Role of Mongol Expansion in Re-establishing and Increasing Trade
- Unification of Eurasia:
- The Mongols (13th–14th centuries) unified much of Eurasia under one political and military system, linking China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. This created the largest continuous land empire in history, stabilizing long-distance trade routes.
- Pax Mongolica (Mongol Peace):
- The Mongol Empire ensured security and safe passage along the Silk Road. Merchants could travel from China to the Mediterranean with unprecedented protection and reduced taxation at checkpoints.
- Standardized Trade Policies:
- The Mongols adopted universal passport systems (paiza) and standardized weights and measures, reducing local restrictions and corruption.
- Cultural and Technological Exchange:
- Trade was not limited to goods. Scientific knowledge, paper-making, gunpowder, textiles, and artistic styles moved freely between East and West.
Definition
Silk Road:
- A network of trade routes connecting East Asia and the Mediterranean, revitalized under Mongol rule.
Establishment of Political Centres in the Mongol Empire
- Administrative Hubs
- The Mongols established new capitals : Karakorum in Mongolia (Ogedei Khan’s reign) and later Khanbaliq (Beijing) under Kublai Khan as centers for diplomacy, taxation, and trade administration.
- Decentralized Governance
- Each khanate served as a regional political centre, linked by trade and tribute networks.
- Integration of Local Elites
- The Mongols co-opted Persian, Chinese, and Turkic administrators to run trade and finance systems efficiently.
- Cultural Syncretism
