book cover of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

by Jack Weatherford

Blurb

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World is a history book written by Jack Weatherford, Dewitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College. It is a narrative of the rise and influence of Genghis Khan and his successors, and their influence on European civilization. Weatherford provides a different slant on Genghis Khan than has been typical in most Western accounts, attributing positive cultural effects to his rule.
In the last section, he reviews the historiography of Genghis Khan in the West and argues that the leader's early portrayal in writings as an "excellent, noble king" changed to that of a brutal pagan during the Age of Enlightenment. Weatherford made use of three major non-Western sources: The Secret History of the Mongols, the Ta' rīkh-i jahān-gushā of Juvayni and the Jami al-Tawarikh of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.

First Published

2004

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TImura

Timura

A fascinating look at Genghis Khan's early life, the empire that followed him, and how his empire affected the world economy at the time. The book has been criticized for being very pro-Genghis Khan and pro-Mongolian Empire. It's not an objective history, but it is very informative and exciting. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in world history, or the history of empires.

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