The mongol conquest was almost certainly a net negative for humanity(Baghdad recovered only in the 20th century as just one example). But the standard argument

The mongol conquest was almost certainly a net negative for humanity(Baghdad recovered only in the 20th century as just one example). But the standard argument is that suddenly you had chinese culture spread to the west somewhat. Not to mention after all the killing was over, trade was more free and safe for a while. If you had the Khans permission to travel in the empire, you didn't have to worry too much about a random tribe looting your caravan. Mongols were also very tolerant of other religions as long as you submitted to their rule. Marco Polo probably wouldn't have made it to china without that region being "passified". The same argument could be used in the case of Alexander or Caesar or Napoleon. You could also say that the conquista was a good thing for the American continents, but that would depend on who you ask. This is a fairly complex topic well beyond my knowledge as a fan of history, not to mention I touched on a subject thats very sensitive to a huge portion of the population of the world. Most of us have ancestors who were conquered and few of us view it as a good thing. In summary, humans did horrible things to each other, and we survived and endured, so now with the danger out of the way we can play these games, I don't wish to continue though. I've probably stepped on a few land mines with this comment already. The whole thread is a mine field. I wish everybody pleasant evenings with history books/podcasts.