Learn Some Astonishing And Amazing Caravan Facts

Caravan, as a word, originates from the Arabic term 'qarāwān'.

It is said that this word came into existence due to ancient Arab traders leaving their houses for trade and business and traveling to perform their duties.

People would travel with their goods, then they would go in search of customers, and finally, they would return. Thus, it was named qarāwān, meaning 'to continue traveling'. Its primary meaning is a group of people traveling together, often for trade.

Migrants and caravans have become the talk of the town now, with multiple laws being passed to help migrants.

Now it is time to learn the basic facts about caravans.

History Of Caravans

The first recorded use of caravans can be traced back to the area of Arabia.

• Traveling merchants and authorities would travel across the Arabian Desert for trade as early as 3,000-4,000 years ago. This is shown in artwork in Jordan, featuring a camel caravan carrying goods across the desert.
• The Silk Road has been a trading route for over 1,300 years. In Fakhri's chronicle, which is dated to the early 12th century, he mentions a caravan of merchants traveling from China to the Mediterranean sea through the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.
• In eastern Asia, caravans have been migrating since at least the seventh century.

Types Of Caravans

Caravans can be classified into three categories depending on the type of goods that they carry.

• The first and most important category is the merchandise caravan. These caravans are made up of many travelers and merchants carrying their merchandise from one place to another, such as on the Silk Road. It would take a month or two to complete the journey.
• Merchants would sell their goods in one city and purchase new goods in another city with a large sum of money.
• The second category is the army caravan. This is a combination of merchandise and military caravans. The army would be responsible for transporting weapons, food, and soldiers.
• The third category is the woman's caravan. These caravans are made up of women and their merchandise traveling from one place to another, such as on the Silk Road. The women would carry food, water, clothes, and other personal necessities.
• In addition, many other caravans are classified into all types and categories. Some of them are spice, salt, wool, and medicine caravans.
• In our modern era, we still see many caravans traveling to different parts of the world to carry their goods, such as spices or wool.

Uses Of Caravans

Traders in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia use caravans to transport their goods and to conduct other trade activities during their journey.

• Caravans are commonly used when merchants and travelers are required to sell their merchandise at one place and buy new items at another place. These caravans can go long distances, such as from China to the Middle East over a long distance of about 9,000 mi (14,484 km) or south from Afghanistan to China.
• Caravans are also used by gold and diamond merchants. For example, in South Africa, diamonds were transported from the mines to the ocean and then shipped to the United Kingdom, India, or Belgium, where they were sold at a much higher price.
• Many African caravans travel through war zones and cross borders, due to which they are under constant threat of robbery.

Fun Facts About Caravans

Traveling merchants would start their journey from the early morning when it is just about sunrise, and they would finish their journey in the evening when the sun set. This meant that they traveled for almost 12 hours daily.

• Caravans were used to transport weapons and soldiers from one city to another.
• Caravan merchants often went camping to break up their journey due to their tiredness or heavy rainfall. They would take some rest for the whole night before resuming their journey again the next day.
• Caravans travel a lot faster when traveling from north to south than in the opposite direction. This is because caravans are mostly used for trade activities, and trade values are higher in the south than in the north.
• In modern times, many caravans still travel a lot faster when traveling eastbound than westbound.

Did You Know...

Travelers used to use animals like camels and donkeys to carry supplies from one site to another. There are exclusive camel caravans available. Even now, you can find these camels in the Sahara despite the presence of modern caravans and similar vehicles.

• Most people think that caravans are just vehicles, but once you start learning more about migrant caravans and their lives, you can understand their deeper meaning.
• Caravans were all over the news in 2019 when migrant caravans traveled from Central America to the US-Mexico border.
• The migrant situation is more than just about shelter, poverty, and territory. It is impacting the basic needs, deportation and persecution of people, and it is preventing migrant families from finding any resolution in their lives. It is time that countries understand the fact that such issues are faced by children too.
• There were several articles at the time about migrants being from the Northern Triangle of Central America. The groups of migrants with children joined this travel to reach the US-Mexico border because the groups had been facing issues of violence and poverty.
• While they had the attention of several countries and their governments (as it went on for weeks), these migrant caravan group members had help from organizations from various countries to help them meet their basic needs like shelter, food, medication, and even legal aid.
• One more important topic now is the International Law on Asylum. The law states that people entering the States must claim asylum and will get a chance to have a court hearing on their case. It is why the US government cannot ban asylum seekers based on their origin country or force these asylum seekers to return to their home countries.
• Former President Trump labeled this asylum migrant caravan to be an invasion and passed the Migrant Protection Protocol. This protocol forces migrants, including children, to wait for a court date in Mexico. Due to this, only 11 migrants out of 10,000 people received asylum.