The Mongols, Gunpowder, and the Silk Road

Class Discussion Notes

1. The Mongols were eager to preserve and protect the Silk Road so they could tax it. 

2. They innovated a vast communication network (yam system) 

3. By reinvigorating the Silk Road (maritime and land), they contributed to the spread of the bubonic plague to Europe. 

4. The Mongols encouraged religious tolerance in their vast empire crossing the networks of the Silk Road. 

5. They relocated and transferred officials, skilled artisans, etc. from place to place, thereby leading to the transfer of knowledge, skills and technology.