How Did the Mongol Empire’s Expansion Impact the West?

How Did the Mongol Empire’s Expansion Impact the West?

In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire exploded out of the Asian steppe and spread westward across Eurasia. As the first horsemen clashed with the princes of Eastern Europe, the continent’s conception of itself and the world began to shift.   Rumors of a Powerful New Player Prester John as Emperor of Ethiopia from the Queen Mary Atlas, by Diogo Homem, c. 1555-1558. Source: British Library   In 1221, the leaders of the Fifth Crusade were in Damie…