Mongol Empire Dbq Essay

The Mongols created the largest empire in all of history. The land they had conquered is more than two times that of the next greatest conqueror, Alexander the Great. But unlike Alexander, who is often remembered as a hero, the legacy of the Mongols is one of brutality and barbarism. But in truth, these so-called “barbarians” were, in fact, not very barbaric at all. Recent discoveries challenged the long-accepted statement of Mongols being savage brutes, suggesting that they were perhaps wrongly labelled; the facts about them were twisted and lost to history. Their laws, military strategies are those of an ideal nation, and they brought prosperity to all their conquered lands. The Mongols were a civilized nation, with a brilliant society that …show more content…
New trade routes opened up all throughout the Mongol empire benefitting all industries as they now have a wider range of clients. For instance, “the Persian silk industry benefited from the Mongol conquest because of the contacts that opened up with China.” (Doc. 6). The conquests of the Mongols brought about trading at a completely new level. The new routes extended from as far as North Italy all the way to the Caspian Sea. Traders and merchants gained great wealth as tools, food, and ideas were exchanged (Guisepi).
In addition, religious tolerance was practiced all throughout the captured states. Khublai Khan had once said “The Christians say their god was Jesus Christ; the Saracens, Mohammed; the Jews, Moses; and the idolaters Sakamuni Borhan [that is, Sakiamuni Buddha, who was the first god to the idolaters]; and I do honor and reverence to all four.” ("A Tactic of Religious Tolerance"). In fact, clerics of many different faiths were even given tax benefits ("A Tactic of Religious Tolerance"). The Mongols were very benevolent and welcoming, seeing benefits within all religions and those who worshipped them (Nicholson 3,