ABSTRACT
The expansion of the Russian empire to the north of Dagestan from the fifteenth century and its effects on trade through the Caucasus is described in this chapter, particularly the interaction with the Sublime Porte. Russia’s policy was one of military expansion and control in the north of Dagestan. The connections of previously-closed Russia to European trade, and European traders’ interest in accessing the Great Silk Road via Russia, meant a shift in trading flows through the area. Continued power struggles of local tribes within Dagestan affected the immediate beneficiaries but trade propagated in diverse ways. Examples of trade-goods described.
