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Continuity of the Silk Road

Type Event Region Central Asia Time 1391–1400

In the 1390s, despite Timur's many campaigns in Central Asia, the overland Silk Road trade network remained quite active, with the Ming and Timurid e…

Timeline

  1. 1391–1395Samarkand · UzbekistanTimur, centered on Samarkand, integrated the Central Asian trade routes, levying tariffs and protecting caravans; silk, gems, and horses were gathered and redistributed here toward Persia, India, and China.
  2. 1395–1398Hami · XinjiangThe Ming dynasty and the Timurid Empire exchanged envoys through Western Regions gateways such as Hami, trading silk, porcelain, and fine horses; tribute trade became an important institutional channel for the Silk Road's continuity in the 1390s.
  3. 1397–1400Dunhuang · GansuThe trade route along the Hexi Corridor from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan continued to operate under the early Ming frontier defense system, with merchants and embassies traveling along traditional Silk Road channels, connecting the Central Plains with the Western Regions and ensuring the Silk Road's continuity at the end of the 14th century.

Sources