What role did the Mongols play in regards to Eurasian trade and cultural integration? My text for this is Traditions & Encountersby Bentley and...

Being a
traditionally nomadic people, the
Mongols had always supported trade. This was even true before
the conquests
of Ghengis Khan. After the empire was established, the Mongols found that
trade
could vastly enrich their empire. Because their empire was beside the
Silk Road, they had
control of the important trade routes that connected the
markets of East Asia with those of
Europe. To protect the silk market, the
Mongols kept the source of the precious cloth a secret.
The punishment for
bringing silkworms out of the Empire was death. The Mongol government also

provided armed escorts for trade caravans in order to safeguard them from bandits.
Merchants and
traders were held in high regard in Mongol society. They
received privileges such as tax
exemptions, a high social status, and
low-interest government loans.

The
Mongol empire was huge
and encompassed many different ethnicities. At its height, it covered
almost
12 million square miles. The Khans valued cultural differences
and...