Final answer:
Under Mongol rule, China grew wealthy due to policies that favored trade, reduced taxation on merchants, and improved security and logistics. The Yuan dynasty created beneficial social policies such as granaries for famine relief and tax forgiveness, which also contributed to the economic prosperity. However, Mongol taxation practices did lead to resentment among the Chinese peasantry.
Step-by-step explanation:
China experienced significant economic growth under the Mongol empire due to several favorable policies implemented by the Yuan dynasty. Mongols chose China as a center for their empire because of its strategic location on the Silk Roads, its rich agricultural lands, and its established bureaucracy. Under Mongol leadership, trade flourished as merchants were liberated from heavy taxation, which was common under previous Chinese dynasties.
Merchants enjoyed a higher social status and benefited from the established postal-station system, which improved security and logistics during their travels. The Yuan rulers promoted economic expansion and diversity by adopting favorable trade policies, practicing Buddhism, and expanding paper money circulation. Furthermore, they created granaries for famine relief, forgave taxes after natural disasters, and reduced banditry, which made commerce along the Silk Roads safer and more profitable for merchants.
Despite their success in trade and infrastructure such as the recovery of the Grand Canal, resentment grew among Chinese subjects who suffered financial hardships due to Mongol taxation and land expropriation practices. Nevertheless, the policies of the Yuan dynasty contributed to a wealthy China by boosting trade and implementing social welfare measures that alleviated some hardships for the populace.