At the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. the province of Fars in southwestern Persia came under the control by a local dynasty called the Sassanid. Starting from the year 224 A.D. the first Sassanid ruler Ardashir (211-241 A.D.) defeated the Parthians and took control of Persia. With the help of his son Shapur I (241-272 A.D.), Ardashir began a new era for the Sasanid kingdom in Persia.
The silk route was flourished under the Sasanians. Their government maintained a rigid control of the trade and imposed heavy taxes on all goods passing between their lands and the Byzantine Empire. In the east, the Sasanians shared the role of middlemen with the Sogdians, a tribe from the Samarkand region.
This gold plate with silver relief shows the 4th century Sasanian king Shapur II. (310-379 A.D.) From the excellent craftsmanship we can imagine the wealth of the Sasanian dynasties. We can see Shapur II on horseback and hunting a wild boar. This kind of hunting theme was very common in the ancient Central Asia.
The Sasanians and Sogdians had also developed silk-weaving industries, as the techniques of silk weaving were no longer protected by the Han dynasty. Very few examples of the silk products survive. However, some of them made their way to Europe, where they have been discovered at Buddhist cave sites in the Tarim Basin. Their motifs and style greatly influences the later designs, of Chinese, Byzantine, and Muslim cloth.
Sasanian and Sogdian decorated metal bowls and jugs were also highly prized. Other vessels made from thick clear glass with elaborate cut decoration are typical Sasanian products and were traded as far as Japan, where they were used by the imperial family. Objects like these provide evidence that the silk route was still functioning.