Genghis Khan reshaped the world with brutal force and brilliant organisation. He began life in exile and rose to be a powerful nomadic warrior who united the disparate Mongol tribes to create the largest contiguous empire in history. Dan is joined by economic historian Duncan Weldon to explain how his empire revolutionised global trade via the Silk Road and changed the tactics of global warfare for centuries to come. They discuss how he unified vast territories with a common legal code, developed a pioneering communication system, connected East and West and laid the groundwork for the eventual industrial revolution.
Duncan's new book is called 'Blood and Treasure: The Economics of Conflict from the Vikings to Ukraine.'
Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe).
We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on).
You can also email the podcast directly at [email protected]).
