One historian has even claimed that the Mongols smashed the feudal system and created international law. And with religious tolerance, the Mongols, in this view, created the first great free trade zone, like a crazy medieval Eurasian NAFTA. And that's not entirely wrong either. Stupid truth always resisting simplicity. INTRO So remember herders? We talked about them back in episode 1 as an alternative to hunting and gathering or agriculture. Here are the key things to remember.