The Mongol Empire: Destroyers or Connectors?

CASE BRIEF: Mongol conquest left cities in ashes — and also created the safest trade network Eurasia had ever seen.

TASK: Weigh conquest accounts against evidence of trade, tolerance, and administration under the Pax Mongolica.

EVIDENCE: A conquest account describing a city's destruction - A merchant's account of safe travel under Mongol rule - Evidence of religious tolerance policy under Mongol administration

ANALYZE: How can an empire be both destructive and stabilizing? Which legacy mattered more in the long run: destruction or connection? Whose perspective is missing from these sources?

BUILD A CLAIM: Argue whether the Mongol Empire's overall historical legacy was more destructive or more connective.

RUBRIC: Uses evidence of both conquest and administration - Weighs short-term vs. long-term impact - Identifies at least one missing perspective