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Reporter Herald History often paints its epic figures in black and white terms. Real life, however, is rarely so clear. 
Toss up the name Genghis Khan, and images that fall back down are usually those of a barbarian, leading marauding hordes across the steppes of central Asia, plundering and pillaging everything in their path. Now through Feb. 7, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science offers an exhibit bent on painting the Mongolian leader in a far more colorful and accurate way: merciless military leader, to be sure; but a visionary, as well, with an acute sense of social fairness. Simply titled "Genghis Khan," the exhibit focuses on the 13th century Mongol Empire, forged by Genghis, which grew to be one of the most powerful realms the world has ever known. Through one-of-a-kind artifacts, interactive displays, live performances, video and text, the exhibit immerses patrons in a centuries-old world of military struggle, artistic growth and political wrangling. The display tracks the life of Genghis and his empire from his humble beginnings as a fatherless child to the unmatched dominion his progeny held over their world. It is clear, early on, that this was a world forged out of military conquest, with exhibits showing and reading like a 13th century arms race. Genghis Khan conquered, there is no doubt. Military, after all, was his business. What may come as a surprise, though, is the civil side of Genghis Khan, the side often lost to historic legend. Here was a leader that rolled mercilessly over his enemies yet believed in religious freedoms, meritocracy and widespread literacy. "Genghis Khan was almost unknown outside of Asia until his sons and grandsons conquered their way through Western Asia and Russia and reached Eastern Europe in the 1240s," notes Dr. William Fitzhugh of the Smithsonian Institution, curatorial consultant for the display. "By then, stories of their sometimes barbarous assaults were well-known in Europe." Because of a lack of written history and later subjugation by the Chinese and Russians, the other side of Genghis' story never surfaced, until recently. "The Chinese and Russians always feared Genghis mania might incite Mongol nationalism," Fitzhugh adds. "It took 500 years until 1990 that Mongols were free to teach about Genghis Khan in their schools." Now, the story is making its way through Western society as well, and the Denver stop is a superb telling of it. Accessible, yet informative, the exhibit flows with an attractive ease that belies the difficulty in its making. "Exhibits are complicated beasts," says Fitzhugh. "This one was more complex than most because artifacts had to be identified and borrowed from many different countries and institutions. ... Much of the exhibit shows artifacts that have only recently been excavated from archaeological sites, like the Mongol capital of Kharakhorum or the Golden Hoard collections from southern Russia." The newly discovered artifacts meld perfectly with newer technology to bring a new spin to an old story - one not nearly as black and white as we may have thought.
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