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Silk Road Caravans

Type Object Region Asia Time 1000

In the mid-12th century, camel caravans between Central Asian oasis cities remained the core of Eurasian overland trade, carrying silk, porcelain, sp…

Timeline

  1. c. 1100–1170Tarim Basin oasis belt · XinjiangOasis cities such as Kashgar and Khotan supported caravan rest stops with inns, water sources, and guard services, forming the relay node network essential for desert crossings.
  2. c. 1171–1180Samarkand · UzbekistanIn the 1170s, Samarkand and Bukhara became centers for caravan assembly and distribution; Sogdian- and Turkic-descended merchants organized camel trains, shuttling Central Plains porcelain and Persian carpets in both directions.
  3. c. 1175–1200Tianshan passes (Ili Valley-Fergana) · Central AsiaCaravans crossed the Tianshan passes through the Ili Valley into the Fergana Basin; this overland corridor linking East Asia and the Persian Gulf remained active with freight traffic during the Song-Jin standoff.

Sources