Silk Road Caravan Network

Timeline

1. 1161–1170Hexi Corridor–routes north and south of the Tianshan · XinjiangThough the Jin controlled the north and the Southern Song controlled Jiangnan, trade routes through the Hexi Corridor, north and south of the Tianshan, and the Fergana Basin remained active. Camel caravans traveled west from Chang'an–Lanzhou–Dunhuang or entered Central Asia via the northern Tianshan route, with inns, camel-swap points, and customs checkpoints along the way; Sogdian and Uyghur merchants served as cross-regional intermediaries, transporting silk, porcelain, jade, and Western glassware.
2. 1161–1170Samarkand–Bukhara trade route · UzbekistanCaravans arriving from the east at Samarkand and Bukhara split off southward into Persia, westward into Anatolia, or northward into the steppe; the Khwarazmian dynasty controlled this stretch of the route and levied customs duties, while markets and inns supported large-scale cargo transshipment and currency exchange.