Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Sogdian Traders Along the Silk Road: Causes for Their Commercial Success

Chuning LiuBASIS International School Hangzhou, Hangzhou, 310000, China*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The Sogdian traders were arguably the most important traders along the Silk Road from the 4th century to the 8th century. Their sphere of influence expands across Eurasia, and their trading partners include China and the Roman Empire. This paper will argue that there are some distinct reasons behind their success as merchants who built a massive political-economic system along the Silk Road. In this paper, the research will base on the famous Sogdian Ancient Letters, other archeological findings, and secondary literature by historians like Di Cosmo and De la Vaissière and investigate the causes of Sogdian merchants’ success in building a transcontinental commerce system. Furthermore, this paper will specifically explain how Sogdian merchants rose to prominence in cities such as Dunhuang and Turpan and gained commercial success in China, one of its greatest trading partners.

Keywords: trade networks; Silk Road; Tang Dynasty; Sogdian traders
Published: May 17, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/4/20220142
Volume: CHR Vol.4
pp. 26-34
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