Howorth have argued that the Mongol empire contributed to opening up intellectual interactions between China, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1979 Paul Ratchnevsky wrote about the Khan's knack for forging alliances, his fairness in dividing the spoils, and his patronage of the sciences.
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. 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 provides a different slant on Genghis Khan than has been typical in most Western accounts, attributing positive cultural effects to his rule. It is a narrative of the rise and influence of Mongol leader Genghis Khan and his successors, and their influence on European civilization. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World (2004) is a history book written by Jack Weatherford, Dewitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College. All these weapons were adapted from cultures the Mongols had come into contact with: “Genghis Khan’s army combined the traditional fierceness and speed of the steppe warrior with the highest technological sophistication of Chinese civilization” (8).The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
Civilian residents of the city were spared while the city’s military was utterly destroyed by newly-constructed siege engines and artillery. Weatherford contrasts Khan’s remarkable leniency towards those who submitted to his rule with his determination to crush those enemies that did not submit: “Resistance would be met with death, loyalty with security” (9). Further, by traveling light and only building what was required for the siege on-site, he was able to maneuver quickly. By dividing his armies, he was able to launch a surprise attack on the city and appear unexpectedly with his main force, trapping a large number of fleeing defenders. By first intimidating and forcing the surrender of surrounding settlements before besieging the city, Khan was able to use fear and intimidation, rather than actual violence, as his primary weapon.
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