Sogdians’ Eastern Trade Networks (5th–8th Centuries)
Abstract
This article examines Sogdian caravan routes, trading colonies, and the institutionalization of diaspora networks along the eastern direction in the 5th–8th centuries CE, drawing on diverse sources. The study compares epigraphic evidence (Sogdian epitaphs around Chang’an and Luoyang), Chinese dynastic histories, archaeological materials, numismatic data, and a corpus of caravan letters. The findings reconstruct a main route chain – Sogd–Fergana–Semirechye–Tarim Basin–Gansu passage–Chang’an/Luoyang–Yangzhou/Guangzhou – and identify key commercial “nodes” in Turfan, Kucha, Khotan, and Dunhuang. The sabao office strengthened Sogdians’ legal and social standing, while credit-based caravan practices and sensitivity to market signals helped secure long-term positions in eastern markets. Conclusions are grounded in a combination of comparative historical analysis, network analysis, and microhistory.