The Mongols and the Silk Road: Diplomatic Legacy and Global Continuity

Abstract This article explores the historical development, contemporary significance, and future prospects of the Great Silk Road, with particular emphasis on Mongol involvement, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. The Silk Road, one of the most enduring and influential trade routes in human history, facilitated not only the exchange of goods but also the transmission of ideas, cultural values, and diplomatic relations across civilizations. The Mongols’ relationship with the Silk Road can be divided into three distinct periods: the era of the Xiongnu (Hunnu State), the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and his successors, and the present-day state of Mongolia. In the early period, the Xiongnu – regarded as ancestors of the Mongols – controlled a significant section of the Silk Road and actively engaged in extensive foreign trade. Their role was crucial in maintaining the foundations for cooperation and interaction between East and West. During the thirteenth century, the Mongol Empire revitalized the Silk Road under Genghis Khan’s leadership, institutionalizing free trade practices and initiating a form of early globalization that linked Asia and Europe. In the contemporary context, Mongolia’s participation in initiatives such as the New Silk Road (or Belt and Road Initiative) presents a strategic opportunity to overcome geographic constraints, expand interregional connectivity through rail infrastructure, and enhance national economic development. The Mongol Empire’s strategic diplomatic initiatives – such as the issuance of the gerege or paiza, which granted officials and envoys special rights, immunity, and protected status, and the establishment of the Yam postal system – not only facilitated secure and efficient communication and trade across Eurasia but also laid the foundational framework for the Silk Road’s resurgence, fostering enduring global connectivity that continues to influence contemporary initiatives like China’s Belt and Road Initiative.