Mongol Relay Station System (Zhan-chi)

Timeline

1. 1230–1241Main roads from the Mongolian Plateau to Central Asia · Central AsiaÖgedei Khan ordered stations every twenty-five to thirty li along the empire's main roads, equipped with horses, vehicles, and provisions for official envoys to change mounts and ride on; station households bore the duty of raising horses and supplying fodder, forming the empire's earliest institutionalized postal network.
2. 1246–1260Karakorum · Arkhangai ProvinceAfter acceding in 1251, Möngke Khan severely punished relay corruption, standardized envoy itineraries and provisioning standards, and extended station routes to Persia, the Song frontiers, and Rus'. In 1253 Rubruck arrived at Karakorum from the west, relying entirely on zhan-chi for changing mounts, confirming the system spanned Eurasia.
3. 1251–1260Post roads throughout the Mongol Empire · EurasiaOver this decade, zhan-chi supported Möngke's campaigns against Song, Hulegu's western expedition, and the official correspondence of the various khans' courts. Military reports, edicts, and tribute were relayed between stations using tallies, and merchants and travelers also commonly used the post roads, bringing imperial transport efficiency to a premodern peak.