Unit 1 MCQ Corrections

The disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate most directly led to which of the following political developments in the Islamic world in the thirteenth century?

• The Russian conquest of Central Asia

• The rise of Turkic states

• The conversion of most of the Islamic world to Shi‘a Islam

• The collapse of trade along the Silk Road networks

Answer explanation

Hint: Read the Political section of your guided notes for Dar al-Islam. Read the whole section but pay special attention to the last sentence.

The combination between religious and political aspects in the Abbasid state’s concept of governance is best reflected in which of the following?

• The Abbasid state had an influential Sunni religious class that often came into conflict with the state.

• The Abbasid state often allowed local rulers considerable autonomy.

• The Abbasid state patronized the construction of religious buildings such as mosques.

• The Abbasid state was headed by a caliph who was both the state’s supreme religious and political leader

Answer explanation

Hint: This question is about the Abbasid Caliphate. Look at the definition of caliphate in slide 105 of the Unit 1 Slides.

The claim in the second paragraph that the king has become “free from all physical desire” can best be understood to mean that

• Southeast Asian states’ ruling elites were very wealthy.

• In Vedic religions, rejecting worldly concerns in order to attain spiritual perfection was considered a virtue.

• Buddhist monks and nuns in Southeast Asian societies were required to maintain an ascetic lifestyle.

• Hindus believed that members of each caste had different rights and responsibilities.

Answer explanation

Buddhism branched off from Hinduism and was based off the Hindu holy texts called the Vedas. Buddhism teaches that suffering comes from our worldly desires and teaches followers to pursue the "Middle Way": not too harsh and not too indulgent. The ultimate goal is to achieve Nirvana, which is a state of peaceful enlightenment free from desire.

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author’s conclusion about the importance of exotic goods to the Maya region’s economy?

• Exotic goods were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.

• Exotic goods were traded between the Maya city-states and neighboring states.

• The exchange of exotic goods went hand in hand with the exchange of information.

• The Maya region depended on the trade in exotic goods because of relatively low levels of agricultural production.

Answer explanation

This was a tricky question because it requires you to make an inference that is not obvious.

Which answer choice is both directly mentioned in the passage and shows the inherent value the Mayans placed on these exotic goods based on the effort they went through in order to trade them?

Remember: no horses in the Americas, so trading over long distances meant a long journey on foot.

Which of the following continuities in the development of African states in the period circa 1200–1450 most likely explains the prevalence of Christianity in Ethiopia?

• Some African states’ religious traditions continued to be influenced by cultural transfers dating back to earlier centuries.

• Some African states were famous for their religious toleration and for allowing multiple religious traditions to coexist in their territories.

• African states’ official religions were typically syncretic mixtures of several different religious traditions.

• While African populations mostly continued to adhere to indigenous polytheistic religions, African political elites often adopted monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam.

Answer explanation

This was the most-missed question. It is hard because there are multiple "trick" answers that look correct. Keep in mind: neither syncretism nor religious toleration nor polytheistic animism have much to do with why Ethiopia had practiced Christianity for over 1,000 years by the year 1400.

Keep in mind also: although Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest Christian kingdoms, Christianity did not originate in Africa. It arrived in Africa from the Middle East.

The terminology used in the opening sentence of the decree was most directly influenced by which of the following?

• The notion that the Pope is the supreme leader of the Church

• The medieval rules of chivalry and courtly etiquette

• The deep influence of Christianity on medieval society and culture

• The slow and uncertain nature of communications in medieval Europe

Answer explanation

Leaders frequently seek to make use of anything that can influence the people.

Read the Cultural section of your Guided Notes on Europe. What is the unifying force in Europe? Wouldn't a leader want to make use of that unifying force?

The process of “consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm” in the making of Edward III’s decree best reflects which of the following?

• The emergence of the concept that parliaments, rather than kings, had ultimate political authority in European states

• The fragmented, decentralized nature of European feudal monarchies

• The legacy of Roman imperial political traditions on medieval European states

• European rulers’ practice of making harsh legislation more palatable by claiming it was part of God’s will

Answer explanation

Read the Political section of your Guided Notes on Europe. Focus especially on Feudalism.

Keep in mind: the monarch (king) relies on support of the noble lords just beneath him.

Don't choose a trick answer here. Choose the answer that is most correct without any inaccurate or unnecessary information.

The need for legal action to address the “grave inconveniences” that might result from the labor shortages described in the passage most likely resulted from

• the agrarian nature of medieval European economies and their reliance on coerced labor

• the inability of members of the nobility and other feudal lords to take direct legal action against their workers and serfs

• the high social rank and economic standing of plowmen in medieval English society

• the presence of guild regulations prohibiting agricultural laborers from working more than a certain number of hours each week

Answer explanation

Hint: Lookup the word "agrarian" if you don't know what it means.

Consider that the vast majority of people in medieval Europe were peasant farmers called serfs. Serfs farmed their lord's land and were not allowed to leave without his permission.

What does that tell you about European society?