Could the Silk Road become relevant again with the invention of trains?

Simple question, really. In a recent thread, it was mentioned that Central Asia's fall from grace is likely helped along by the fact that seafaring trade routes became more lucrative, and therefore the money went by sea instead of over land.

My question is basically this; is it possible that the Silk Road trade route, or something close to it, might become important again with the advent of trains and fast, overland trading?
 
Speaking from a geographical perspective, a more modernist Russian Empire (with a 17th-century POD) in control of Anatolia, Persia, and/or Central Asia could make good use of this.

The main problems would be building a shitton of rail through the desert (Persia), through harsh terrain [sans the Black Sea coastline] (Anatolia), and the sheer amount of it. Plus, the perennial question of 'why?'.

A Russian Empire with that kind of territory wouldn't exactly need a transcontinental Constantinople-to-Vladivostok/Port Arthur rail to gain access to Asian markets. All they would need is good ports, which Basra and Hormuz offer, and connecting rail from Basra/Hormuz to Yerevan or Azov.

A definite advantage, however, would be war logistics and general transportation.
 
I made a post essentially disagreeing with the view of sea trade leading to the decline of the Islamic steppes. Trains would do nothing to fix the issues there.
 
Well China was in a mess during the 19th Century so I highly doubt any railroad would want to get in that muddle.

The closest thing you'll get is Russia just improving its infrastructure. No way in hell with they connect their railroads with the Ottomans. And even then southeast Europe was very hostile towards the Ottomans as well. And Egypt? They got their canal...
 
Even today, ships are generally more economical for transporting large amounts of goods, even if they aren't as fast as trains. So whilst building more railways would undoubtedly help the region's economy, I don't think it would be enough to bring about a Silk Road Mk. 2.
 
You'd need very advanced railroads. First of all, a railway is a capital-intensive system with high and permanent maintenance and operating costs. It needs a certain level of traffic to be profitable. The sea is just there. Yes, ships and port facilities cost money, but they can be shifted or temporarily laid up much more easily. Railways are therefore more vulnerable to political risk and economic climate. They are also, ton for ton, more expensive than ships. They always have been. Major rail freight lines came into being where sea transport was either not a viable alternative (e.g. trancontinental rail vs. Cape Hoorn route) or where speed was at a premium. Railways are faster than ships. On a well-managed system, extremely so. They are also kinder to the cargo, so anything that is fragile or spoils easily will go on rails when possible.

I don't think that works well for the Silk Road. The political risks are considerable (Ottoman, Persian, Russian and Chinese influence), the terrain is difficult, the cargo - tea and textiles - tolerates slow transport and the trade by ship can tie into the Indian Ocean networks (so a shipping line wouldn't need to rely only on Chinese goods, but could fill up its cargo with goods from India, Southeast Asia or even Australia and New Zealand). The reason to build that thing will have to be political.
 
Would you mind linking to this post i would like to read it
The steppes of Central Asia was never truly a powerbase in terms of population in Islamic periods or before. It was an area from which nomadic states wielding cavalry and fierce warriors often mercenaries attacked and invaded more populous regions such as Afghanistan and Wazirastan and later India and Iran. It's height was at three consecutive periods where it's power was bear solely derived from its areas.

1. The famous Kwarzemshahs. This state, born from a Mamluk rebellion and takeover became famed for its buildup of Urgench and other like cities in the steppe. It also flourished as a major center is islamic intellectualism and wealth in a time where the greatest Islamic population centers where in ruins or engulfed in wars with Europe, thus making it illuminated amongst the masses. It also, like all other steppe states before it, sought better land, thus the Kwarzemshah-Abbasid wars and skirmishes which the Kwarezmians lost. As well, their proximity to the Qhara Qhitan made their position all too dangerous for a truly great empire. Their time would come against the Mongol hordes emboldened by the absorption of the Qhara Qhitan and Naiman. Their empire fell like a house of cards due to its location and positioning.


2. Ilkhanate/Chagatayid periods. Perhaps the most underestimated intellectual period in Islamic history. The great cities of the steppe where rebuilt as homes of the Genghisid. The steppe benefited more than it ever had from Pax Mongolica and developed far beyond its previous limits. Cities like Samarqand, Urgench, Herat, Merv, etc... flourished for a time. However, there were cracks, severe ones. Ilkhabate and it's Mongol neighbors had issues with stability and near constant battle for positions in local areas. These results are a consequence of a massive lack of centralized power where needed and decentralization in the worst. It became a world where roaming generals could garner enough support to overtake anything before them.

3. Timurids. That time of a great general did come with Timur the great, who forged a massive empire surpassing both the Kwarzemshahs and Ilkhans in splendour in his capital of Samarqand. However, the same cracks in rule began to show, as the night of a great warrior fades, So rises the claims of many men of differing views.

Wars would be fought over dominate over the central Asian steppe for years after. The Shaybanid, the rising stars of the time taking Samarqand and expelling Babur Timurid from Khursan led to a spark in the steppe. However, this was dashed as Shah Is'mail of the Safavids defeats Muhammad al-Shaybani, cutting him into pieces at the battle and sending his pasts across the Islamic world. Thus, the steppe becomes even more and more backward over time.

Sultan and khan after khan rise to power only to be defeated by another snuffing out any growth. The ultimate climax of this was the last two unifiers. Nader Shah roughly united the desperate areas of the steppe and like Mahmoud Ghazni before him, led a jihad into Hindustan to gain riches untold. In the same as many before him, he losses his life to excess and jealousy. Thus Ahmad Shah Durrani or the Durran-i-Durrani rose to power and built a huge empire across India and the steppe.

This empire was the visual of what destroyed the steppe, huge decentralized warlord States all barely held together by brutal khans and sultans. No true intellectual society or large and stable urban populations can be created in such a barely held anarchic warlord state as was seen in post 1500s Central Asia.
 
I don't see it, first to build such a train network you need someone funding it and protecting it. Simply you need a large united state. This state would be more likely to be controlled from Tehran or Moscow, which mean that the money from the trade would go there.

Second even today most goods are transported by ship, because it's incredible cheap.

I would say that if Central Asia should become relevant again, we need the states to develop a domestic production. We already see it today with oil, but oil will end up as a curse for them as every other easy source of capital tend to do in the long term.
 
From John's post, it is evident that a strong, centralised state is needed for trade, industrial development, urbanisation etc. to take hold. Trains can assist this in allowing the rapid dispatching of troops to rebellious areas, both increasing the potential reach of a long-term state and lowering the expenses this state needs to pay for an army of sufficient size.

As for who might fund this rail network, a stronger Russia may do so to undercut British-dominated ocean trade during the Great Game.
 
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