Dominion: Dawn of the Mongol Empire

With the steppe now unified under his rule, the story continues in book two as Chinggis Khan turns his attention to the world outside. Over the past eight hundred years, history has depicted Chinggis Khan as a bloodthirsty despot who, like his contemporaries, was capable of great cruelty. Unlike many, however, he was also capable of extraordinary good, outlawing the kidnapping of women, declaring all children legitimate, mandating freedom of religion, and ultimately coming to believe that free trade was the key to peace. In this, book two and the conclusion of Heaven's Favorite, his story continues. Balance. Balance was good and the Jurchens of northern China did their part to maintain the status quo. When it appeared the steppe barbarians might reach accord with each other, or if one was poised to dominate the others, the Jurchen stepped in. Wielding the promise of great wealth and threat of attack, they ensured the barbarians remained at each other's throats. But now, with the Mongol's rise to power, everything changed. The status quo was replaced by a new reality, problematic for the powerful Jurchen, and for Temujin, as well. Without an enemy at whom he could direct the energies of his young men, his empire would self-destruct. He knew it, and if they hadn't yet realized it, so would the Jurchen before too long. Our story resumes in 1206 A.D. with the Mongol empire surrounded by powerful enemies. In pursuit of the true story behind this saga, the author visited China and traveled over forty-five hundred kilometers through the Mongolian countryside in the company of Mongol scholars.