CENTRAL ASIA AS A CENTER OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN ANCIENT TIMES.

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of Central Asia, which from ancient times served as a key hub in the development of political, diplomatic, and cultural relations between the East and the West. It examines the early state structures that emerged in the region — Sogdiana, Bactria, Khwarazm, and the Kushan Empire — and their diplomatic relations with neighboring territories and major empires, based on historical sources. The study highlights the formation and expansion of the Great Silk Road as the main factor that transformed the region into a center of international diplomacy. Additionally, it explores the diplomatic policies of ancient Turkic states in their relations with China, India, Iran, and Byzantium, the activities of envoys, and the impact of interstate negotiations on regional stability. The article reveals the historical role of Central Asia as a crossroads of civilizations and provides a scholarly analysis of the formation and development of the region’s diplomatic traditions.