The Sogdian Spies Who Toppled an Empire

In this episode, we explore the pivotal role of the Sogdian merchant-diplomat Maniakh, who in the 6th century CE forged an alliance between the Göktürks and the Byzantine Empire against their common enemy, the Sasanian Persians. We follow Maniakh's perilous journey across Central Asia to Constantinople, where he negotiated with Emperor Justin II, ultimately breaking the Sasanian monopoly on the silk trade. But we also uncover the darker side of Sogdian influence: how Sogdian intelligence networks and spies—operating from the Sogdian Ancient Letters to the court intrigues of the Göktürks and Sasanians—helped destabilize empires. We discuss the Battle of the Oxus, the fall of the Hephthalites, and the Sogdian diaspora that reshaped the Silk Road. This episode ties together archaeology, linguistics, and geopolitics to reveal how a small, mercantile people changed the course of history. #Sogdian #Maniakh #Göktürks #ByzantineEmpire #SilkRoad #SasanianEmpire #JustinII #CentralAsia #AncientDiplomacy #SogdianAncientLetters #Hephthalites #BattleOfTheOxus #SilkTrade #Spies #6thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #TradeRoutes Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo