A Florentine Document Written About the Silk Road in 1340

Perfectly safe, whether by day or night, according to the reports of merchants

who have used it… Whatever silver the merchants carry with them to Cathay, the lord
of Cathay takes from them and puts in his treasury and gives that paper money of
theirs in exchange… and with this money, you can readily buy silk and whatever
other merchandise you desire to buy…

Free Trade in Pax Mongolica

Ibn-Batuta, a renowned Sudanese traveler, moved safely between Constantinople
and India, China, Ceylon, and Indonesia. Missionaries also went from East and West.
A monk by the name of Satsuma is known to have traveled to Paris from Central Asia.
The Pax Mongolica was a heyday for merchants. Persian, Arab, Greek, and Western
European traders peacefully engaged in commerce on the roads kept safe by the
Mongols. This is how the Mongols brought free trade into world history for the
first time.

European Guests
Because of the Mongols’ tolerance for religion, missionaries of many faiths,
including Plano Carpini and William of Rubruck, and the adventurer Marco Polo,
enjoyed the opportunity to travel far and wide without fear. A Franciscan monk
named Giovanni Da Montecorvino came to Khanbaligh in 1289 and converted thousands
of people to Christianity before his death in 1322.