[quote=genghismike]
I read something once that said that due to the wide spread trade routes established after the Mongolians created their massive empire, it paved the way for the black plague to spread so far across Europe and Asia. Had that not happened and the nations they subjugated would have remained largely isolated, it wouldn't have had such a huge impact.I like that scenario.
[/quote]

Pretty much the truth of it. A major reason Europe became the dominant global region and started that whole age of exploration before anyone else could was because the Mongolians didn't get the opportunity to trash most of Europe, while huge swaths of Asia and the Middle East were fucking wrecked by the Golden Horde. The handy supply roots to Asia helped immeasurably, to be sure.