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Sogdian Samarkand

Type Object Region Central Asia Time c. 500–700

Samarkand was one of the core city-states of the Sogdians, located at a hub of the Central Asian Silk Road, renowned for its developed trade networks…

Timeline

  1. c. 500–580Samarkand · Sogdian regionIn the 5th to 6th centuries, Samarkand, as the capital of the Sogdian Kangju state, had strong walls and bustling markets; Sogdian merchants established long-distance trading posts across Eurasia.
  2. c. 600–650Samarkand · Sogdian regionThe Sui and Tang dynasties interacted frequently with the Western Regions; Samarkand was a key station on the middle stretch of the Silk Road, through which Sogdian envoys, monks, and caravans traveled between Chang'an, Persia, and India.
  3. c. 670–700Samarkand · Sogdian regionIn the late 7th century, pressure from Arab eastward expansion increased; the Sogdian cities wavered among the Tang dynasty, the Western Turkic, and Islamic forces, and Samarkand stood on the eve of a political transformation.

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