Tutoring: Contextualization (Unit 1)

What is contextualization?

• To contextualize means to study or explain something in relation to its surrounding circumstances

• You provide background information that helps readers understand why your topic matters

• You might answer questions like: "Who? What? When? Where? Why?" to set the stage

• Contextualization is the process of placing something within its broader setting to better understand its meaning

Match the following:

• The sentence identifies S.P.I.C.E.

• S (1)

• This sentence discusses the time period.

• P

• This sentence discusses the location.

• S (2)

• This sentence offers S.P.I.C.E. details

• A

Which of the following best describes a centralized political system?

• Religious leaders hold all political power

• A single authority controls most aspects of governance

• Power is distributed among local leaders with little oversight

• Trade guilds manage regional decision-making

Which empire is known for using Confucian civil service exams to strengthen its bureaucracy?

• Mali Empire

• Song Dynasty

• Delhi Sultanate

• Abbasid Caliphate

How did Mansa Musa contribute to political centralization in the Mali Empire?

• By controlling trade routes and promoting Islam

• By decentralizing power to local chiefs

• By abolishing tribute systems

• By promoting Christianity across West Africa

Which of the following developments most directly supported political centralization in Afro-Eurasia between 1200 and 1450?

• Nomadic invasions

• Decline of urban centers

• Expansion of trade networks

• Isolationist policies

Which region saw the rise of the Delhi Sultanate as a centralized Islamic state during the period 1200–1450?

• South Asia

• Europe

• East Asia

• West Africa

What role did religion play in political centralization during this period?

• It only influenced decentralized societies

• It weakened rulers by dividing populations

• It provided legitimacy and unity for centralized states

• It was banned in most centralized governments

Which of the following best explains why some regions remained decentralized during this period?

• Geographic barriers and tribal structures

• Widespread use of bureaucracy

• Strong central governments

• Lack of trade routes

Which of the following is an example of a decentralized political system in Afro-Eurasia during 1200–1450?

• Feudal Europe

• The Song Dynasty

• The Mali Empire under Mansa Musa

• The Delhi Sultanate