Unit 1 DBQs
DBQ 1: Political Structures in Post-Classical Afro-Eurasia
Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which state-building methods varied across Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A Chinese imperial edict under the Song or Yuan Dynasty describing bureaucracy and Confucian governance.
2. An excerpt from an Islamic ruler’s decree (e.g., Abbasid Caliphate, Delhi Sultanate) on governance and legitimacy.
3. A European feudal contract between a lord and vassal.
4. A decree from a West African ruler (e.g., Mali Empire under Mansa Musa) discussing administration.
5. A Mongol edict on legal structure, trade, and governance.
6. A Southeast Asian inscription on the governance of Angkor or Srivijaya.

Sources:

1. Chinese Imperial Edict – Edict of the Song Emperor on Government and Confucian Ideals, found in The Collected Statutes of the Song Dynasty (Song Huiyao).
2. Islamic Ruler’s Decree – Farman (royal decree) from the Delhi Sultanate, referenced in The Futuhat-i Firoz Shahi by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
3. European Feudal Contract – The Oaths of Fealty, such as The Homage and Fealty Oath of Hugh, Duke of Burgundy, to King Louis VII of France (12th century).
4. West African Ruler’s Decree – The Mali Empire and Administration, referenced in Ibn Khaldun’s History of the Berbers.
5. Mongol Edict on Governance – The Yassa of Genghis Khan, recorded by Persian historian Juvayni and later chronicled in The Secret History of the Mongols.
6. Southeast Asian Governance – Stele inscriptions from Angkor, such as the Prasat Preah Khan Inscription detailing Jayavarman VII’s administrative policies.

DBQ 2: The Role of Religion in State Power and Society
Prompt: Analyze the ways in which religious beliefs and institutions influenced political structures and social hierarchies in Eurasia and Africa from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A papal bull or decree defining the role of the Catholic Church in medieval Europe.
2. A legal code from the Delhi Sultanate referencing Islamic law (sharia).
3. A Confucian scholar’s critique of Buddhist or Daoist influence in China.
4. A description of religious tolerance under the Mongol Empire (e.g., Marco Polo or Rashid al-Din).
5. A record of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage and its effects on Mali.
6. A document from the Khmer Empire discussing Hinduism and Buddhism.

Sources:

1. Papal Bull or Decree – Unam Sanctam (1302), issued by Pope Boniface VIII, defining papal supremacy over secular rulers.
2. Legal Code from the Delhi Sultanate – The Fatwa-i-Jahandari by Ziauddin Barani, discussing governance under Islamic law (Sharia).
3. Confucian Critique of Buddhism or Daoism – Han Yu’s Memorial on Buddhism, criticizing Buddhist influence in Tang and Song China.
4. Mongol Religious Tolerance – Rashid al-Din’s Jami' al-Tawarikh (Compendium of Chronicles), detailing Mongol policies toward religion.
5. Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage – Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, describing Mansa Musa’s journey to Mecca and its political and economic effects.
6. Khmer Empire and Religion – Stele inscriptions from Angkor Wat, documenting the integration of Hindu and Buddhist influences.

DBQ 3: Networks of Exchange and Cross-Cultural Interactions
Prompt: Evaluate the effects of trade networks on economic and cultural developments in Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A merchant’s account of trade along the Silk Roads.
2. An Islamic traveler’s observations (e.g., Ibn Battuta) on the Indian Ocean trade network.
3. A Chinese official’s report on trade policies under the Yuan Dynasty.
4. A Venetian merchant’s (e.g., Marco Polo) description of commerce in Mongol-controlled lands.
5. An Arabic or Swahili document discussing trade relations between East Africa and the Indian Ocean.
6. A South Asian or Southeast Asian inscription referencing foreign merchants (e.g., from China, the Middle East)

Sources:

1. Merchant’s Account of the Silk Roads – Pegolotti’s La Pratica della Mercatura, a 14th-century Italian merchant manual.
2. Islamic Traveler’s Observations – Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, detailing his travels in the Indian Ocean trade network.
3. Chinese Official’s Trade Report – Yuan Shi (History of the Yuan Dynasty), including reports on trade policies under Kublai Khan.
4. Venetian Merchant’s Description – Marco Polo’s The Travels of Marco Polo, describing commerce under Mongol rule.
5. Swahili or Arabic Trade Document – Al-Masudi’s Muruj adh-Dhahab, describing East African trade with the Indian Ocean world.
6. South Asian or Southeast Asian Merchant Records – Tamil inscriptions from Chola temples, referencing Chinese and Middle Eastern merchants.

DBQ 4: The Mongol Empire’s Impact on Afro-Eurasia
Prompt: Analyze the extent to which the Mongol Empire fostered or hindered the development of states and societies across Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A Chinese scholar-official’s account of Mongol rule under the Yuan Dynasty.
2. A Persian historian’s (e.g., Rashid al-Din) description of Mongol governance.
3. A European chronicler’s view of Mongol invasions.
4. A Mongol military decree detailing strategies and administration.
5. A Central Asian merchant’s account of trade under Pax Mongolica.
6. A Russian primary source discussing Mongol rule over the Kievan Rus.

Sources:

1. Chinese Scholar’s Account – Zhao Mengfu’s letters or The Yuan Shi (History of the Yuan Dynasty).
2. Persian Historian’s Description – Rashid al-Din’s Jami' al-Tawarikh, chronicling Mongol governance in Persia.
3. European Chronicler’s View – Matthew Paris’s Chronicles, recording European reactions to Mongol invasions.
4. Mongol Military Decree – The Yassa of Genghis Khan, compiled by Mongol administrators.
5. Merchant’s Account of Pax Mongolica – Marco Polo’s The Travels, describing trade under Mongol rule.
6. Russian Source on Mongol Rule – The Novgorod Chronicle, discussing the impact of Mongol rule over the Kievan Rus.

DBQ 5: The Role of Women in Post-Classical Societies
Prompt: Analyze the extent to which women’s roles and status changed or remained the same in different regions of Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A legal code from the Song or Yuan Dynasty discussing women’s property rights.
2. A European monastic document on women in religious life.
3. An Islamic scholar’s discussion of gender roles under the Delhi Sultanate.
4. A West African oral tradition or griot account on women in the Mali Empire.
5. A Mongol document referring to the roles of elite women in governance.
6. A record from Southeast Asia describing matrilineal inheritance practices.

Sources:

1. Chinese Legal Code – The Yuan Dianzhang (Statutes of the Yuan Dynasty), discussing women’s property rights.
2. European Monastic Document – The Rule of St. Benedict or Hildegard of Bingen’s writings on women in religious life.
3. Islamic Scholar’s Gender Discussion – Ibn Taymiyyah’s fatwas or Ziauddin Barani’s Fatwa-i-Jahandari, discussing women’s roles in Islamic governance.
4. West African Oral Tradition – Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, documenting the role of women in Mali society.
5. Mongol Document on Elite Women – The Secret History of the Mongols, discussing the influence of Mongol noblewomen like Töregene Khatun.
6. Southeast Asian Record on Matrilineal Practices – The Nagarakretagama, a Javanese epic poem describing inheritance customs.

DBQ 6: Technological and Cultural Innovations
Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which technological and intellectual innovations influenced economic and cultural developments in Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Possible Documents:

1. A Chinese government document on paper money and its economic effects.
2. A medical or scientific text from the Islamic world (e.g., Ibn Sina’s work).
3. A European manuscript on the spread of new agricultural techniques.
4. A Persian or Central Asian source on the transmission of Chinese technologies (gunpowder, printing).
5. A record from Mali or Timbuktu on the role of Islamic learning centers.
6. A maritime chart or navigation guide from an Indian Ocean trader

​Sources:

1. Chinese Government Document on Paper Money – Edicts from the Yuan Dynasty, found in The Yuan Shi (History of the Yuan Dynasty).
2. Islamic Medical or Scientific Text – Ibn Sina’s The Canon of Medicine, influential in medical advancements.
3. European Agricultural Innovation – The Walter of Henley’s Husbandry, a 13th-century English text on farming techniques.
4. Persian or Central Asian Transmission of Technology – Al-Tusi’s writings on Mongol-era technological exchanges, particularly gunpowder.
5. Islamic Learning Centers in Mali – The Tarikh al-Sudan or The Tarikh al-Fattash, detailing Timbuktu’s role as a center of learning.
6. Indian Ocean Maritime Guide – The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Arab navigation manuals, describing trade and navigation techniques.