The Mongol Empire controlled much of the overland Silk Road after unifying large parts of Eurasia in the thirteenth century.
Mongol conquests connected China, Central Asia, Iran, and parts of eastern Europe under a succession of related khanates. This political integration could make travel, communication, and the movement of goods easier across some routes, especially when authorities protected roads and organized relay systems.
Merchants, envoys, missionaries, and travelers benefited from Mongol networks, although conditions varied by region and period. The empire also brought conquest, destruction, taxation, and forced movement, so its impact was not simply peaceful or uniformly beneficial.
The Mongol Empire eventually divided into major successor states, including the Yuan dynasty in China, the Chagatai Khanate, the Ilkhanate, and the Golden Horde. Political fragmentation and the growth of maritime commerce later reduced the relative importance of some overland routes.