Dbq Mongols

From the emergence of Mongol military strength on the steppes of central Asia in the early decades of the 13th century to the demise of the Timur in 1405, the nomadic community of the central Asia played a major role on the center stage of the global history. The Mongol invasions interrupted and ended numerous great empires of the post classical period. There is association between the Mongol ascent the colossal social changes that made the preconditions for a development like the PR to occur in Europe a couple of centuries later.
Between the 13th and15th centuries, the Mongols influenced one of the largest empires ever witnessed in the world. It included the infamous Silk Road where traders transported exotic goods from the Far East to markets in Europe, the Arab world, and Africa.

The Mongol Empire provided the much-needed security and stability that supported the trade.

The Mongols swept through Asia and East Europe swiftly conquering all in their conquest, regardless of their culture, race, or religion. The expansion was fueled by the strong trade routes that span almost four thousand miles and existed for more than three millennia.
By the start of the 13th century, Genghis Khan unified all the clans of the Mongol. Genghis Khan has bestowed the mandate to subjugate the un-submitted peoples of all people. Consequently, the once isolated population of migration started to interact with people of different cultures. The Mongol conquest of China allowed them to control the trade routes. By 1279, the Mongol’s influence had spread to the eastern shores of China and Eastern Europe with the entire trade route under their control. As the Mongol

Empire grew, the rulers established strong communication networks to manage and control all regions under their influence. Their strength was based on their expertise as horsemen who allowed them to manage trade caravans, postal riders and other goods along the ancient trade routes. As a result, there were routes connecting Mongol headquarters at the Karakorum, Kazan, and Astrakhan (Volga), Caffa (Crimea) and Khanbaliq (China). While the enormous empire provided peace for trade to thrive, the trade was associated with negative attributes. For instance, the trade allowed traders to transport goods from the remote interior to urban areas. However, the transportation of food and goods also allowed the migration of rats and parasites along the trade routes. As a result, new diseases and pests were introduced in different areas within a short period. One of the deadliest diseases that spread along the route is the infamous Bubonic Plague that originated in Central Asia. The pleas and parasites may also have hitched on livestock the Mongols drove into the conquered pastured or by the rats that nibbled the grain transported between the east and west.
The Black Death also led to a shift in spiritual inclination in Europe. A large number of clergy in Europe succumbed to the plague while the remaining clergies feared to attend Mass or other religious gatherings. The fall of clergies was accompanied by a rise in mysticism where men sought to communicate with God and assurance that God would spare their families during the plague. While anticlericalism was not new in Europe, after 1346, it became widespread and obvious and provided an element that would eventually contribute to the eventual Protestant Reformation. The plague also ravaged Asia with almost half of the Chinese population during the years of Mongol occupation dying from the plague.
The Mongols control over the empire was not different from most other ancient empires. They used force to quell rebellions. Additionally, savage acts of retribution minimized challenges and rebellions. Therefore, by the early decades of the 14th century, the Silk Road was ideal conduit for the transmittal of potential pandemics. The stability in the Mongol empire satisfied the conditions that accelerated the change in the nature of controlling the sources of a deadly disease. When the infected parties traveled from rural Mongolia to urban centers, through caravan routes and entered into busy markets, the plague was unleashed on the population. In efforts to control the Silk Road, the Mongols besieged the Genoese controlled Crimean city of the Caffa in 1346. During the siege, the plague spread among the Mongols fighters. The remaining fighters used the dead soldiers as biological weapons by throwing the corpses into Caffa. Caffa lied strategically along the Silk Road linking Europe and other parts of the Empire. It is believed that the survivors of Caffa were hosts to the disease and as they moved through various cities, they spread it across the Mediterranean into Europe.
Conclusion
The Mongol empire was one of the greatest empires of the late Middle Ages. As a dominant empire, the Mongol played a critical role in the development and maintenance of the greatest trade route in the world. At the height of its domination, the Mongol empire subdued many kingdoms, facilitated the spread of cultures and religions, and also facilitated the spread of the Bubonic Plague. The plague moved along the trade route and spread through different continents, including Asia, Europe, Africa and America.