The Sogdian Rise: Revisiting Factors That Contributed to the Success of Sogdian Merchants in Gansu Around 313 C.E.
Abstract
Based solely on Sogdian ancient letters II and V, this article reexamines two factors that are commonly supposed to have contributed to the success of Sogdian merchants around 313 A.D. and then further explores certain commercial characteristics of Sogdian traders at that time. While scholars list Xiongnu-China war and the Sogdian post system as two vital factors that led to Sogdian traders’ success, Sogdian merchants in Gansu at that time consider Xiongnu-China war as a disaster, and they didn’t completely trust the their own post system according to their letters. These factors were not thought of as being crucial to the success of these Sogdian merchants by themselves. Based on their commercial behaviors in the letters, Sogdian merchants seem to be neither open nor good at grasping business opportunities. While these two characteristics seem to have been considered key determinants of mercantile success since ancient times, Sogdian merchants were still able to succeed in their business without outstanding abilities in these two fields. Therefore, exploring factors that truly contributed to the success of Sogdian merchants may provide a new insight into commerce in the old days. Besides, the lessons drawn from the experiences of Sogdian merchants may be used for reference by people who wish to gain commercial success today.
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