In this article, I focus on the export of Russian cotton textiles and examine the distribution of textiles between Russia and Asia in the first half of the 19th century. After 18th century, Russia promoted trade with the Asian region. Persia, Central Asia and China were Russia's main trade partners. But, in practice, it was not Russian but local Asian merchants that promoted the trade between Russia and Asia. Armenian merchants mediated Russian trade with Persia, Bukharan merchants with Central Asia, and Shanxi merchants with China. It was no accident that these merchants mediated the trade between Russia and Asia. Armenian merchants controlled the Persian, Bukharan merchants the Central Asian, and Shanxi merchants the Chinese commercial sphere. These Asian merchants assumed responsibilities for the distribution of commodities and the financial system. Russia utilized the commercial networks of neighboring regions in carrying out trade with Asia. Asian merchants used mules and camels as means of transportation and organized caravans in the cycle of a year. They made use of the natural environment in Eurasia in promoting trade between Russia and Asia. The 19th century was the period during which Russian society moved away from the natural environment. In other words, it was a period of transition of power sources from natural energy and animal power to fossil fuels. If we divide the 19th century in Russia into two parts, in the first half of 19th century, steam engines were introduced in production, power sources transited from natural energy and animal power to fossil fuels, and mass production of cotton textiles became possible. In the second half of the 19th century, steam engines were introduced in the field of distribution (railroads and shipping), and again power sources transited from natural energy and animal power to fossil fuels, and mass and high speed transportation became possible. It is not difficult to imagine that this transformation radically changed Russian trade with Asia and had a great impact on Asian merchants' commercial networks. I will examine the transformation in distribution in the second half of 19th century in a later article.

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