World History: Modern Quiz

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

Despite the disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam continued to spread across Afro-Eurasia in the period 1200–1450 primarily because of which of the following?

• The conquest of the Christian Crusader States in the Levant

• The activities of Sufi missionaries

• The voyages of the Muslim eunuch Zheng He

• The translation activities of Muslim scholars

The combination between religious and political aspects in the Abbasid state’s concept of rulership 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 theoretically the state’s supreme religious and political leader.

Which of the following best describes a claim made in the first paragraph of the inscription?

• King Adityawarman was a bodhisattva.

• King Adityawarman was a Buddhist teacher.

• Statues of Buddhist divine figures could spiritually benefit everyone.

• Statues of Buddhist teachers were revered by rulers and common people.

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.

Which of the following is an argument in the second paragraph of the inscription regarding King Adityawarman?

• His spiritual attributes and worldly achievements made him a powerful and legitimate ruler.

• His attention to the welfare of all of his subjects made him a caring and legitimate ruler.

• His conquest of all of the surrounding kingdoms in Indonesia made him a legitimate ruler.

• His knowledge of science and ships in an island kingdom made him an effective and legitimate ruler.

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.

The author directly uses all of the following pieces of evidence to support his argument about the relationship between exotic goods and the power of Maya rulers EXCEPT that Maya rulers

• used exotic goods to carry out rituals that their subjects expected them to perform

• prohibited nobles and priests from wearing certain types of exotic goods reserved for rulers

• used exotic goods in royal coronations

• received exotic goods as tribute payments from vassals

Which of the following does the author cite most directly to support his argument in the third paragraph about the importance of exotic goods in the Maya region?

• The existence of sophisticated astronomical tables

• The emergence of a unified Maya kingdom based on new political models

• The emergence of new systems of writing based on earlier Mesoamerican systems

• The existence of unified patterns of behavior in warfare, science, and religion

Which of the following was a continuity in the development of African states in the period circa 1200–1450?

• African states such as Ethiopia maintained close contacts with South and East Asian states across the Indian Ocean but rarely had contacts with Europe.

• Despite geographical barriers, some African states were able to maintain diplomatic and cultural contacts with the broader Afro-Eurasian world.

• Most African states rejected traditional forms of international diplomacy, such as dynastic marriages and tribute payments.

• African states needed to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with Europe in order to expand their empires.