Change And Continuity Of The Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire was first founded by Ghengis Khan, the first Great Khan of the Ghengis people. Ghengis united nomadic tribes together, forming a highly skilled army/calvary that invaded and conquered Eurasia during the 13th and 4th century. Prior to the Mongol Empire, Eurasia was highly fragmented, with control divided over a multitude of regions. Major trade routes such as the Silk Road, faced thieves and bandits as well as conflicts from warring kingdoms along the route. While on trade routes, travelers would also use silver coins as a form of currency. Although the Mongol Empire only remained for about a century, ultimately, the Mongols were greatly significant in larger patterns of continuity or change between 1200 and 1450 because they

For instance, the yam system was a communication network made up of Mongol army messengers and their horses. These messengers would be positioned at relay stations that also provided food, shelter, and spare horses. The Mongols would extend these resources to merchants, supporting them and allowing them to continue their long journey. Essentially, this also provided protection to travelers from bandits and raiders. The Mongols also established a system of passports called "paizas" that allowed merchants and travelers to move safely across the empire. Paizas were small metal or wooden tablets that identified the bearer as a person with the right to travel and trade. They also provided protection and ensured safe passage through Mongol-controlled territories. As a result, the Mongols allowed for major trade routes to be safe and conveniently functionable, encouraging more trade activity.The Mongol Empire's impact on trade was felt across many parts of the world, as the empire established a vast network of trade routes that connected Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The Mongols' conquest of many of the major trade centers of the time, such as Samarkand, Bukhara, and Baghdad, helped to establish new trade routes that linked these cities together. These trade routes facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures across many different regions of the world, and helped to establish a new era of global commerce.