Unit 2
"If it were asked, why do we accept the theory of contagion, when already the divine law has refuted the notion of contagion, we will answer: The existence of contagion has been proved by experience, deduction, the senses, observation, and by unanimous reports. And it is not a secret to whoever has looked into this matter or has come to be aware of it that those who come into contact with plague patients mostly die, while those who do not come into contact survive. And amidst the horrible afflictions that the plague has imposed upon the people, God has afflicted the people with some learned religious scholars who issue fatwas* against fleeing the plague, so that the quills with which the scholars wrote these fatwas were like swords upon which the Muslims died. In conclusion, to ignore the proofs of plague contagion is an indecency and an affront to God and holds cheap the lives of Muslims." *rulings on Islamic law Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, A Very Useful Inquiry into the Horrible Sickness, Granada, Spain, 1349-1352 The passage by al-Khatib is best understood in the context of which of the following?
The spread of the Black Death in the aftermath of the Mongol conquests
TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200-1400 Which of the following best describes a way in which the table illustrates how the spread of rice cultivation contributed to changing the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China, India, and the Middle East between 1200 and 1300 ?
The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in all three regions.
The Mongol conquests of much of Eurasia in the thirteenth century tended to encourage trade along the Silk Roads primarily by Responses
decreasing the risk of bandit attacks and reducing the number of local rulers collecting tribute from trade caravans
WOOD PRINTING PLATE CONTAINING A PAPER MONEY NOTE WRITTEN IN MONGOL AND CHINESE, PRODUCED IN CHINA, CIRCA 1287 MONEYLENDING AT INTEREST IN A BANKING HOUSE," THE TREATISE ON THE SEVEN SINS, MANUSCRIPT PRODUCED IN GENOA, NORTHERN ITALY, EARLY FOURTEENTH CENTURY The commercial practices shown in the images emerged in order to Responses
facilitate a growing trade in luxury goods by providing greater access to credit and currency.
Which of the following most directly contributed to the decline of Eurasian urban populations during the fourteenth century? Responses
Epidemic Disease
The lines on the map above illustrate which of the following? Responses
Extent of trade routes
Which of the following factors best explains the distribution of Muslim populations shown on the map above?
Merchant Activity
Angkor Wat in Southeast Asia built circa 1100 C.E., shown above, reflects which of the following world historical processes?
Increased cross-cultural interactions in the Indian Ocean region
After leaving India, we arrived in Sumatra. It is a fertile area, in which coco-palm, clove, Indian aloe, mango, and sweet orange trees grow. Local commerce is facilitated by tin and Chinese gold. The sultan was informed of our visit and sent the judge and experts on Islamic law to meet me. The sultan is an illustrious and generous ruler and a patron of religious scholars. He is constantly waging war against the non-Muslims of Sumatra, but is a humble man who walks on foot to Friday prayers. The non-Muslims of the area must pay a poll-tax to obtain peace. One Friday after leaving the mosque, the sultan mounted an elephant and we and his entourage rode with him on horses until we reached the palace. Male musicians came into the audience hall and sang before him, after which they led horses into the hall. The horses were embroidered in silk and wore golden anklets and danced before the sultan. I was astonished, even though I had seen the same performance at the court of the Delhi sultan in India*. My stay at the sultan's court lasted fifteen days, after which I asked his permission to continue my journey to China because it is not possible to sail to China at all times of the year. We then traveled to a kingdom on the Malay Peninsula aboard a Chinese ship. This kingdom is inhabited by non-Muslims and contains great quantities of aromatic spices and aloes. The merchants sell Indian aloe for a roll of cotton cloth, which is dearer to them than silk. The ruler is a non-Muslim. We then left the Malay Peninsula and sailed to another non-Muslim kingdom in Southeast Asia. After seventeen days at sea, with a favorable wind and sailing with maximum speed and ease, we reached the land of China." *The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim state in northern India that was ruled by a Turkic elite. Ibn Battuta, Muslim traveler from North Africa, account of his journey to China, circa 1345 Ibn Battuta's claim in the second paragraph that the ceremony that he observed at the court of the sultan of Sumatra was similar to a ceremony that he had seen at the court of the Delhi sultan in India is most likely understood in the context of which of the following developments in the Indian Ocean region in the period 1200-1450 ?
Increasing cross-cultural interactions facilitated the spread of cultural traditions.
Which of the following lists three places Ibn Battuta, the fourteenth-century Muslim traveler, visited?
India, Mali, and Persia
Which of the following is true of commerce in the Indian Ocean during the time period 1000-1450?
Indian Ocean commerce flourished and was conducted by a mixture of Asian, Middle Eastern, and East African merchants.
Trade spurred the introduction of both Islam and Hinduism to what is now called
Indonesia
"A strongly held misconception about the Sahara, both in popular culture and in academia, is that this desert constitutes both a physical barrier and a fundamental cultural divide between northern Africa—a constituent part of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern historical realms—and 'sub-Saharan' Africa, a world apart. . . . [I argue] that the Sahara has far more often served as a link than as a barrier. . . . Prior to the end of the 16th century c.e., [the Sahara] was essential to world trade as it afforded nearly continuous communication between China, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Russia, the Mediterranean and West Africa. Trade, travel and communications between these world regions was assured by a system of caravans. . . . The 12th through the 16th centuries mark the 'golden age' of this trade. Demand for West African gold was at its height as the economies of the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian Ocean and Ming China expanded. . . . [In addition], the rise of the Malian and then the Songhay empires [made] the trade routes and trading cities of the African continent relatively secure, and therefore prosperous." Eric Ross, Canadian historian, article included in a book, published in 2011 Which of the following best explains why trade along the trans-Saharan trade networks increased in the period 1200-1450 ?
Innovations in previously existing transportation technologies, such as the caravan, allowed merchants to carry larger loads and protect themselves.
"A strongly held misconception about the Sahara, both in popular culture and in academia, is that this desert constitutes both a physical barrier and a fundamental cultural divide between northern Africa—a constituent part of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern historical realms—and 'sub-Saharan' Africa, a world apart. . . . [I argue] that the Sahara has far more often served as a link than as a barrier. . . . Prior to the end of the 16th century c.e., [the Sahara] was essential to world trade as it afforded nearly continuous communication between China, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Russia, the Mediterranean and West Africa. Trade, travel and communications between these world regions was assured by a system of caravans. . . . The 12th through the 16th centuries mark the 'golden age' of this trade. Demand for West African gold was at its height as the economies of the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian Ocean and Ming China expanded. . . . [In addition], the rise of the Malian and then the Songhay empires [made] the trade routes and trading cities of the African continent relatively secure, and therefore prosperous." Eric Ross, Canadian historian, article included in a book, published in 2011 Which of the following best explains an effect of the expansion of the Mali Empire on the trans-Saharan trade networks?
It facilitated commercial growth by expanding the number of people participating in the trade networks.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the Mongol Empire?
It reestablished the Silk Road between East Asia and Europe.
Which of the following did the Mongol armies fail to conquer, and why?
Japan, because severe storms aided the experienced Japanese naval forces
"The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife's father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him. In 1291, Sulayman's great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns. In 1331, Sulayman's great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy." *an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases. Question Voyages such as those referred to in the third paragraph were most directly facilitated by which of the following?
Merchants' understanding of the patterns of the monsoon winds
Which of the following characterized the trans-Saharan trade by 1250 C.E.?
Muslim merchants dominated the trade.
TYPICAL SAILING ROUTES AND SCHEDULES OF OMANI MERCHANTS TRAVELING TO EAST AFRICA AND CHINA FROM MUSCAT, CIRCA 1400 C.E. Which of the following factors contributed the most to Omani traders' ability to undertake the voyages depicted on the maps?
Navigational and maritime innovations, such as the astrolabe and lateen sail
SAILING SHIP ON THE INDIAN OCEAN CARRYING PILGRIMS TO MECCA, MINIATURE ILLUSTRATION FROM A THIRTEENTH-CENTURY ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPT The illustration would be most useful to a historian studying which of the following?
Transportation and maritime technologies
"At that time, there happened great disturbances among the lower ranks of people, by which England was nearly ruined. Never was a country in such jeopardy, and all because some commoners sought to claim liberties to which they were not entitled. It is customary in England, as in other countries, for the nobility to have great privileges over the commoners, who are bound by law and custom to plow the lands of nobles, to harvest the grain, to carry it home to the barn, and to perform various other services for their lords. The evil-disposed in these districts began to rise, saying they were too severely oppressed; that at the beginning of the world there were no unfree people, and that no one ought to be treated as such, unless he had committed treason against his lord, as Lucifer had done against God: but they had done no such thing, for they were men formed after the same likeness as their lords, who treated them like beasts. They could no longer bear this, but had determined to be free. And if they were to do any work for their lords, they demanded to be paid for it." Jean Froissart, French chronicler, late 1300s Question English nobles resisted peasant demands such as those described in the passage because agricultural labor in many parts of fourteenth-century Afro-Eurasia had become scarce as a result of which of the following developments?
Significant increase in mortality due to the spread of epidemic diseases
The photograph above of a mosque (first erected in the fourteenth century) in the modern-day West African country of Mali best exemplifies which of the following historical processes?
Spread of religion along trade routes
Which of the following languages came into existence after 1000 as the direct result of expanding global trade patterns?
Swahili
The changes in the distribution of cities in the period 1200 to 1400 C.E. best support which of the following conclusions? Table Chart
The Mongol conquests had a more disruptive impact on the Middle East and Central Asia than they had on East Asia.
"If it were asked, why do we accept the theory of contagion, when already the divine law has refuted the notion of contagion, we will answer: The existence of contagion has been proved by experience, deduction, the senses, observation, and by unanimous reports. And it is not a secret to whoever has looked into this matter or has come to be aware of it that those who come into contact with plague patients mostly die, while those who do not come into contact survive. And amidst the horrible afflictions that the plague has imposed upon the people, God has afflicted the people with some learned religious scholars who issue fatwas* against fleeing the plague, so that the quills with which the scholars wrote these fatwas were like swords upon which the Muslims died. In conclusion, to ignore the proofs of plague contagion is an indecency and an affront to God and holds cheap the lives of Muslims." rulings on Islamic law Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, A Very Useful Inquiry into the Horrible Sickness, Granada, Spain, 1349-1352 The outbreaks of plague described in the passage led most directly to which of the following?
The decline of many major cities across Eurasia
Which of the following resulted from the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire following the death of Genghis Khan?
The development of khanates in Central Asia
"A strongly held misconception about the Sahara, both in popular culture and in academia, is that this desert constitutes both a physical barrier and a fundamental cultural divide between northern Africa—a constituent part of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern historical realms—and 'sub-Saharan' Africa, a world apart. . . . [I argue] that the Sahara has far more often served as a link than as a barrier. . . . Prior to the end of the 16th century c.e., [the Sahara] was essential to world trade as it afforded nearly continuous communication between China, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Russia, the Mediterranean and West Africa. Trade, travel and communications between these world regions was assured by a system of caravans. . . . The 12th through the 16th centuries mark the 'golden age' of this trade. Demand for West African gold was at its height as the economies of the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian Ocean and Ming China expanded. . . . [In addition], the rise of the Malian and then the Songhay empires [made] the trade routes and trading cities of the African continent relatively secure, and therefore prosperous." Eric Ross, Canadian historian, article included in a book, published in 2011 Which of the following best explains a development in the trans-Saharan trade networks in the period 1200-1450 ?
The geographic range of the networks increased because of improved commercial practices.
"The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife's father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him. In 1291, Sulayman's great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns. In 1331, Sulayman's great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy." *an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases. Question The first paragraph most directly illustrates how increasing regional interactions led to which of the following developments in the Indian Ocean in the period 1200-1450?
The introduction of new cultural traditions.
Which of the following statements about the Mongol Empire of the thirteenth century is true?
The invasion of Japan was attempted but was unsuccessful.
TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200-1400 Which of the following best describes a way in which the table illustrates how an emphasis on wheat cultivation in Europe affected the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops there compared with the rice-producing regions of China and India between 1200 and 1300 ?
The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops increased considerably in Europe and declined in China and India.
In the period 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E., merchant diaspora communities, such as those of Muslims in India, Chinese in Southeast Asia, and Jews in the Mediterranean, had which of the following in common?
They generally introduced their own cultural practices into the local cultures.
"I am a griot ... we are vessels of speech; we are the repositories which harbor secrets many centuries old. Without us the names of kings would vanish into oblivion. We are the memory of mankind; by the spoken word we bring to life the deeds and exploits of kings for younger generations. ... I teach kings the history of their ancestors so that the lives of the ancients might serve them as an example, for the world is old, but the future springs from the past." An African griot (storyteller), circa 1950, introducing the oral epic of King Sundiata of Mali, composed circa 1400 C.E. The introduction by the griot is intended to serve which of the following purposes?
To establish the griot's authority by connecting him to the past
The map above demonstrates which of the following about the Indian Ocean trade?
Trade involved most of the regions bordering the Indian Ocean as well as China.
During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, territories under Mongol control benefited from which of the following?
Trade that tied several distinct regional networks together
Source 1 "People who follow Judaism should pass their lives among Christians quietly, practicing their own religion and not speaking ill of Christianity. Moreover, a Jewish person should not attempt to convert any Christian. Whoever violates this law shall be put to death and lose his property. Jewish people may maintain their synagogues, but they cannot build new synagogues without our permission. Christians may not deface synagogues or steal anything from them. Jewish people shall not be forced to attend court by Christian officials on Saturdays [the Jewish Sabbath]. All legal claims between Christians and the Jewish community shall be decided by our royal judges and a Christian is forbidden from arresting or harming Jewish people or seizing their property. Christians may not use force to convert a Jewish person to Christianity, though Christians should use the Holy Scriptures and kind words. Jewish people, however, should not attempt to interfere with a member of their community converting to Christianity of their own will. Any Christian, however, who converts to Judaism shall be put to death as a heretic." Law code issued by Alfonso X, king of the Christian Spanish kingdom of Castile, circa 1265 Source 2 "King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, by the grace of God, King and Queen of Spain, greetings. We learned that some wicked Christians in our kingdom adopted Jewish religious practices and cultural customs and apostatized from our holy Catholic faith because these Christians interacted with Jewish people. Therefore, we, with the counsel and advice of the clergy, noblemen, and other persons of learning and wisdom in our kingdom, order the Jewish community to depart and never to return. And we forbid any person or persons in our kingdom to receive, protect, or defend any Jewish person under pain of losing all their possessions, vassals, fortified places, and whatever financial grants they hold from us." Royal decree issued by King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain, 1492 Question The policy toward minority religious groups described in Source 1 is most consistent with the policy toward minority religious groups in Islamic states in the period before 1450 because it
granted limited personal freedom and protection
After leaving India, we arrived in Sumatra. It is a fertile area, in which coco-palm, clove, Indian aloe, mango, and sweet orange trees grow. Local commerce is facilitated by tin and Chinese gold. The sultan was informed of our visit and sent the judge and experts on Islamic law to meet me. The sultan is an illustrious and generous ruler and a patron of religious scholars. He is constantly waging war against the non-Muslims of Sumatra, but is a humble man who walks on foot to Friday prayers. The non-Muslims of the area must pay a poll-tax to obtain peace. One Friday after leaving the mosque, the sultan mounted an elephant and we and his entourage rode with him on horses until we reached the palace. Male musicians came into the audience hall and sang before him, after which they led horses into the hall. The horses were embroidered in silk and wore golden anklets and danced before the sultan. I was astonished, even though I had seen the same performance at the court of the Delhi sultan in India*. My stay at the sultan's court lasted fifteen days, after which I asked his permission to continue my journey to China because it is not possible to sail to China at all times of the year. We then traveled to a kingdom on the Malay Peninsula aboard a Chinese ship. This kingdom is inhabited by non-Muslims and contains great quantities of aromatic spices and aloes. The merchants sell Indian aloe for a roll of cotton cloth, which is dearer to them than silk. The ruler is a non-Muslim. We then left the Malay Peninsula and sailed to another non-Muslim kingdom in Southeast Asia. After seventeen days at sea, with a favorable wind and sailing with maximum speed and ease, we reached the land of China." *The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim state in northern India that was ruled by a Turkic elite. Ibn Battuta, Muslim traveler from North Africa, account of his journey to China, circa 1345 The purpose of Ibn Battuta's account was most likely to
inform his audience about the cultural, political, and economic characteristics of the places he visited
"The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife's father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him. In 1291, Sulayman's great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns. In 1331, Sulayman's great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy." *an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases. The third paragraph most directly illustrates the ways in which rulers in the Indian Ocean in the period before 1450
used expanding trade networks to facilitate state development
The thirteenth-century map of Constantinople shown above indicates that the city
was highly fortified against outside attacks
