How did the decline of the Mongol Empire encourage European exploration of sea routes to Asia?

The decline of the Mongol Empire was a pivotal factor in driving European exploration of sea routes to Asia. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Pax Mongolica provided a period of stability that allowed merchants and travelers to traverse the Silk Road with relative security.12

As the Mongol Empire began to fragment and collapse in the 14th century, this overland network became increasingly unstable and dangerous for Western merchants. The loss of a single political authority meant that travelers could no longer be assured of safe-conduct, and the routes became plagued by political fragmentation and banditry.312

Simultaneously, the Ottoman Empire and Venice exerted control over traditional Mediterranean trade routes, further limiting European access to Eastern goods. Faced with these unreliable overland paths and restricted access to established sea lanes, European nations were compelled to seek direct maritime routes to Asia to secure access to its wealth and luxury goods, effectively laying the foundations for the Age of Discovery.342