Early modern caravan networks in Afghanistan

New remotely-sensed data reveals the critical role of caravan routes and caravanserai networks in Afghanistan during the early modern period (15th to 18th centuries AD), highlighting their significance as infrastructural ties between Safavid Persian and Mughal empires. The study demonstrates how these routes facilitated a 'meeting on the edge' of political economies, integrating frontiers through shared institutions. Researchers combined historical maps with accounts from travelers—including merchants, mercantile agents, and British Afghan Boundary Commission representatives—to reconstruct the politics, mechanics, and cultures of caravan networks in Central Asia. This interdisciplinary approach bridges satellite/aerial imagery with firsthand narratives, offering insights into early modern trade dynamics.

Franklin, K., & Boak, E. (2021). Early modern caravan networks in Afghanistan. Caravans in Global Perspective, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003229810-1