Central Asian Silk Road Caravan Routes

Timeline

1. 1370–1405Samarkand–Herat corridor · Timurid EmpireAfter conquering Central Asia, Timur regulated trade routes and unified tariffs and the postal relay system; Samarkand became a hub where east-west caravans converged, and camel caravans could travel safely between Samarkand, Bukhara, and Herat.
2. 1431–1440Samarkand caravan hub · SamarkandShahrukh's long peaceful rule spurred a revival of caravan trade; Samarkand and Bukhara exchanged frequent envoys with the Ming dynasty, and silk, porcelain, spices, horses, and gems flowed in both directions along the Central Asian corridor, with caravan relay stations and tariff systems becoming more complete.
3. 1449–1500Central Asian Silk Road network · Central AsiaAfter the empire split, each khanate controlled its own segments and caravans had to pay multiple tariffs; some routes were diverted through Persia or the northern steppe, but the Samarkand–Bukhara main axis remained open under Timurid descendants.