Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, the Mongols created the world's largest-ever contiguous empire. Under the leadership of Genghis Khan, the Mongols took over territories in much of Asia, the Middle East, and far Eastern Europe.  Because the Mongol Empire was so large and powerful, there was little war within the empire. This is now called the Pax Mongolica (Latin for “Mongolian peace”).  Like the earlier Pax Romana ("Roman Peace"), the Pax Mongolica was a time of relative peace and stability. That made it possible for trade, technologies and ideas to travel safely throughout Eurasia.  International trade and diplomacy along the Silk Road expanded greatly.