WorksheetsAP World Unit 2 Overview
Total questions: 83
Worksheet time: 44mins
Which of the following represents the best defining characteristic of an empire?
A state that forms as a democratic republic but is eventually seized and ruled over by a single ruler
A state formed through conquest and maintained through the extraction of resources from conquered states and peoples
A single ethnic group with a single language, religion, and identity
A conglomeration of independent states that form temporary alliances
Which of the following best describes women’s status in the classical civilizations?
Upper-class women had a tendency to live more restricted lives than lower-class women.
Urban women in general experienced fewer restrictions compared to those living in pastoral societies.
Public life in general was a male domain, while women’s roles took place mostly in domestic settings.
Women in general experienced fewer restrictions as compared to those who lived in Neolithic agricultural village societies.
In this form of government religious leaders rule in the name of God.
Democracy
Monarchy
Dictatorship
Theocracy
The Persian Empire managed its territories with the support of...
Bureaucrats
Satraps
Slaves
Brahmins
The dominant religion of the Persian Empire was...
Monotheism
Hinduism
Zoroastrianism
Christianity
What physical barrier separated India from China?
mountains
oceans
deserts
rivers
What did the caste system in India determine for an individual?
military service
wealth
allegiance
occupation
Which of these were accomplishments of Ashoka?
founded the Mauryan Empire
extended the Mauryan Empire
expanded Buddhism
led to the decline of Confucianism
increased understanding of Hinduism
What are the sacred writings of the Hindu Religion called?
the Mahabarata
the Upanishads
the Vedas
the Dialects
Which of these describes the Mandate of Heaven best?
laws that allowed religious tolerance
strict enforcement of Confuianism
a fair ruling of a dynasty with the blessing of the gods in heaven
the balance between good and evil in the universe
After the Persian Wars which Greek City State became the most dominant?
Athens
Persia
Sparta
Delos
“Throughout its history, Central Asia has provided the ancient civilized empires on its borders with new Shahs, Sultans, or Sons of Heaven. These periodic invasions by the nomads of the steppe, whose khans ascended the thrones of Changan, Luoyang, Kaifeng, or Beijing*, of Isfahan or Tabriz**, Delhi or Constantinople, became one of the geographic laws of history. But there was another, opposing law which brought about the slow absorption of the invaders by the ancient civilized lands. The civilizations of China and Persia, though conquered, would in the long run vanquish their conquerors, intoxicating them with the pleasures of settled life, lulling them to sleep, and assimilating them culturally. Often, only fifty years after a conquest, the culturally Sinicized or Persianized former barbarian would be the first to stand guard over his adopted civilization and protect it against fresh nomadic onslaughts.”
*capital cities of various Chinese dynasties
**capital cities of various Persian dynasties
René Grousset, French historian of Central Asia, The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, 1939
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
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
“[Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries] . . . Muslim maritime traders from Egypt sought goods coming from China and Southeast Asia [and] purchased these items on India’s southwestern coast. . . . Sea voyages between Egypt and India were still dangerous and still involved long voyages, as well as long stays in harbors where they waited, sometimes for several months, for the winds to shift direction. . . .
To protect themselves, Muslim merchants organized karim, convoyed merchant fleets. The rulers of Egypt began providing an armed escort for the fleets and succeeded in making the trade between the Red Sea and India a government-protected, regularly accomplished endeavor.
The karim merchants were organized in large family firms with substantial assets and clients in markets all over the trading networks. In the Indian Ocean trade, Muslim traders not only dealt with other Muslims, but also Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews. Traders of various religious backgrounds boarded the same ships or stayed in the same caravanserai. In Egypt, many Jewish traders actually operated their businesses within the framework of Muslim business networks.”
Xinru Liu and Lynda Norene Shaffer, historians, Connections across Eurasia, published in 2007
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
“[Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries] . . . Muslim maritime traders from Egypt sought goods coming from China and Southeast Asia [and] purchased these items on India’s southwestern coast. . . . Sea voyages between Egypt and India were still dangerous and still involved long voyages, as well as long stays in harbors where they waited, sometimes for several months, for the winds to shift direction. . . .
To protect themselves, Muslim merchants organized karim, convoyed merchant fleets. The rulers of Egypt began providing an armed escort for the fleets and succeeded in making the trade between the Red Sea and India a government-protected, regularly accomplished endeavor.
The karim merchants were organized in large family firms with substantial assets and clients in markets all over the trading networks. In the Indian Ocean trade, Muslim traders not only dealt with other Muslims, but also Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews. Traders of various religious backgrounds boarded the same ships or stayed in the same caravanserai. In Egypt, many Jewish traders actually operated their businesses within the framework of Muslim business networks.”
Xinru Liu and Lynda Norene Shaffer, historians, Connections across Eurasia, published in 2007
The pattern of trade described in the passage was most characteristic of which of the following types of goods in the period 1200–1450 ?
Daily food staples such as bread or milk
Bulk commodities such as grain or coal
Luxury goods such as spices or porcelain
Livestock such as pigs or cattle
The spread of Islam into sub-Saharan West Africa in the period circa 1200–1450 was mostly a result of the conversion of the rulers of which of the following states?
Mamluk Egypt
The Mongol khanates
The Ming dynasty
The Mali Empire
In the period circa 1200–1450, which of the following most directly enabled merchants to bring salt and other bulk products to markets in sub-Saharan Africa?
The diffusion of new maritime technologies such as the lateen sail
The adoption of innovative practices in overland trading, such as the use of camel caravans and saddles
The transfer of East Asian technologies to western Afro-Eurasia during the period of Pax Mongolica
The shared use of the Arabic language and common practice of Islam by both North African and sub-Saharan merchant communities
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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.
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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
Based on the information in the table, the Black Death outbreak of the bubonic plague struck Essex County in which of the following periods?
Before 1320
Between 1320 and 1350
Between 1350 and 1400
After 1400
Which of the following societies engaged in extensive maritime trade well beyond their borders in the fifteenth century?
Mesoamericans in the Pacific Ocean
Bantu peoples in the Indian Ocean
Chinese in the Indian Ocean
Russians in the Pacific Ocean
Angkor Wat in Southeast Asia built circa 1100 C.E., shown above, reflects which of the following world historical processes?
Increased domination of East Asia and Southeast Asia by Arab powers
The increase in the number of Chinese merchant communities in the Indian Ocean region
The introduction of Islam across most of Asia
Increased cross-cultural interactions in the Indian Ocean region
The Mongol conquests of much of Eurasia in the thirteenth century tended to encourage trade along the Silk Roads primarily by
opening large new markets for both European and East Asian goods in Central Asia
increasing the demand for military supplies needed by the Mongol armies that occupied various regions
decreasing the risk of bandit attacks and reducing the number of local rulers collecting tribute from trade caravans
discouraging seaborne trade along the Indian Ocean routes that competed with the Silk Roads
The changes in the distribution of cities in the period 1200 to 1400 C.E. best support which of the following conclusions?
The Mongol conquests had a more disruptive impact on the Middle East and Central Asia than they had on East Asia.
The emergence of the Ottoman Empire significantly increased the percentage of major urban centers in Europe.
The adoption of Champa rice during the Song dynasty significantly increased the share of China’s urban population.
The outbreaks of bubonic plague greatly reduced urban populations across Eurasia.
Commerce was a key mode of exchange between which of the following pairs of political entities?
The Mayan Empire and the Song dynasty
Ghana and the Mongol Empire
The Crusader states and the Fatimid caliphate
Venice and the Aztec Empire
Béla IV’s statement in the fourth paragraph that the Hungarian people “cannot cease to be amazed” by the actions of the papacy most directly refers to the papacy’s failure to aid the Hungarians while
sending missionaries to China
supporting Christian conquests in the Iberian Peninsula
initiating European military campaigns in the Middle East
encouraging maritime exploration in the Indian Ocean
Historians who argue that there was substantial global integration by the end of the thirteenth century would most likely cite which of the following as evidence to support their claims?
The political unification of large territories under imperial rule in the Mediterranean and East Asia
The widening and deepening of exchange networks linking Afro-Eurasia after the Mongol conquests
The spread of global capitalism from Europe to Africa and Southeast Asia
The creation of a new Atlantic trade system based on plantation economies in the Caribbean and the Americas
The expansion of communication and trade networks in Afro-Eurasia from 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E. resulted in the spread of which of the following from South Asia?
Military weaponry, such as iron-tipped spears and chariots
Technological and scientific concepts, such as the decimal and zero
Irrigation technologies, such as ceramic pipes
Textile manufacturing processes, such as the spinning jenny
A historian researching the effects of the Crusades on the diffusion of technology would probably find which of the following sources most useful?
European crusaders’ accounts of Islamic religious practices
Muslim accounts of European royal marriages
Monks’ translations of Arabic mathematics texts brought from conquered territories
Birth records from villages along the routes used by the Crusaders
Which of the following contributed to the Chinese government’s decision to stop voyages of exploration in the Indian Ocean in the early fifteenth century?
Armed resistance from Arab navies
Lack of sufficient Chinese goods for trade
The destruction of the Chinese fleet by typhoons
Government concern with domestic problems and frontier security
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the travel depicted in the illustration?
To convert peoples of other faiths to Islam
To create diasporic merchant communities
To recruit soldiers for the Caliphate
To bind diverse communities to a common tradition
The Little Ice Age, which lasted from 1300 to 1850 C.E., likely had the strongest effect on which of the following?
The fall of the Aztec civilization
The Protestant Reformation
The severity of the Black Death
The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople
Which of the following was a significant effect of the Polynesian migrations in the Pacific in the period from 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E.?
A
The creation of an extensive trade network connecting Pacific islands to the Asian mainland
The transfer of domesticated plant and animal species to new islands in the Pacific
The development of distinctive Polynesian maritime technologies quickly adopted by Chinese and European explorers
The establishment of an ethnically unified Polynesian state spanning several island groups
Trade spurred the introduction of both Islam and Hinduism to what is now called
Japan
Brazil
Pakistan
Indonesia
“Throughout its history, Central Asia has provided the ancient civilized empires on its borders with new Shahs, Sultans, or Sons of Heaven. These periodic invasions by the nomads of the steppe, whose khans ascended the thrones of Changan, Luoyang, Kaifeng, or Beijing*, of Isfahan or Tabriz**, Delhi or Constantinople, became one of the geographic laws of history. But there was another, opposing law which brought about the slow absorption of the invaders by the ancient civilized lands. The civilizations of China and Persia, though conquered, would in the long run vanquish their conquerors, intoxicating them with the pleasures of settled life, lulling them to sleep, and assimilating them culturally. Often, only fifty years after a conquest, the culturally Sinicized or Persianized former barbarian would be the first to stand guard over his adopted civilization and protect it against fresh nomadic onslaughts.”
*capital cities of various Chinese dynasties
**capital cities of various Persian dynasties
René Grousset, French historian of Central Asia, The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia, 1939
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
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
“[Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries] . . . Muslim maritime traders from Egypt sought goods coming from China and Southeast Asia [and] purchased these items on India’s southwestern coast. . . . Sea voyages between Egypt and India were still dangerous and still involved long voyages, as well as long stays in harbors where they waited, sometimes for several months, for the winds to shift direction. . . .
To protect themselves, Muslim merchants organized karim, convoyed merchant fleets. The rulers of Egypt began providing an armed escort for the fleets and succeeded in making the trade between the Red Sea and India a government-protected, regularly accomplished endeavor.
The karim merchants were organized in large family firms with substantial assets and clients in markets all over the trading networks. In the Indian Ocean trade, Muslim traders not only dealt with other Muslims, but also Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews. Traders of various religious backgrounds boarded the same ships or stayed in the same caravanserai. In Egypt, many Jewish traders actually operated their businesses within the framework of Muslim business networks.”
Xinru Liu and Lynda Norene Shaffer, historians, Connections across Eurasia, published in 2007
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
“[Between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries] . . . Muslim maritime traders from Egypt sought goods coming from China and Southeast Asia [and] purchased these items on India’s southwestern coast. . . . Sea voyages between Egypt and India were still dangerous and still involved long voyages, as well as long stays in harbors where they waited, sometimes for several months, for the winds to shift direction. . . .
To protect themselves, Muslim merchants organized karim, convoyed merchant fleets. The rulers of Egypt began providing an armed escort for the fleets and succeeded in making the trade between the Red Sea and India a government-protected, regularly accomplished endeavor.
The karim merchants were organized in large family firms with substantial assets and clients in markets all over the trading networks. In the Indian Ocean trade, Muslim traders not only dealt with other Muslims, but also Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews. Traders of various religious backgrounds boarded the same ships or stayed in the same caravanserai. In Egypt, many Jewish traders actually operated their businesses within the framework of Muslim business networks.”
Xinru Liu and Lynda Norene Shaffer, historians, Connections across Eurasia, published in 2007
The pattern of trade described in the passage was most characteristic of which of the following types of goods in the period 1200–1450 ?
Daily food staples such as bread or milk
Bulk commodities such as grain or coal
Luxury goods such as spices or porcelain
Livestock such as pigs or cattle
The spread of Islam into sub-Saharan West Africa in the period circa 1200–1450 was mostly a result of the conversion of the rulers of which of the following states?
Mamluk Egypt
The Mongol khanates
The Ming dynasty
The Mali Empire
In the period circa 1200–1450, which of the following most directly enabled merchants to bring salt and other bulk products to markets in sub-Saharan Africa?
The diffusion of new maritime technologies such as the lateen sail
The adoption of innovative practices in overland trading, such as the use of camel caravans and saddles
The transfer of East Asian technologies to western Afro-Eurasia during the period of Pax Mongolica
The shared use of the Arabic language and common practice of Islam by both North African and sub-Saharan merchant communities
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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.
“On several occasions, Ghazan Khan* went to the observatory at Maragha** and watched the Muslim, Christian, and Chinese astronomers make their observations. He looked at all the operations and instruments, studied them, and asked about their procedures, which he understood in spite of their difficulty. He also ordered the construction of a dome in order to investigate the Sun’s motion and he spoke out with his astronomers about it. All of them said that although they had never seen such an instrument, it was reasonable and sensible.
He gave orders for the construction of an observatory next to his tomb in Tabriz in Persia. He explained how to construct the observatory with such clarity that local wise men marveled at his intelligence, because such work had not been done in any era. Those wise men said that constructing the observatory would be extremely difficult. He guided them, whereupon they commenced building it and they finished it following his instructions. Those wise men and all the engineers agreed that nobody had done such a thing before nor had imagined doing it.”
*ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate, whose territories included most of the Muslim Middle East; reigned 1295–1304
**an astronomical observatory in present-day Azerbaijan, established by a grant from the first Ilkhanid ruler in the mid-thirteenth century
Rashid al-Din Hamdani, Persian Muslim historian and government minister in Ghazan Khan’s court, excerpt from a universal history commissioned by Ghazan Khan, completed circa 1316
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
Based on the information in the table, the Black Death outbreak of the bubonic plague struck Essex County in which of the following periods?
Before 1320
Between 1320 and 1350
Between 1350 and 1400
After 1400
Which of the following societies engaged in extensive maritime trade well beyond their borders in the fifteenth century?
Mesoamericans in the Pacific Ocean
Bantu peoples in the Indian Ocean
Chinese in the Indian Ocean
Russians in the Pacific Ocean
Angkor Wat in Southeast Asia built circa 1100 C.E., shown above, reflects which of the following world historical processes?
Increased domination of East Asia and Southeast Asia by Arab powers
The increase in the number of Chinese merchant communities in the Indian Ocean region
The introduction of Islam across most of Asia
Increased cross-cultural interactions in the Indian Ocean region
The Mongol conquests of much of Eurasia in the thirteenth century tended to encourage trade along the Silk Roads primarily by
opening large new markets for both European and East Asian goods in Central Asia
increasing the demand for military supplies needed by the Mongol armies that occupied various regions
decreasing the risk of bandit attacks and reducing the number of local rulers collecting tribute from trade caravans
discouraging seaborne trade along the Indian Ocean routes that competed with the Silk Roads
The changes in the distribution of cities in the period 1200 to 1400 C.E. best support which of the following conclusions?
The Mongol conquests had a more disruptive impact on the Middle East and Central Asia than they had on East Asia.
The emergence of the Ottoman Empire significantly increased the percentage of major urban centers in Europe.
The adoption of Champa rice during the Song dynasty significantly increased the share of China’s urban population.
The outbreaks of bubonic plague greatly reduced urban populations across Eurasia.
Commerce was a key mode of exchange between which of the following pairs of political entities?
The Mayan Empire and the Song dynasty
Ghana and the Mongol Empire
The Crusader states and the Fatimid caliphate
Venice and the Aztec Empire
Béla IV’s statement in the fourth paragraph that the Hungarian people “cannot cease to be amazed” by the actions of the papacy most directly refers to the papacy’s failure to aid the Hungarians while
sending missionaries to China
supporting Christian conquests in the Iberian Peninsula
initiating European military campaigns in the Middle East
encouraging maritime exploration in the Indian Ocean
Historians who argue that there was substantial global integration by the end of the thirteenth century would most likely cite which of the following as evidence to support their claims?
The political unification of large territories under imperial rule in the Mediterranean and East Asia
The widening and deepening of exchange networks linking Afro-Eurasia after the Mongol conquests
The spread of global capitalism from Europe to Africa and Southeast Asia
The creation of a new Atlantic trade system based on plantation economies in the Caribbean and the Americas
The expansion of communication and trade networks in Afro-Eurasia from 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E. resulted in the spread of which of the following from South Asia?
Military weaponry, such as iron-tipped spears and chariots
Technological and scientific concepts, such as the decimal and zero
Irrigation technologies, such as ceramic pipes
Textile manufacturing processes, such as the spinning jenny
A historian researching the effects of the Crusades on the diffusion of technology would probably find which of the following sources most useful?
European crusaders’ accounts of Islamic religious practices
Muslim accounts of European royal marriages
Monks’ translations of Arabic mathematics texts brought from conquered territories
Birth records from villages along the routes used by the Crusaders
Which of the following contributed to the Chinese government’s decision to stop voyages of exploration in the Indian Ocean in the early fifteenth century?
Armed resistance from Arab navies
Lack of sufficient Chinese goods for trade
The destruction of the Chinese fleet by typhoons
Government concern with domestic problems and frontier security
Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the travel depicted in the illustration?
To convert peoples of other faiths to Islam
To create diasporic merchant communities
To recruit soldiers for the Caliphate
To bind diverse communities to a common tradition
The Little Ice Age, which lasted from 1300 to 1850 C.E., likely had the strongest effect on which of the following?
The fall of the Aztec civilization
The Protestant Reformation
The severity of the Black Death
The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople
Which of the following was a significant effect of the Polynesian migrations in the Pacific in the period from 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E.?
A
The creation of an extensive trade network connecting Pacific islands to the Asian mainland
The transfer of domesticated plant and animal species to new islands in the Pacific
The development of distinctive Polynesian maritime technologies quickly adopted by Chinese and European explorers
The establishment of an ethnically unified Polynesian state spanning several island groups
Trade spurred the introduction of both Islam and Hinduism to what is now called
Japan
Brazil
Pakistan
Indonesia
The founder of the Mongol Empire
Genghis Khan
Emperor Xiu
Mansa Musa
Shah Abbas
A triangular sail that made it possible to sail against the wind; used in Indian Ocean Trade
Short Sail
Flexible Sail
Articulated Sail
Lateen Sail
An inn or rest station for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa
Bucky's
Caravanserai
Temples
Qanats
People who herd animals by moving from place to place following rainfall and plant growth
itinerant herders
nomadic pastoralists
sedentary pastoralists
Sedentary agriculturalists
Chinese credit instrument, nickname for one of the earliest forms of paper currency
Flying Money
Silk Coins
Flattened Currency
Schrute Bucks
The period of peace and stability across Eurasia during Mongol rule. It led to increased trade.
Pax Mongolica
Silk Road
Stable path
Commercial stability
Cities along the East African coast that dominated trade in the Indian Ocean
Swahili City States
Samarkand
Indian Ocean Trade
Mali Empire
An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets
astrolabe
lateen sail
dhow ship
telescope
Communities of traders with a common culture living together outside of their homeland.
refugee camps
diasporic merchant communities
forced immigration camps
cultural refuge shelters
the shift of an economic system from agriculture to trade
commercialization
de-agriculturalization
desertification
nomadic conversion
