What likely drove the Mongols' interest in establishing the Pax Mongolica?

The Mongols' interest in establishing the Pax Mongolica was primarily driven by the benefits derived from increased trade and tribute. This period of peace and stability across the vast territories controlled by the Mongols facilitated commerce along the Silk Road and other trade routes. The Mongol Empire, under leaders like Genghis Khan and his successors, recognized the importance of trade for economic prosperity and actively promoted it. They established safe passages for merchants, which led to a flourishing of trade networks that connected the East and West.

This promotion of trade not only enriched the Mongols through tributes from the cities and regions they controlled, but it also helped stimulate local economies and led to an exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas across Asia and into Europe. The Pax Mongolica is often credited with contributing to the cultural and economic interactions that defined this period, highlighting the Mongols' strategic understanding of the benefits that a stable environment for trade could bring.