Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s3.t6.1

v1.c5.s3.t6.1

During the 18^th and 19^th centuries CE, merchants from the town of Shikarpur in Sindh (present-day Pakistan) played a very important role in the caravan trade between India and Central Asia. They were particularly important as financiers for this trade which played a significant role in binding together the economies of northwestern India, Afghanistan, southeastern Iran and several khanates of Central Asia. In this context, Shikarpuri traders were to be found in the bazaars and towns of Xinjiang as well.