Advanced International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research

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The Clay Silk Route: Historical Syncretism, Artisan Livelihoods and Sustainable Revitalization of Terracotta Traditions in Jammu and Kashmir

Author(s) Mr Puneet Sharma, Saveta Sharma, Meenakshi, Prof. Ritu Bakshi
Country India
Abstract Terracotta the unglazed, fired clay medium historically referred to as "baked earth “constitutes one of the most resilient material markers of human civilization. While subcontinental terracotta scholarship focuses heavily on the mass-molded plaques of the Gangetic plains and the monumental temples of West Bengal, the trans-Himalayan frontier of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) reveals a fundamentally distinct aesthetic and socio-economic evolutionary arc. This paper introduces "The Clay Silk Route" paradigm to analyze J&K terracotta not merely as a declining rural craft, but as a critical cross-cultural material archive that synthesizes Greco-Roman technical modes, Gandharan Buddhist monastic sensibilities, and localized indigenous folk traditions.Integrating a long-term historical analysis with a quantitative field survey of 214 traditional artisans across six districts of the Jammu Division (Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, and Udhampur) and cross-referencing qualitative baselines from the Kashmir Valley, this study uncovers deep structural asymmetries. Our empirical findings show that while the Kashmir Valley exhibits an unbroken operational continuity tied to functional domestic utilities, the Jammu Division suffers from severe structural attrition (14.49% operational abandonment), systemic educational vulnerability (43.93% absolute illiteracy), depressed income profiles (median monthly income of ₹8,000), and a restrictive reliance on seasonal ritual economies. This paper maps out these systemic vulnerabilities through a multi-factorial attrition framework. It outlines an actionable, multi-sector strategic roadmap aligned with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to transform this endangered heritage into a sustainable creative industry.
Keywords Terracotta, Jammu and Kashmir, Clay Silk Route, Cultural Syncretism, Traditional Pottery and NEP 2020
Discipline Sociology > Geology
Published In Volume 4, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On 2026-07-24
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