ABSTRACT
The huge surge of travel in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, from North Africa and the Middle East and from Europe, directly reflected the stability created by the Mongol empires. With this stability now shattered-overland travel through Central Asia became noticeably more dangerous and never recovered its prior importance-one might have expected a lull in the more venturesome types of travel. The disruption caused by the plague-not only population loss, but a measurable downturn in economic prosperity in many regions-added a further complication.
