THE BRITISH ON THE CASPIAN SEA IN THE XVI CENTURY

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The article features activities of the English merchants and sales agents on the Volga and Caspian trade route to east countries in the 1660–1680. The paper focuses on the positive influence of the British on the development of the Caspian shipbuilding and trade navigation as well as on the increase in the volume of international trade in the basin of the Caspian Sea. As a result of the activity of the English Moscow company, the trade turnovers of West-Caspian shopping centers increased as they got involved in the international commodity turnover. The benefits of the Caspian trade route to Persia were obvious, which explains the persistence of the English Moscow company in their attempts to acquire the right of duty-free trade with the East through Astrakhan and the Caspian Sea, as well as trade privileges from the Moscow tsar and the Persian shah. The main export article that went to England from Caspian areas was raw silk, which brought the British huge profit. As the British continued to develop the West Caspian Sea trade route, other foreigners started to show a greater interest in the region.