Cultivation of salt & it's historical facts
Salt is constantly used in every delicious and saltish food. Salt, which is an important element of food, if it is not there, then the food seems imperfect or tasteless. But do you know when the use of salt started in human civilizations and what is its history?
Its use in human civilizations began approximately 6000 BC. The earliest facts of its origin are found in Egyptian and Chinese civilizations. Salt is obtained from seawater and salt rocks and salt was also used to preserve food in the Bronze Age. It has been highly valued in the Egyptian and Chinese civilizations and was used in mercantile activities in the Bronze Age. Many routes were built and used in the bronze age to promote business activities and trade, which were named as salt routes OR roads.
A special quality of salt is that it preserves food for a long time and hence it was used to carry food from one place to another in the bronze age. The earliest evidence of salt cultivation in Chinese civilization found in 6000 BC and originated from Lake Yuncheng, which is located in Shanxi. In Egyptian civilization, salt was acquired from the dry lakes of the valley of Natron and was used for cleaning, food preservation, and process of mummification. Salt was used for medical purposes in the Chinese and Greek civilizations. It is used in Chinese civilization to formulate medicine and in Greek civilization for healing wounds and refreshing body structure by seawater. It was traded by salt routes and sea vessels. It was of great commercial importance at that time and was counted among important trade items.
Salt also laid the foundation of slavery in the world. It also started with the same sea vessels in which commercial consignments of salt were transported from one place to another. The earliest evidence of which is seen in Greek and Roman civilizations. An example of this was Timbuktu which was known as the market for salt and slaves. The words Salary and Salad also originated in Roman and Greek civilizations. Similarly, the word "Wich" has also been associated with salt. The word "Wich" comes in the name of some cities of England, which have been related to the main sources of salt and its production.
If salt is seen in these civilizations from the point of view of commercial and market products, then it has been of immense economic importance and was also a source of increasing power and wealth. Salt was also used as a currency, leading to many trading activities in which trade transactions were paid by salt. While on one aspect the Chinese civilization had acquired a monopoly in salt and its production and on the other aspect salt was exported to the Greek civilization by the Egyptian civilization. The demand for salt also started to increase during this period and its expansion started gradually in the whole world. It is believed that the origin of the monopoly system is also associated with the production and expansion of salt. Evidence is found in Chinese and Roman civilizations. The salt trade has played an important role in the development of the Roman Empire.
The salt trade contributed to the development and economic status of many countries and led to war and mutual quarrels and discord in many countries. It began with the idea of increasing taxes in salt trade and establishing a monopoly.
During the 19th century, large-scale production of salt began and the taxes on it reduced. The process of salt cultivation and mining of salt rocks started to be industrialized. New places associated with salt cultivation and mining were developed in this century. Nowadays salt is widely used in the modern lifestyle and it is easily available in the market. Brands producing several varieties of salt are present in the market. These varieties of salt are used in a variety of cuisines from different countries. Which reflects the historical and modern needs of salt in human civilization. It's is a short article on the cultivation of salt and its historical facts.
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