How did trade routes under Mongol rule contribute to the spread of the Black Death?

The Pax Mongolica fostered a period of unprecedented connectivity across Eurasia, which, while facilitating significant cultural and economic exchange, also accelerated the transmission of disease. The same interconnected trade networks that allowed merchants, diplomats, and scholars to travel securely across the Mongol empire served as conduits for the Black Death during the mid-14th century.123

Outbreaks of the plague followed the established trade and communication routes, enabling the disease to spread rapidly from Central Asia into the Middle East and Europe. The increased efficiency of these routes, supported by the Silk Road and the yam postal system, meant that the plague could move across vast distances with remarkable speed. Ultimately, the demographic devastation caused by the pandemic contributed to the weakening of Mongol political authority and the eventual decline of the empire.123