Pax Mongolica
Also called: Mongol peace · Topic: Nomadic Empires: The Mongols · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
Pax Mongolica means "Mongol peace". It was the stable period after the destruction of the 13th-century Mongol conquests. Because the Mongols ruled such a vast area, Europe and China were joined by land for the first time. Trade and travel on the Silk Route reached their peak. The routes did not end in China. They ran on north to Karakorum, the Mongol capital. Safe-conduct passes and the yam courier system made long journeys possible.
Example
In 1254 William of Rubruck, an envoy of Louis IX of France, reached Karakorum. He found a Parisian goldsmith and people of many faiths at the court. Marco Polo also travelled to the Mongol court along the reopened trade routes.
Don't confuse with
- Silk Route: the much older trade network itself. Pax Mongolica is the period when that network was at its peak, with its routes ending at Karakorum instead of in China.