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Tamara- The Mongol Empire created stability with Pax Mongolica, allowing for the free trade of goods, culture and ideas. What was unpredictable was that this positive exchange would also allow for the exchange of diseases, which caused the mass spread of the Black Death, which killed millions of people across Europe and Asia. This caused the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire. Once the Mongol Empire was not able to keep safe trade, China saw an opportunity to launch voyages and spread Chinese culture. This interesting chain of cause and effect changed maritime trade forever.

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The biggest theme that is played out from the progression from the Pax Mongolica, to the Black Death, to the Ming Dynasty’s orientation toward maritime trade, is humanity’s ability to adapt to their circumstances. The cause is a circumstance (by chance) and effect is a solution or adaptation to said circumstance. In regards to Medieval Globalization in Eurasia, the Black Death was an uncontrolled circumstance that caused a fracturing, destruction, and fall of a land based trade system based in the Mongolian Empire. The effect was a shift to a new power (the Ming Dynasty) and the Zheng age voyages which set the stage for Eurasian and Middle Eastern maritime trade. The Zheng He voyages under the command of the Yongle emperor adapted by creating a new trade system and establishing new relationships with other nations similar to the Pax Mongolica. A similar, but new and improved trade system adapted for maritime use was created.

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There seems to be a fairly clear causal relationship between the Pax Mongolica, the Black Death, and Ming China's growing naval power. Where the Mongol empire united the lands and caused overland trade via the silk road to flourish, it also allowed disease to spread along trade routes and into cities because of globalization and the population density. This led to the fall of the Mongol empire eventually, which placed China back under Chinese rulership. Because people were hesitant of land trade and the disease spread associated with it, Ming China established its power through sea travel, which was considered to be safer. Though they didn't gain as much power by conquest, instead preferring diplomatic gifts, they still had the effect of increasing cultural exchange, asserting dominance over a specific branch of military might, and establishing more trade. Here, the change was the direction of the interaction (land or sea), but the continuity was exchange and establishment of power.

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The Mongol Empire brought a lot of different places together and made trade easier by keeping routes safe and setting up shared rules. This helped people and goods move more freely, but it also made it easier for diseases to spread. But Even after the plague and changes in who was in power, people still wanted to trade and get goods from other places.

lyric

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Quinn:

Pax Mongolica created a time of peace and prosperity for trade networks. Travel changed and became easier than ever, which enabled the increased movement of goods, people, and disease. This caused the spread of the Black Death, which changed the landscape of global trade because the spread of disease led to the collapse of the land-based Silk Road. Without land-based trading networks, Ming China sought out maritime routes for displays of power. In this sequence of events, we can see the continual push for globalization — both in Pax Mongolica and Zheng He's voyages — against the challenges that arise with globalization and increased interconnection (spread of disease).

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Chas Mitchell - Pax Mongolica created peace and unified Mongolia which promoted trade and contact in between civilizations. This led to more connections and cooperation between people. However when the Black Death came to this part of the country, it led to civilizations not interacting due to fear of spreading disease. This shut down trade. When sea power increased this led to a resurgence in trade as it allowed for more goods to travel a further distance. However maritime trade did not become as popular until after the Black Death for fear of spreading disease.

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Yutao Zhao

Pax Mongolica make land trade safe and easy, but that same trade help spread the Black Death, which cause huge problem and broke the land trade system. Then, the effect was China look for a new way to connect with world, leading to Zheng He’s voyage.

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During the Pax Mongolica, trade became safer and more connected than ever before. This helped different parts of the world share goods, ideas, and culture. But at the same time, it made it easier for the Black Death to spread. The plague caused major population loss and economic damage in China. The new Ming dynasty wanted to rebuild and protect the country. Instead of relying on the old land-based Silk Road, which had proven risky, the Ming turned their focus to the sea. This led to maritime expeditions, led by Zheng He, and showed China’s shift toward becoming a sea power.

Raul Esparza

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Owen Christensen

I think the cause and effect is that the protection and safety the Mongols once had went away, leading to a higher level of trust in ocean trade. Once the Black Death disrupted the Mongol land trade networks, moving to ocean trade seemed logical and maybe more reliable.

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Sunny Jam

The initial event in this timeline can be seen as the development of the Pax Mongolica - the effect of the Pax Mongolica was the connectedness between East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The effect of this connectedness was the rapid spread of the Black Death across a massive geographical area. The Black Death caused the Silk Roads to decline in use, and this caused a need for alternative travel routes, which were found in the seas. This sequence shows that change is inevitable in human societies, especially when factoring in unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances (like a plague). However, it also shows our ability to adapt to disturbances and continue our practices (like international trade) by shifting our methods to what is more suitable to new conditions.

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Ryder:

The connection between the three events shows the adaptability of trade: The Pax Mongolica was able to stabilize and secure trade routes, connecting the world. The Black Death all but destroyed it. The connectivity of the trade routes allowed the plague to spread quickly, showing the danger of a tight knit world. The Ming voyages were then a spark to the trade industry, showing what new players on the trade stage could bring to the table. Zheng He’s voyages were also the beginning of a new era in that they were the beginning of mass maritime trade in the Indian Ocean and beyond.