WorksheetsAfrican and Asian Civilizations
Total questions: 25
Worksheet time: 14mins
“The Arab traders of this region wanted gold as much as the Wangara wanted salt, but both had to pass through Ghana to trade...Ghana controlled the land...it had the military forces…to maintain peace in the area, thereby assuring safe trade for the Arabs and the Wangara.”
Based on the excerpt above, which of the following contributed to the success of Ghana?
Geographic location
Military conquest
Superior skill of merchants
Natural resources of the land
West African kingdoms like Mali gained immense wealth due to their large supply of what resources?
Servants and Wheat
Silver and Gems
Cotton and Silk
Gold and Salt
The Songhai had settled on both banks of the middle Niger River. They established a state in the 15th century, which unified a large part of the western Sudan and developed into a brilliant civilisation [...] The capital was at Gao, a city surrounded by a wall. It was a great cosmopolitan marketplace where kola nuts, gold, ivory, slaves, spices, palm oil and precious woods were traded in exchange for salt, cloth, arms, horses and copper. [...]
Based on the excerpt above, what characteristics did the Songhai kingdom have that contributed to the success of all African Kingdoms?
Enough natural resources to remain self-sufficient
Access to major bodies of water for trade
Strong infrastructure and tax revenue
A reliance on slave labor for production and protection
Which of the following had the largest impact on the social and cultural development of kingdoms in West and South Africa?
the ethical challenges of slavery
the lack of contact with Europe
the leadership of Islamic rulers
the lack of military power
How did East Africa differ from the kingdoms of West and South Africa?
East Africa had one common culture and language rather than many separate cultures.
East Africa experiences greater influence from Muslim traders and the Islamic faith.
East Africa was less reliant on trade than the kingdoms in the West and South.
East Africa remained divided in individual trading cities rather than one large kingdom.
Which of the following best completes the diagram above?
Gold is discovered in the West
The Bantu migration occurs
Islam spread throughout Africa
Civil War breaks out in Northern Africa
What did Mansa Musa’s successors do with his wealth when they gained power in Mali?
They spent it lavishly on luxury goods.
They used it to support local merchants.
They stopped charging taxes from citizens
They used to improve education and build libraries.
Which of the following contributed to the fall of the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?
They overextended the use of natural resources and suffered from natural disasters.
They were subject to civil wars, wars against foreign rulers, and poor leadership.
They converted to Islam and did not pay tribute to indigenous traditions.
The kingdoms were colonized by emerging countries in Europe.
“Famine or fear of stronger enemies might force one tribe to ask another for help and give themselves in a type of bondage in exchange... [T]hose seeking protection, or relief from starvation, would become the servants of those who provided relief. Debt might also be worked off through a form of servitude. Typically, these servants became a part of the extended tribal family.”
Based on the excerpt above, slavery in medieval African kingdoms is most similar to which of the following?
Debt peonage
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Serfdom in Feudal Europe
Enslavement of prisoners of war
How did the rulers of Ghana grow rich?
by conquering neighboring kingdoms and taking their gold
by building new trade routes to Asia
by taxing the goods traders carried through their territory
by converting the country to Islam and appointing Muslims as advisers
What people broke away from Mali's empire and gained control of the all-important trade routes?
the Hausa
the Songhai
the Yoruba
the Almohads
This title was used by local leaders of Mali until Sundiata took it for himself
Khan
Pharaoh
King
Mansa
Most famous West African center of trade and learning
Timbuktu
Cairo
Egypt
Gao
Mali was established in the mid-thirteenth century by
Mali Ali
Sundiata Keita
Sunni Ali
Muhammad Ture
Which of the following resulted from the mountainous terrain on the chain of islands that make up Japan?
Religion did not develop in Japan
No contact was made with other cultures
There was a lack of fertile farmland
It was easy for the shogun to control Japan
Which of the following best explains why both Europe and Japan developed feudal systems?
The system provided support and protection under a weak central government.
The system was used to honor the strong leaders of both empires.
The system granted equal opportunities to members of all social classes.
The system was used to overcome the religious oppression of kings and emperors.
Which of the following is true of both Knights and Samurai?
Both were subjects of the king or emperor
Both were volunteer positions with few benefits
Both were the lowest ranking members in the social hierarchy
Both followed strict codes of conduct
In the Japanese feudal system, which group held the most power in local communities?
The Daimyo
The Emperor
The Shogun
The Samurai
What Mali leader may have possibly been the richest man ever?
Ibn Battuta
Mohammad Ali
Mansa Musa
Sunni Ali
Who started the kingdom of Songhay?
Sunni Ali
Mohammed Ali
Mansa Musa
Dinga Cassie
Mansa Mūsā caused Timbuktu to become
an outpost for Christian and Jewish refugees.
an intellectual capital of the Muslim world.
an armed camp for political prisoners.
an oasis for traders who crossed the desert.
What is a chain of islands called?
plains
deserts
deltas
archipelago
Ghana got its start with the great king...
Sunni Ali
Mohammad Ali
Dinga Cissse
Mansa Musa
Why did Ibn Battuta start traveling?
Ibn Battuta went on the Hajj to Mecca that Muslims make as a pilgrimage for their religion.
Ibn Battuta wanted to be the Marco Polo of the Muslim world.
As a scholar, Ibn Battuta wanted to learn more from the educated people of other areas.
Ibn Battuta wanted to write a book about his life that was interesting for others to read.
How did the people of Japan respond to challenges that prevented the success of a strong central ruler?
They relied on China for leadership and guidance.
They broke into militias and encouraged Samurai to fight for territory
They adopted a feudal system similar to that of Europe.
They became subsistence farmers and never developed a unified culture.
