When Genghis Khan’s armies thundered across Eurasia, they left cities in ruins but also wove together one of the most connected worlds in history. Under Mongol rule, merchants thrived, scholars shared ideas from China to Persia, and even astronomy got a boost.
But those same trade routes also carried the Black Death. So… were the Mongols history’s ultimate villains, or unlikely world-builders?
How do your students weigh the terror and the triumphs of Mongol rule?
Read Bennett Sherry 's Written in the Stars: Secrets of the Mongol Empire with your students and share your class's take in the poll—if you dare. 
