Sogdian Merchant Trade on the Silk Road

Name: Sogdian Merchant Trade on the Silk Road
Start: 701
End: 800

Type Event Region Central Asia Time 701–800

In the 8th century, Sogdian merchants reached the height of their long-distance trade along the Silk Road, linking Chang'an to Samarkand.

Timeline

701–750Samarkand · TransoxianaSogdian merchants established trading houses (caravanserais) in Transoxianan cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara and in cities along the Silk Road, forming a trade network spanning East Asia to West Asia.
701–800Chang'an · ShaanxiThe West Market of Tang-era Chang'an gathered large numbers of Sogdian merchants engaged in foreign trade; excavated epitaphs show that families with Sogdian surnames such as Kang, An, Shi, and Cao engaged in trade for generations, becoming the eastern hub of Silk Road trade.
750–800Dunhuang · Hexi CorridorDocuments excavated at Dunhuang and elsewhere show that Sogdian merchants operated relay stations and trading houses in the cities of the Western Regions, handling cargo transfer along the middle section of the Silk Road and maintaining close commercial ties with the Tang's Four Garrisons of Anxi and the various states of the Western Regions.