The Mongol Empire's Division of the Silk Road

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how the Mongol Empire's fragmentation was accelerated by the division of the Silk Road trade routes among the successor khanates. Drawing on the history of the Yam system, the Toluid Civil War, and the rise of Kaidu, the conversation focuses on the economic and political rivalry between the Yuan dynasty, the Chagatai Khanate, and the Ilkhanate. They discuss how Kublai Khan's control of the eastern routes clashed with the Chagataids' grip on Central Asia, leading to trade disruptions, shifting alliances, and the emergence of the Mongol states as competitors rather than partners. Specific attention is given to the role of the ortogh merchant associations and the debasement of the silver-based currency under the Yuan, which further fractured the unity of the Mongol world. The episode also touches on the cultural exchange that continued despite political divisions, such as the spread of Persian astronomy and Chinese printing technologies. #SilkRoad #MongolEmpire #KublaiKhan #Kaidu #ChagataiKhanate #YuanDynasty #Ilkhanate #Ortogh #TradeRoutes #ToluidCivilWar #CentralAsia #YamSystem #CurrencyDebasement #PersianAstronomy #ChinesePrinting #MongolFragmentation #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo