Unit 1 SAQs
SAQ 1: State Building in Song China and the Mongol Empire
Prompt:
Answer all parts of the question that follows.
A. Identify one similarity in how Song China and the Mongol Empire organized political authority in the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Identify one difference in their approaches to political legitimacy.
C. Explain one way that political developments in either Song China or the Mongol Empire influenced Eurasian trade networks during this period.
SAQ 2: Spread of Islam
Stimulus:
“Muslim merchants brought with them not only their goods but their language, customs, and beliefs. In the markets of East Africa and South Asia, Islamic law shaped contracts and commercial practices.”
— Adapted from a modern world history text
A. Describe one way the spread of Islam influenced political structures in Afro-Eurasia during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Describe one way the spread of Islam influenced cultural or intellectual life in Afro-Eurasia during the same period.
C. Explain one reason why the spread of Islam facilitated greater interregional trade during this period.
SAQ 3: Silk Roads and Cultural Interaction
A. Identify one technology or practice that facilitated the expansion of Silk Road trade between c. 1200 and c. 1450.
B. Explain one way cultural interactions along the Silk Roads influenced state power or legitimacy.
C. Explain one continuity in Silk Road trade patterns across the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
SAQ 4: Indian Ocean Trade
Stimulus:
Map of major Indian Ocean trade routes, c. 1200–1450, with arrows indicating monsoon patterns.
map of major indian ocean trade routes, c. 1200–1450, with arrows indicating monsoon patterns - Search Images
A. Identify one environmental factor that influenced trade in the Indian Ocean basin during this period.
B. Explain one cultural consequence of Indian Ocean trade on East Africa.
C. Explain one economic consequence of Indian Ocean trade on South or Southeast Asia.
SAQ 5: Trans-Saharan Trade
A. Identify one product commonly traded across the Trans-Saharan trade network during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Explain one way Trans-Saharan trade contributed to the rise of powerful states in West Africa.
C. Explain one cultural impact of Trans-Saharan trade on sub-Saharan Africa during this period.
SAQ 6: Cultural and Intellectual Exchanges
Stimulus:
“The travels of Ibn Battuta reveal a world increasingly connected by Islam and commerce, but also one of great diversity of practice.”
— Adapted from The Rihla of Ibn Battuta, c. 1354
A. Identify one example from Ibn Battuta’s travels that demonstrates the role of Islam in unifying Afro-Eurasian societies.
B. Explain one way Ibn Battuta’s accounts illustrate regional diversity within the Islamic world.
C. Explain one broader historical process in the period c. 1200–c. 1450 that Ibn Battuta’s travels exemplify.
SAQ 1: State Building in Song China and the Mongol Empire
Prompt:
Answer all parts of the question that follows.
A. Identify one similarity in how Song China and the Mongol Empire organized political authority in the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Identify one difference in their approaches to political legitimacy.
C. Explain one way that political developments in either Song China or the Mongol Empire influenced Eurasian trade networks during this period.
SAQ 2: Spread of Islam
Stimulus:
“Muslim merchants brought with them not only their goods but their language, customs, and beliefs. In the markets of East Africa and South Asia, Islamic law shaped contracts and commercial practices.”
— Adapted from a modern world history text
A. Describe one way the spread of Islam influenced political structures in Afro-Eurasia during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Describe one way the spread of Islam influenced cultural or intellectual life in Afro-Eurasia during the same period.
C. Explain one reason why the spread of Islam facilitated greater interregional trade during this period.
SAQ 3: Silk Roads and Cultural Interaction
A. Identify one technology or practice that facilitated the expansion of Silk Road trade between c. 1200 and c. 1450.
B. Explain one way cultural interactions along the Silk Roads influenced state power or legitimacy.
C. Explain one continuity in Silk Road trade patterns across the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
SAQ 4: Indian Ocean Trade
Stimulus:
Map of major Indian Ocean trade routes, c. 1200–1450, with arrows indicating monsoon patterns.
map of major indian ocean trade routes, c. 1200–1450, with arrows indicating monsoon patterns - Search Images
%2fIndianOceanTrade-56a042475f9b58eba4af9165.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.2084c19b2118135ddea6debaba8c3778%3frik%3dLz4V9CfnVxQs2Q%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=480&expw=640&q=map+of+major+indian+ocean+trade+routes%2c+c.+1200%e2%80%931450%2c+with+arrows+indicating+monsoon+patterns&FORM=IRPRST&ck=50CF6902C06279E25A9AE95C25A17FB2&selectedIndex=0&itb=0&idpp=overlayview&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0){kind=link}
A. Identify one environmental factor that influenced trade in the Indian Ocean basin during this period.
B. Explain one cultural consequence of Indian Ocean trade on East Africa.
C. Explain one economic consequence of Indian Ocean trade on South or Southeast Asia.
SAQ 5: Trans-Saharan Trade
A. Identify one product commonly traded across the Trans-Saharan trade network during the period c. 1200–c. 1450.
B. Explain one way Trans-Saharan trade contributed to the rise of powerful states in West Africa.
C. Explain one cultural impact of Trans-Saharan trade on sub-Saharan Africa during this period.
SAQ 6: Cultural and Intellectual Exchanges
Stimulus:
“The travels of Ibn Battuta reveal a world increasingly connected by Islam and commerce, but also one of great diversity of practice.”
— Adapted from The Rihla of Ibn Battuta, c. 1354
A. Identify one example from Ibn Battuta’s travels that demonstrates the role of Islam in unifying Afro-Eurasian societies.
B. Explain one way Ibn Battuta’s accounts illustrate regional diversity within the Islamic world.
C. Explain one broader historical process in the period c. 1200–c. 1450 that Ibn Battuta’s travels exemplify.