The Sogdian Spies Who Toppled an Empire

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the story of the Sogdian trading network during the 6th century CE, focusing on how Sogdian merchants—led by the shadowy figure Maniakh—used diplomacy, espionage, and silk to spark a war between the Sasanian Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. They explore the Sogdian embassy to Persia, the Sasanian refusal to allow direct silk trade, and the subsequent alliance between the Sogdians and the Göktürks that led to the devastating Sasanian–Turkish War of 588–589. Along the way, they discuss the Sogdian role as middlemen, the invention of the Sogdian script, and a surviving letter from a Sogdian merchant stranded in Dunhuang. The episode also touches on how Sogdian merchants quietly shaped the geopolitics of the Silk Road for centuries, and includes a brief listener-support sidebar. #Sogdian #SilkRoad #Maniakh #SasanianEmpire #EasternRomanEmpire #Göktürks #SogdianLetters #Dunhuang #Sogdiana #Samarkand #SilkTrade #SteppeNomads #ByzantineHistory #CentralAsia #6thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #AncientTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo