Answer 1

1. One of the major lines of the Silk Route linked China and India and then extended further to Central Asia linking one oasis to the other in the desert.
2. It was easier for the merchants and travellers to find accommodation and food in the oasis cities. They also found a ready market for their merchandise.
3. Another line crossed through the stepped to the north of the main line. Journey on this line relatively shorter.
4. It was rarely used by merchants as it was infested by troublesome pastoral tribes and hardly have any accommodation and food facilities on route.