Samarkand

Timeline

1. c. -500–600Samarkand · SogdiaSamarkand, supported by Zarafshan River irrigation agriculture, became a core base for Sogdian merchants, linking silk, spice, and precious metal trade between China and Persia.
2. 700–1000Samarkand · TransoxianaAfter the Arab conquest, Samarkand gradually became Islamicized and one of the political and economic centers of Transoxiana, with mosques, markets, and handicraft workshops standing in great numbers.
3. 1040–1110Samarkand · TransoxianaThe Seljuk Empire and the Karakhanid dynasty formed a suzerain-vassal relationship in Transoxiana; Samarkand retained local autonomy while being incorporated into the Seljuk eastern wing's trade and military protection system.
4. 1111–1120Samarkand · Silk RoadOver this decade caravans gathered in Samarkand; the northern route linked Khwarazm and East Asia, while the southern route reached Persia via Merv. Madrasas, an observatory, and workshops kept the city active as a key node in the Eurasian trade network.
5. 1200–1500Samarkand · UzbekistanAfter the Mongol conquest, the Khwarazmian and Timurid dynasties successively used Samarkand as their capital or secondary capital, building grand structures such as the Registan Square, ushering the city into an architectural golden age of world-heritage caliber.