Barabara ya hariri

Barabara ya hariri haikuwa njia moja tu bali jumla ya njia za misafara kati ya China na nchi za Magharibi zilizopita katika Asia ya Kati.

Kulikuwa na njia za kando, hasa baharini, kati ya China na Uhindi halafu kutoka Uhindi hadi Irak au Misri. Njia za bahari zilikuwa muhimu hasa kama njia ya nchi kavu ilikatika wakati wa vita au ukosefu wa usalama. Kuna vipindi vichache ambako eneo lote la barabara ya hariri lilikuwa na usalama, hasa wakati wa utawala wa Wamongolia. Vinginevyo safari zilikuwa za hatari zikachukua muda mrefu. Bidhaa zilipita mikononi mwa wanafanyabiashara mbalimbali zikaongezewa bei njiani.

Si bidhaa tu ndizo zilizosafiri kwenye barabara ya hariri. Wasafiri, sanaa, mawazo, mafundisho, dini na magonjwa walipita pia kwa njia hiyo.

Teknolojia kama za kutengenezwa kwa karatasi au kuchapishwa kwa vitabu zilipita njia hiyo kutoka China hadi Asia ya Magharibi na kutoka huko hadi Ulaya.

Uenezaji wa Ubuddha kwenda Mongolia na China katika karne ya 1 BK, wa Ukristo kufika China katika karne ya 3 na wa Uislamu kuelekea mashariki katika karne ya 8 ulifuata barabara hii.

Magonjwa yalipita njia hiyohiyo. Kwa mfano tauni ilianza katika miaka ya 1330 katika China kwenye jimbo la Yunnan. Ugonjwa huu unategemea viroboto kama kituo cha virusi vyake. Farasi za jeshi la Mongolia na biashara ya ngozi ilipeleka viroboto wale hadi Bahari Nyeusi. Mwaka 1348 wafanyabiashara Waitalia kutoka Bahari Nyeusi waliingiza ugonjwa Ulaya yenyewe ulikoua robo ya wakazi wote.

Tangu mwaka 2013 serikali ya China imetangaza mpango wa "barabara mpya ya hariri" unaolenga kuimarisha na kupanua ushirikiano wa China, Asia ya Kati, Asia ya Magharibi na Ulaya, pamoja na sehemu za Afrika. Jina rasmi kwa Kiingereza ni "Belt and Road Initiative" au "Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road".

Kwa kushirikiana na nchi za maeneo hayo China imeanza kujenga au kupanua barabara na njia za reli. Kati ya miradi mingi iliyoanzishwa iko njia ya reli inayounganisha China ya magharibi na Kazakhstan na kuendelea hadi Urusi na Ulaya ya Magharibi kwa umbali wa takriban kilomita 12,000 ("New Eurasian Land Bridge"). Sehemu nyingine ni Ushoroba wa Kiuchumi wa China na Pakistan ("China–Pakistan Economic Corridor")^[1] ambako barabara kuu na reli zinaunganisha China ya Magharibi na bandari mpya ya Gwadar kwenye Bahari Hindi. Bandari hii ilijengwa pia na makampuni ya China.

• Njia ya hariri kwenye tovuti ya Chuo cha Confucius Institute Online^{[dead link]}

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