How did the Mongol Empire revive long-distance trade across Eurasia?

The Mongol Empire revitalized long-distance trade across Eurasia by establishing the Pax Mongolica, a period of relative stability that brought the Silk Road network under a single political authority.123

To facilitate this commerce, the Mongols implemented several key measures:

• Security and Protection: Merchants received military protection for their caravans, and the empire standardized taxes and tolls across many regions to reduce the risks and costs of trade.12
• Official Passports: The issuance of paiza (or geregee) provided merchants with imperial protection and official recognition, ensuring safer passage across the empire.12
• Infrastructure: The Mongols expanded the yam, an extensive network of postal and supply relay stations. This allowed couriers and travelers to move across Eurasia with unprecedented speed and efficiency.12
• State-Backed Partnerships: The empire supported ortoqs, which were state-backed merchant partnerships that pooled capital to fund long-distance ventures.2

These initiatives transformed the history of Central Asia and the broader continent by enabling the movement of goods, people, and knowledge between East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.23