Silk Road Camel Caravan Routes

Timeline

1. c. 1280–1340Dunhuang · GansuAfter the Yuan controlled the Western Regions, postal relay protection was restored; camel caravans set out from the Hexi Corridor, passing Hami and Turfan to transport silk and tea to the oasis city-states of Central Asia, with route security and the tariff system tending toward stability.
2. 1351–1360Kashgar · Southern TianshanIn the 1350s, camel caravan routes within the Chagatai Khanate remained active, with each caravan numbering from several dozen to over a hundred camels, transporting Chinese porcelain and Persian carpets between Kashgar, Samarkand, and Baghdad, with merchants gathering in large numbers.
3. c. 1360–1380Northern Tianshan · Northern TianshanThe decline of the Yuan and internal strife in the Chagatai Khanate led to more banditry on the routes and chaotic tolls; camel caravans had to hire armed guards, raising transport costs, and some goods were rerouted by sea or via the northern steppe route.