Kashgar was an important Silk Road oasis city in the Tarim Basin and remains known by that name today.
Located in the far west of modern China’s Xinjiang region, Kashgar stood near the meeting point of routes heading toward the Pamir Mountains, Central Asia, India, and the Chinese interior. Its position made it a natural staging point for caravans, where travelers could obtain food, animals, information, and guides before crossing difficult terrain.
Kashgar’s importance came from geography rather than from one permanent empire. Han Chinese, Kushan, Tibetan, Turkic, Islamic, Mongol, and Chinese states all influenced or controlled the city at different times. The city also connected several branches of the wider network, so goods did not all pass through it in the same direction.
Kashgar is sometimes confused with Khotan, another famous Tarim Basin oasis. Khotan lay farther south and was especially associated with jade and silk production, while Kashgar was particularly important as a western junction near the mountain routes.