Antiquity of the Trade Routes
How old are these corridors? Tracing commerce back to its earliest beginnings.
An 8-hour journey through the ancient trade routes that explain why today's border crises keep happening in the same places.
Start the Course · ₹1,900You'll read about Galwan or Doklam and see the ancient routes beneath the modern standoff. You'll understand why these passes have mattered for millennia—and why they still do.
The Silk Routes connected the greatest powers of the ancient world to each other. They were conduits of commerce, culture, religion and ideas. The world we see today is shaped by the words and goods that traversed the silk routes. Dominance of Silk routes meant dominance over abundance.
Today we miss this historical context. Today's geopolitics is not an isolated emergence. It is just a new chapter in a story that began when the first caravans crossed these passes.
This course is designed by Mr. Sanjay Sonavani. He is a noted political analyst and a prolific author. He has also served as a fellow under the Infosys Academic Programme at BORI.
See if these sound familiar.
From the antiquity of trade to 21st-century standoffs.
How old are these corridors? Tracing commerce back to its earliest beginnings.
The network that connected civilizations—and why "Silk Route" is really a plural.
The passes through which goods, ideas, and armies flowed into the subcontinent.
The high-altitude corridors connecting India with Tibet and Central Asia.
Empires, invasions, and treaties—the political forces that shaped these borderlands.
The silk route junction that granted access to the four great civilisations of the ancient Asia
The cold desert at the roof of the world—where trade routes met and empires clashed.
The geography and significance of some of the tallest passes in the world
The lesser-known corridors: maritime routes and the connection to Southeast Asia.
Galwan, Doklam, CPEC, Belt and Road—reading today's headlines through history.
Structured lectures with maps, images, and primary sources.
Reading lists, maps, timelines, and supplementary materials.
No expiry. Return to any module whenever you need.
Verified certificate from BharatVidya upon completion.
No. We assume you're starting from scratch. Every term and geographic reference is explained as we go. If you can follow a news article about India-China relations, you have enough background.
Recorded. All lessons are pre-recorded so you can learn at your own pace. Start today, pause for a month, pick up where you left off.
Forever. Once enrolled, the course is yours indefinitely. No expiry, no renewals.
Yes. BharatVidya works on any device—phone, tablet, desktop. Videos stream smoothly, and you can download resources for offline reading.
₹1,900
8+ hours · 10 modules · 58 resources · Lifetime access · Certificate
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