The Formation of Ilkhanate’s Trade with Venetian and Genoese Merchants

Mongols attributed great importance to trade and the benefits accrued from it. When the Ilkhanate rule was established in Iran, they cultivated a keen interest in developing ties with nation-states of Venice and Genoa, much like the pattern pursued by Mongol khans in Cumania; more importantly, their adversaries, the rulers of Egypt and Mongol rulers in Ulus had already vast trade ties to Venice and Genoa. Ilkhanate’s efforts was met by enthusiasm on the part of Venetian a Genoese tradespeople, and, within the broader context of the hardship endured by Italian traders in Egypt, tradespeople from the Italian nation-states found their way into Iran. As Italian traders consolidated their foothold within the Ilkhanate government, they utilized the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Anatolia- and Mediterranean-bound Silk Road for carrying their oriental goods to Europe. This article uses descriptive-analytical method to study the formation of trade relations between the Ilkhanates and Venetian and Genoese tradespeople, their mutual effort to develop trade ties and the their area of interest for the exchange of goods.