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Overland Silk Road (12th Century)

Type Object Region Central Asia Time 1100–1199

The 12th-century overland Silk Road was a network of land trade routes linking East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, and the Mediterranean via the Hexi…

Timeline

  1. 1131–1140Hexi Corridor · Hexi CorridorDuring the Southern Song, the northwestern trade routes directly controlled by the Song court mainly reached only the eastern edge of the Hexi Corridor; trade with the Western Regions was largely relayed through intermediaries such as Western Xia, Jin, or the Uyghurs, yet the Hexi Corridor remained the overland starting point linking the Central Plains with the Western Regions.
  2. 1100–1140Kashgar (Shule) · KashgarThe two main routes north and south of the Tianshan converged here, with polities such as the Qarakhanids controlling the key passes; merchants relayed Chinese porcelain and silk westward and glass and gemstones eastward, while Samarkand and Bukhara became distribution centers.
  3. 1100–1199Baghdad · BaghdadThe overland trade route reached Mesopotamia in the west and passed through Syria to Mediterranean ports; the Crusades heightened risks on some segments, but Arab merchants still maintained indirect trade links with Chinese goods.

Sources