Sogdian Traders A History

Аннотация

The concept of “the Silk Road” has given rise to an abundant historiography concerning the commercial, religious and artistic contacts between the hellenized, then Muslim, Near East and East Asia. The strength of the image has led to a wide diffusion of the theme. Even so, no historical object that might be named “the Silk Road” has ever been defined with precision. Though certainly a necessary step in historiographical thinking, this idea does not rest upon any clear historical concept, and mixes commercial, diplomatic and religious features in an approach dominated by historical geography