Within China, Khubilai relied on a communication system that was first developed by the Great Khan Ogedei in his ulus and eventually spread to the other khanates, called the jam. The jam used a series of military posts about 25 or 30 miles apart. Each post had horses and supplies provided by local citizens. A rider on official business, such as carrying information to or from the Great Khan, picked up a new horse as he reached each post. By changing horses often, a messenger could cover about 200 miles in one day. The jam was also used by diplomats and, at times, by merchants. Riders had to show proof that they were allowed to use the system. Officials or messengers working for the government carried a gere’e, or tablet of authority. This oval plaque was made of wood, silver, or gold.
The Mongols seem to have borrowed the idea of the jam from the Kitans, but used it on a much larger scale. Other Asian governments later copied the system, and during the 19th century the U. S. government tried something similar with its Pony Express mail service. Historian
David Morgan wrote in The Mongols, .. the jam system was probably the
Most effective of Mongol imperial institutions after the Army.”
The roads constructed to speed riders along the jam also played an important role in Mongol China’s commerce. Khubilai encouraged trade, since he could tax it, and groups of merchants called ortoq were allowed to use the jam. Mongol China relied on Islamic merchants from Central Asia to move goods in and out of the empire along land routes. They brought in such things as camels, horses, medicines, and spices, while Chinese merchants exported textiles, ceramics, and food.
Merchants also transported their goods by boat, sailing from such Chinese ports as Fuzhou and Guangzhou. There was overseas trade with South Asian nations, such as India and Indonesia, as well as distant Persia.
The Silk Road
For thousands of years, traders and travelers have passed along the Silk Road, which cuts across China and Central Asia, across hot deserts and through high mountain passes, to the Middle East. The road is actually a series of roads, and its name comes from the silk that was one of the most valuable products carried from China to the West. The Mongols actively promoted trade along the Silk Road, especially in silk.
A 14th-century map shows Marco Polo's journey along the Silk Road.
Boats also carried goods along China’s many rivers. Khubilai Khan reconstructed and extended China’s Grand Canal, which dates from about 486 b. c.e. The canal is about 1,200 miles long and runs from Beijing to Hangzhou; parts of it are still used today. The canal made it easier to transport grain and other foods from the interior of China to the capital of Khan-Baliq.
World History
