MARTHA’S ALL-AMERICAN IMAGE WRECKED

MARTHA STEWART

There's a good reason MARTHA STEWART takes charge in the kitchen — she may be a descendent of the legendary conqueror GENGHIS KHAN!

The domestic diva's link to the marauding 12th century Mongol leader was revealed on the popular PBS series "Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Martha is related to Genghis Khan — she rules her empire with an iron fist like Genghis," quipped a pal.

Martha herself joked about it, saying: "There must be something to it. I've even named my dog Genghis Khan."

Millionaire Martha also discovered she may have Muslim ancestry when her genealogical background was explored on the show.

The 70-year-old media mogul, born Martha Kostyra, is a second-generation Polish immigrant who was born and raised in New Jersey as a Roman Catholic.

But since Martha's maternal grandmother was from Janow, Poland, and had the last name of Albiniak, the media mogul was told there is a good chance that at least some of her ancestors were Muslim.

The Albiniak last name is associated with an ethnic group in Janow called Tatars, most of whom adopted Islam. They were conquered by Genghis Khan's army, which was known to bed down their female captives.

On the show, Martha, realizing she might have a bit of Genghis Khan and some Muslim in her, appeared to be dumbfounded.

"She put on a brave face for the cameras, but after the filming you could tell she was in disbelief," said her pal. "Even though she is of Polish descent, she has made millions on her public image of being the all-American blonde-haired, fair-skinned girl."

But Martha decided that if she is part Muslim and Genghis Khan is her ancestor, she'd use it to earn more plunder.

"She's first and foremost a businesswoman," said her friend.

"While privately she may not be overjoyed about these extraordinary links in her ancestry, publicly she views it as another way to make money.

"Knowing Martha, she's already planning to exploit the situation with a recipe book specifically aimed at Muslim women living in America. Or, how about 'The Genghis Khan Cookbook' in which Martha goes Mongolian!

"You give her lemons and she'll make lemonade.

"Just like Genghis, Martha wants to rule the world her way — one kitchen at a time."