Final answer:
The Yuan dynasty supported and expanded foreign trade by building roads and bridges, protecting trade routes, repairing and adding canals, and forming merchant groups to support caravans.
Step-by-step explanation:
How the Yuan Dynasty Supported and Expanded Foreign Trade
The Yuan dynasty took several measures to support and expand foreign trade. Here are four correct actions they took:
- They built more roads and bridges, which were crucial for the mobilization of armies and the free passage of merchants, to ensure that traders could travel across the empire with greater ease.
- The Yuan dynasty protected overland trade routes, particularly along the Silk Roads, to reduce banditry and make trade safer for merchants.
- They repaired and added to existing canals, improving the infrastructure to facilitate trade and the movement of goods within and beyond their empire.
- The dynasty formed groups of merchants to support caravans by using a system of relay stations that provided rest areas, supply depots, and facilitated trade and the exchange of information.
These strategies under the Yuan dynasty not only encouraged trade within China but also contributed to the establishment of what was known as the Pax Mongolica, which created a stable and flourishing environment for international trade.