Silk Road in the aftermath of Arab conquest: Trade routes traversing Azerbaijan

Abstract

The article summarizes the outcomes of the clash between Khazar Turks and Muslim Arabs in wars for the South Caucasus. More than hundred years of permanent military struggle stabilized the border along Great Caucasus Range and inevitably resulted in a search for partnership options to resume mutually advantageous long-distance trade on Silk Roads. Located on the northern littoral lands of the Caspian the Khazar khaganate occupied important space on the juncture of nomadic Eurasian steppes and lands populated by various northern peoples, Finno-Ugrian and Slavic tribes. Starting from the end of VIII century Scandinavian merchants and warriors emerged in the region claiming for their share in international trade by swords and loads of commercial goods. The article describes the system of trade communications and control established by Khazar khaganate involving various nations to Silk Road trade, as well as analyses magisterial trade routes of the time of Arab-Khazar partnership in trade. Tracking of trade flows and description of trade structure and commodities allow to conclude that magisterial trade routes went traversing the territories of Arran (modern Azerbaijan republic) and the province of Azerbaijan in the north of contemporary Iran. Con­sequently, the gradual economic interconnection, human mobility, rise of local production to serve the interests of long-distance trade and to provide local commodities demanded in the markets of Silk Road geography, generated a start of gradual economic and cultural conve­rgence between two regions of international trade transit of the time considered herein in the publication.