Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 00:49
Some of his conferences – such as ‘Sumer and the Sumerians’, ‘The Persian Empire’ or ‘The Assyrians’ – have been recorded on video, can be seen on the YouTube channel of the cultural association Raíces de Europa and have more than one million viewers. Additionally, on Facebook there is a page called ‘Fans of Professor Eva Tobalina’, with nearly 3,000 subscribers. That someone specialized in the Ancient Age draws so many followers is unusual. She herself admits that it gives her “shame.” Especially when he is so far from that ‘influencer’ image that he cannot take off his mobile phone.
“I know that this fan page exists, but I don’t have Facebook or social networks,” says Eva Tobalina (Vitoria, 1975), historian and teacher at the International University of La Rioja (UNIR) who now publishes ‘Los Caminos de la Seda. The history of the encounter between East and West’, an extensive volume of 696 pages presented this Wednesday, November 27 in his hometown, in the Aula San Pablo (6:00 p.m.), on Vicente Goikoetxea Street.
In this work, accompanied by several maps, Tobalina addresses the development of the routes that, both by land and by sea, connected the Far East – especially China – with the Eastern Mediterranean, passing through cities such as Alexandria, Constantinople and Venice. These sea and land routes crossed the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. «The land route had its peak between the 2nd century BC. C. and the 17th-18th centuries,” says the author, referring to paths “as old as civilization.”
One of the maps included in the Tobalina volume, published with the publishing house La Esfera de los Libros.
The Book Sphere
The history of these routes dates back more than 2,000 years, when an embassy from the Chinese Empire traveled to Central Asia in search of allies to confront nomadic tribes from the north. Although they did not achieve the desired alliance, they discovered kingdoms with high demand for goods, which prompted China to expand its trade towards the West. Among the goods exchanged, silk occupied a prominent place, but food and everyday products were also transported. “On these roads created to trade and generate wealth, ideas, artistic currents and discoveries began to circulate,” highlights the historian.
Travel interest
Tobalina cites examples of the exchanges that took place along these routes: «Paper arrived in Europe through the Silk Road, just like gunpowder, numbers – which we call Arabic, but which come from India – and sugar. Although the most iconic image of these routes is that of long caravans crossing deserts, she clarifies that this only shows a part of reality: «When we think of camels, dust and caravanserais on the side of the road, it is a true vision, but incomplete. There was also a maritime Silk Road, with Chinese junks with folding sails and pirates in the southern seas. Far beyond merchandise, these journeys ended up helping to trigger social and cultural changes. “The history of humanity would be completely different.”
– How do religions and beliefs spread through the Silk Road?
– It is one of the most beautiful things about the book because it refers to the immaterial, to what is not simply selling silk to make money. So, for example, the history of Buddhism is not explained without it. Buddhism from northern India penetrates Afghanistan, Central Asia and reaches China. Christianity, as incredible as it may seem to us, in early medieval times, in the 8th century, had a bishopric in what is now Turkmenistan and there were Christian tribes there in Mongolia. Islam spreads to Central Asia, thanks to the Muslim conquests and in China we find mosques in the ports and in the places where the Silk Road passed.
Tobalina has dedicated the last four years to writing a book that has little to do with the audiovisual ‘pills’ that reign on the Internet. “For someone to watch a lecture of more than an hour of mine reveals the hunger that exists for knowledge in the face of catastrophic ideas,” he comments when referring to those videos that can be viewed on YouTube.
Precisely his interest and innate curiosity were unleashed a decade ago when he began traveling to the territory of the Silk Road. Countries like Persia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt… «Seeing the caravanserais, the ‘qanat’, the underground aqueducts… all those traces generated a lot of curiosity and interest in me. “I started reading about the Route, giving some cultural courses that have had a great response and now I have published the book.”
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**Dr. Hassan, given the recent revival of interest in the Silk Road due to modern geopolitical developments, how can we ensure that historical understanding shapes these contemporary discussions rather than being overshadowed by current events?**
## World Today News Interview: Eva Tobalina on the Silk Road
**Introduction**
Welcome to World Today News. We are thrilled to have Professor Eva Tobalina, renowned historian and author of the newly released “The Roads of Silk: The History of the Encounter Between East and West,” joining us today. Professor Tobalina, your work delves into the fascinating history of the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that profoundly impacted the ancient world. We also have joining us Dr. Amir Hassan, an expert in ancient trade routes and economic history. Dr. Hassan, thank you for being here.
**Section 1: The Allure of Ancient History**
* **Professor Tobalina, your lectures on ancient civilizations have garnered a significant online following, a remarkable feat considering your focus on a niche subject. What do you attribute this success to, and what does it say about the enduring fascination with the past?**
* **Dr. Hassan, what are some of the unique challenges historians face when reconstructing the history of ancient trade routes like the Silk Road, which existed long before the advent of extensive written records?**
**Section 2: The Silk Road – Beyond Commodities**
* **Professor Tobalina, your book highlights that the Silk Road facilitated more than just the exchange of goods. Can you elaborate on the cultural and religious exchanges that thrived along these routes and how they impacted the development of civilizations?**
* **Dr. Hassan, let’s discuss the economic impact of the Silk Road. How did it contribute to the wealth and prosperity of the civilizations involved, and what were some of the long-term consequences of this interconnectedness?**
**Section 3: The Legacy of the Silk Road Today**
* **Professor Tobalina, your book mentions the spread of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam along the Silk Road. How do these religious legacies continue to shape the world today?**
* **Dr. Hassan, in an increasingly globalized world, what lessons can we learn from the historical successes and challenges of the Silk Road? How can understanding this ancient network of trade routes inform 21st-century international relations and economic cooperation?**
**Section 4: The Future of History in the Digital Age**
* **Professor Tobalina, you have managed to capture the attention of a wide audience through your online lectures. How can historians leverage technology and new media platforms to make history more accessible and engaging for a wider audience?**
* **Dr. Hassan, as our understanding of history evolves with new discoveries and research, how can we ensure that historical accuracy and nuance are preserved in the digital age, where information can spread rapidly and sometimes without proper context?**
**Closing Remarks**
Thank you both, Professor Tobalina and Dr. Hassan, for sharing your valuable insights on such a fascinating topic. We hope this discussion has shed light on the rich history of the Silk Road and its continued relevance in our modern world.
**Call to Action**
We encourage our viewers to explore Professor Tobalina’s book, “The Roads of Silk,” and to continue learning about the fascinating world of ancient history.
