Conclusion

The time has come to ‘combine’ or ‘draw together’ the ‘separate steps’⁴ of the preceding argument. Beginning with the Eurasian steppe in the Long 13th Century, we saw how the Mongolian Empire was fundamental to the formation of a number of geopolitical and economic linkages across the Eurasian landmass. This had the effect of plugging European actors into an interconnected ‘world system’ of intersocietal relations. The immediate consequence of European engagements in thePax Mongolicawas an increased exposure to the technical developments and ideas pioneered in the more scientifically advanced Asia. While these contributed to an array of developments