Unit 2 & 3 MCQ Corrections

Which of the following demonstrates the assimilation of nomadic conquerors into conquered societies during the period circa 1250–1450?

• The rulers of the Mali Empire converting to Islam through the influence of North African merchants and missionaries

• The rulers of the Yuan dynasty adopting Chinese court culture and methods of rule

• Trading states in Southeast Asia such as the Khmer and Srivijaya empires adopting syncretic Hindu-Buddhist practices

• Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans expanding their output because of a rising demand for luxury goods in Afro-Eurasia

Answer explanation

Remember, after the Mongols conquered the Song Dynasty, they adopted many Chinese customs and aspects of the Confucian belief system.

Which of the following developments in the period circa 1250–1450 represents a situation that did not lead to conquerors assimilating into the cultures of the conquered societies?

• Invading armies establishing and maintaining a separate community, as illustrated by the European crusader kingdoms in the Middle East

• Merchants establishing diasporic communities and introducing their own traditions into the indigenous cultures, as illustrated by South Asian Muslim merchants spreading Islam to the islands of Southeast Asia

• Settled societies successfully resisting nomadic encroachments, as illustrated by the Mamluks of Egypt defeating the Mongols or Muscovy expelling the Golden Horde from Russia

• Conquering states fragmenting into several units because of political and social friction, as illustrated by the breakup of the Mongol Empire into individual khanates

Answer explanation

This is a tricky question. It is asking for a situation in which conquerors did NOT adopt the culture of those they conquered. Because the Crusader states kept completely apart from those they conquered, they maintained highly distinct culture and customs.

The Mongol conquests resulted in all of the following developments EXCEPT

• a revival of trade on the overland Silk Roads

• transfers of scientific and technological knowledge

• the initial diffusion of Buddhism and Christianity to East Asia

• the spread of pathogens across Eurasia, including the bubonic plague

Answer explanation

Due to the Pax Mongolic (Mongol Peace) that followed the Mongol conquests, trade goods, ideas, and diseases like Black Death spread easily across Eurasia. However, Christianity and Buddhism INITIALLY spread nearly 1,000 years before the Mongol conquests.

The “long stays in harbors” mentioned in the description of the sea journeys in the first paragraph were most likely necessary because Indian Ocean maritime trade in the period circa 1200–1450

• increased significantly in volume, creating bottlenecks in key ports

• required the approval of Muslim religious authorities to make sure it was carried out in accordance with Islamic principles

• had to take into account environmental factors such as the timing and direction of the monsoons

• could only be carried out if ships stayed close to shore through the entire journey from Egypt to India

Answer explanation

We learned about seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean that blew in one direction during the summer and in the opposite direction during the winter.

What were those winds called?

Based on the pattern of trade described in the third paragraph, the Egyptian karim merchants were most likely directly involved in which of the following broader developments in the Indian Ocean in the period circa 1200–1450?

• The establishment of diasporic merchant communities

• The transfer of European scientific knowledge to South Asia

• The creation of new monotheistic religions

• The introduction of new financial innovations such as paper money

Answer explanation

Remember, a diaspora is a large group of people who have left their homeland and settled elsewhere. The Muslim merchant community in the Indian Ocean is one of the best-known diasporas in history.

Which of the following best describes the author’s purpose in the passage?

• To provide detailed descriptions of the instruments used at the Maragha and Tabriz observatories

• To evaluate the importance of the astronomical discoveries made by Ilkhanid scientists

• To portray his patron as a generous supporter of the sciences and a man of unusual intelligence

• To criticize Ghazan for his vanity and remind him to focus on religious and spiritual pursuits

Answer explanation

Why would the author describe the Khan in such a glowing, highly positive way? Is it possible the author has other motivations besides being accurate and truthful?

Which of the following best describes the historical situation in Eurasia at the time the passage was written?

• Frequent warfare limited the opportunities for cultural, scientific, and artistic innovation.

• Political upheaval and reorganization increased cultural and scientific exchanges across regions.

• Revived long-distance trade spread pathogens and infections to regions that had not been previously affected by them.

• The invention and spread of new weapons and military tactics radically transformed the global balance of power.

Answer explanation

While the Pax Mongolica did facilitate the spread of germs and disease, it is more known for allowing the exchange of ideas and bringing prosperity due to the widespread peace.

Which of the following best describes the historical circumstances of Rashid al-Din’s career?

• His career illustrates the destructive impact of the Mongol conquests on many established urban centers.

• His career illustrates the possibilities for diffusion and intermingling of cultures brought about by the Mongol conquests.

• His career illustrates the Mongols’ success in preserving their nomadic and tribal culture despite the growing diversity of their subjects.

• His career illustrates the importance of traveler accounts written by foreign visitors to the Mongol court.

Answer explanation

The Pax Mongolica is known for allowing the exchange of ideas and bringing prosperity due to the widespread peace.

A comparison between the data for the three manors shown in the table best illustrates which of the following about the bubonic plague?

• It was equally devastating across all areas of western Europe.

• It had virtually no effect on the populations of some regions of England.

• In some but not all areas, the population was beginning to recover by 1400.

• In most areas, the population reverted to pre-1320 levels by 1400.

Answer explanation

The chart shows only a few places in Western Europe, so we cannot draw any conclusions about Western Europe as a whole. However, it does show something specific about the populations in these few places.

The conduct of the siege as described in the passage could best be used to explain which of the following processes in the period 1450–1750 ?

• The transmission of new weapons along trade networks

• The use of new weapons by expanding imperial states

• The use of new weapons to establish trading-post empires

• The development of new processes of manufacturing to create new weapons

Answer explanation

From 1450 - 1750, states were expanding their territories, consolidating their power, and legitimizing their use of power. Which of these does the passage reflect?