1.īranching out from these oasis towns, the Sogdians set up merchant communities as they traveled, living under the aegis of various imperial powers. More accurately, we should say the “Silk Roads,” as they were really a series of routes connecting various parts of Asia Fig. Almost 2,000 years ago there was a group of influencers who, while relatively few in number and limited in political power, helped to change the world around them. In fact, though, today’s influencers are not the first to reach across networks in this way. It is tempting to think that such influencers are a new phenomenon, facilitated by new technologies of communication. In our interconnected world, such influencers can have great reach, across continents and cultures. Rather, they use their social networks, access to specialist knowledge or goods, and cultural “cool” to shape the ways we behave. Such influencers do not rely on political power or authority. Our world is shaped by influencers: people whose behavior and attitudes set the trends for what to wear, what to eat, what to like, what to buy.
