually, this triggered me to go for Robert Brook's Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. Another classic non-fiction detailing the globalisation theme purely based on researching six paintings of the famous 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeet. 

Also the contemporary Chinese Belt And Road Initiative (BRI) was the reason for me to focus on this topic from geopolitical penchant. And Scott Levi's Caravans: Punjabi Khatri Merchants on the Silk Road (read 2018). Another must read. 

There's no dearth of material on the cyberworld about the silk road. 

Recently on a visit to the Saint Gobain plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru, I  crossed the newly inaugurated Silk Institute Metro. Hereagain, the Silk connect. Sheer coincidence.

For Indians, silk saree is a status symbol. Kanjeevaram pattu. Benaras silk. 

In this silk series, we will together travel on the historical silk route. 

Fasten your belt. ...

To continue

A Tribute to Ricky Walter, Mahindra Logistics

Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

16 September 2014. 

Sun has completed his daily task and checked out enabling the waning last quarter moon to enter subtly with least visibility. 

Ulhas Ambegaonkar, my room mate at the hotel in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, was twiddling his thumb, anxiously looking at me for an answer.

His query: Do I know Ricky Walter? Have I ever met him before? 

The simple answer: No. Though a familiar name, no pehchan.

What has Ricky Walter got to do with me.... Good question. 

Under the banner of my registered trust KRK Foundation, in association with Mahindra Logistics, Indian Oil and others, we have arrived at the Himachal transport hub to celebrate Drivers Day the next day: 17 September 2014.

Ricky based out of Mumbai  was the newly minted CSR Head for Mahindra Logistics, replacing Selvan Dasaraj who was exiting the  company in a few days time. 

He has landed in Chandigarh airport that evening and on the way to Baddi, less than 70 km away to be with us to participate in the day long celebrations at multi-locations within Baddi next day.

I was a little concerned because I know not Ricky. He, an unknown entity to me but a senior executive to interact with. Single point contact at Mahindra Logistics for all CSR related activities. I must build relation with him. 

Will he be like Selvan, whom I had known for two years with whom I have travelled and known intimately? What will be his driver-friendly quotient? Selvan and I were like "rum and coke" .... 

Will I have a similar equation with Ricky? 

I was lost in thought at the Baddi hotel room with Ulhas, who travelled from Pune to be part of this function sitting next to me in the reception lobby. 

Again, Ulhas; "How well you know Ricky?" 

I know him as much as I knew you before we met three years ago, I responded.

Soon, the reception informed that Ricky had checked in. 

We were on the same floor and I knocked on his door.

With a smile and a handshake our journey began. 

Usual pleasantries but guarded. Because you don't know the other person. He knew my background and we met on earlier occasions without being introduced to each other. Such things happen all the time. 

He politely declined a dinner invite citing travel fatigue. 

So, I had to settle for dinner with Ulhas for piping hot khichdi.

***

17 September 2014.

Our first  function was a Breakfast session with Drivers at Mahindra Logistics warehouse in Baddi. It was a grand start with Ricky as the main speaker. He touched all driver  related points. and mingled well with drivers. Another unusual trait among corporate executives. They pour their heart out but when it comes to sharing space them, there is hesitation. Ricky was a carbon copy of Selvan, 100% driver-friendly. My God, half my battle won. 

Before the first session could get over, Selvan also dropped in having left Delhi four in the morning. A big relief. He will be able to provide the bridge between Ricky and me.

The next halt was at the Nallagarh Transport Association where 300 drivers were gathered for a 90-minute long marathon session with a lot of activities.

A band/dholak  was also in attendance. I always believed that drivers need entertainment, not lecture. Therefore, the presence of bandwalas at the venue. They were belting out popular foot-tapping music.

I could not resist shaking my legs. Should I or should I not? What Ricky will think of me? Will he think, I was cheap? Such questions rose in a jiffy and vanished with equal speed. 

Ricky threw a curve ball, much to my joy. As I began jiving, he joined too. So, he is not a typical corporate type. He is ready to rub shoulders with the rest of the gathering. 

It was my maiden mulaqat with Ricky. Since then, we had several interactions over phone. Pre-covid I had met him in his Chennai office. 

As member of the Friends of Driver WhatsApp group, he had recommended several like-minded people with driver interest for inclusion.

One who sympathises with the marginalised society has a place reserved for him in Heaven is my belief. Am sure Ricky has a well earned seat there.

Truly blessed to have known such a noble soul. 

Rest In Peace, Ricky! 

BOOKSHELF: Frederick Forsyth

 Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida

Remember my recent posting on my John Grisham Collection wherein I have passingly mentioned about Frederick Forsyth and promised more? Here it is..

I owe this British author introduction to my streetmate/schoolmate and a long time family friend Raghunathan. Indirectly, that is. Vasudevan, his chitthappa (paternal uncle), it was who familiarized him with English pulp fiction. James Hadley Chase, Earl Stanley Gardner (the unforgettable Perry Mason-Della Street legal counsel-secretary duo), Frederick Forsyth etc.

A word about Vasudevan. I had known him between 1968-76 when I was in school and college. He was a regular visitor to his elder brother Ranganathan mama (Raghu's dad who is no more. Om Shanti!) Always in a creased, bottom-folded pant, thin belted with shirt tucked inside and a receding hairline. He was working in the Reserve Bank of India. 

By the way, he was also instrumental in making me familiar with To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee through Raghu, of course.  Raghu's younger brother Kumar (affectionately called Anvar because he resembled the shop assistant at the neighborhood Anvar Stores, Mylapore!) used to babble the Lee book name with a lot of fun and mirth. Wonder whether he read it or not! I did subsequently. Even the classic movie featuring Gregory Peck. More about GP soon. 

My interaction with Vasudevan was a sparse, "hello" at frequent intervals. 

Now, back to Forsyth. 

It was the infamous Emergency era with Indira Gandhi at her dirtiest period, snuffing out all freedom of expression (1975-77). We were in college and one fine day, I noticed Raghu engrossed in a novel with an unknown author. Never heard of Frederick Forsyth and the novel was Day Of The Jackal. 

The book details the failed assassination attempt on the life of the French President Charles De Gaulle by the Algerian rebels who felt wronged by the French.  They hire an assassination, named as Jackal, for the same task. That again fails. But the racy prose, description of the investigation by a small team of sleuths and how they zero in on the assassin and how the attempt to kill De Gaulle was thwarted once again. 

This opened up the world of Forsyth to me which led to devouring all his works: The Odessa File. The Dogs of War; and the latest The Fox (2020) which he wrote after a long gap. Incredible research to create the right ambience. He gets into the skin of the characters. Sorry to repeat the cliche: Unputdownable. Jackal and The Odessa File were made into movies also. 

Time for a revisit to these gems. 

BOOKSHELF: - John Grisham Collection

 Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida 

Circa 1994-8. 

We were living in Sadiq Nagar, Just behind Andrewsganj Extension, near Moolchand Hospital.

I loved John Grisham, smitten by his The Pelican Brief read in March 1992, a few weeks after resettled in New Delhi. 

Another favorite author is Frederick Forsyth, via his magnum opus  Day Of The Jackal read in undergrad stage (1973-6), introduced by childhood chum Raghunathan, now a retired Banker. More about FF later. 

While in the grip of Grisham and given my huge collection of his works then, set up Grisham Book Club and made known of its existence in Andrewsganj Extn, an upper middle class, fiction loving residents. Announced Rs1 per day lending charge. Got good reception. No book was retained beyond 48 hours. Big turnaround time. 

I miscalculated readers would hold back for a week. Phew! Door delivery service: drop and pick up! In the pre Amazon era. Daughter was my delivery executive. Poor planning.

Grisham, indeed, was unputdownable. Don't believe? Try his legal thrillers. This February born author churns out a book every year. 📚📖