China and Russian Mongol FRQ

Effects of Mongol Rule in China and Russia The Mongolian rule had a very direct impact and influence in China and Russia in terms of political and economical structure. Although the Mongols were not as evident in the Golden Horde region, they still impacted Russia just as much as they did in the Yuan district in China. In both China and Russia, the Mongols left their mark by placing high taxes on peasants, taking full control over trade through the Silk Road, and increasing international diplomacy through various methods, creating Pax Mongolica.
Although Mongolian rule fell long ago, its influence can still be seen today. In Russia and China, the Mongol era brought a change in political power. The Khans, or “Great Leaders”, ruled both places, although not equally. China was directly ruled by the Mongols, seeing that China hosted them in the Yuan province, while Russia was given a sense of self rule. The Mongols still claimed taxes and sought goods from Russia, but did not actually occupy it as they did in China. The lack of occupancy in Russia eventually led to the downfall of the Mongol rule there seeing that there was no opposing force to govern them, thus putting power back to the Russians, and creating what we know Russia as today.
Not only was the political aspect of China and Russia influenced, but the economy was influenced as well. The conquests of Kublai Khan and his successors joined the Eastern world with the Western world by the use of the Silk Road, which served as a trade route. The Silk Road connected trade centers spanning across Asia and Europe reaching from the Golden Horde to the Yuan province. The trade route, while under strict protection of the Mongols, increased Eurasian trade of goods, beliefs, and disease. The Silk Road spread silk, porcelain, and gun powder from China as well as Buddhism, and the plague. The goods that came and went through the trade route were taxed heavily along with the peasants that resided in each region. The high taxes served as income for the Mongols to use towards warfare, necessities, and indulgences. The Silk Road, by bringing in and sending out new ideas and goods, spread international diplomacy. In the case of China, the Silk Road brought in ambassadors from the Middle East amongst other regions, thereby increasing and instilling a sense of Pax Mongolica.
In conclusion, the Mongols influence on China and Russia shaped them into what they are today. The Mongols achieved their greatness by taxing the poor in order to support their army, making the Silk Road their own, and accumulating international diplomacy and instilling Pax Mongolica.