AP World MCQ Unit 1 College Board Questions

"The adoption of the mamluk* institutions by the Abbasids was followed almost immediately by [the] . . . disintegration of the state. . . . The disintegration of the Abbasid state was an intensely painful process in which it seemed at times as if the very venture of Islam was coming to an end, like that of Alexander the Great before it. . . . Indeed, that Islam was soon to disappear was the very premise upon which the [Shi'ite] revolutionaries held out their promise of a moral and material recovery: nothing less . . . could now save the marriage between religion and power to which the Islamic [state] owed its existence."

*an Arabic term designating a slave, in this case, a slave soldier of Turkic origin

Patricia Crone, Danish-American historian of Islamic history, Slaves on Horses: The Evolution of the Islamic Polity, 1980

The disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate most directly led to which of the following political developments in the Islamic world in the thirteenth century?

the rise of turkic states

"The adoption of the mamluk* institutions by the Abbasids was followed almost immediately by [the] . . . disintegration of the state. . . . The disintegration of the Abbasid state was an intensely painful process in which it seemed at times as if the very venture of Islam was coming to an end, like that of Alexander the Great before it. . . . Indeed, that Islam was soon to disappear was the very premise upon which the [Shi'ite] revolutionaries held out their promise of a moral and material recovery: nothing less . . . could now save the marriage between religion and power to which the Islamic [state] owed its existence."

*an Arabic term designating a slave, in this case, a slave soldier of Turkic origin

Patricia Crone, Danish-American historian of Islamic history, Slaves on Horses: The Evolution of the Islamic Polity, 1980

Despite the disintegration of the Abbasid Caliphate, Islam continued to spread across Afro-Eurasia in the period 1200-1450 primarily because of which of the following?

The activities of Sufi missionaries

"The adoption of the mamluk* institutions by the Abbasids was followed almost immediately by [the] . . . disintegration of the state. . . . The disintegration of the Abbasid state was an intensely painful process in which it seemed at times as if the very venture of Islam was coming to an end, like that of Alexander the Great before it. . . . Indeed, that Islam was soon to disappear was the very premise upon which the [Shi'ite] revolutionaries held out their promise of a moral and material recovery: nothing less . . . could now save the marriage between religion and power to which the Islamic [state] owed its existence."

*an Arabic term designating a slave, in this case, a slave soldier of Turkic origin

Patricia Crone, Danish-American historian of Islamic history, Slaves on Horses: The Evolution of the Islamic Polity, 1980

The combination between religious and political aspects in the Abbasid state's concept of rulership is best reflected in which of the following?

The Abbasid state was headed by a caliph who was theoretically the state's supreme religious and political leader.

"I, the reverend Buddhist teacher Dharmasekhara, dedicated this statue of the bodhisattva Amoghapasa* on the orders of His Majesty King Adityawarman, for the benefit and salvation and happiness of all creatures.

Hail to the King—experienced in the arts of war, well versed in the sciences, he is an ocean of all virtues practiced by the followers of the Buddha! He is free from all physical desire. Hail to the King—he who supports the entire world. He has collected jewels by the millions, taken them from the hands of his enemies among the other rulers of this world. He who is like God among kings, crowned, protected by heavenly beings, King of kings! He orders what should be known to all!"

Sanskrit inscription on a statue of a bodhisattva produced in the Malayapura kingdom, Sumatra, Indonesia, circa 1350 c.e.

*a major figure worshipped in Mahayana Buddhism

Which of the following best describes a claim made in the first paragraph of the inscription?

Statues of Buddhist divine figures could spiritually benefit everyone.

"I, the reverend Buddhist teacher Dharmasekhara, dedicated this statue of the bodhisattva Amoghapasa* on the orders of His Majesty King Adityawarman, for the benefit and salvation and happiness of all creatures.

Hail to the King—experienced in the arts of war, well versed in the sciences, he is an ocean of all virtues practiced by the followers of the Buddha! He is free from all physical desire. Hail to the King—he who supports the entire world. He has collected jewels by the millions, taken them from the hands of his enemies among the other rulers of this world. He who is like God among kings, crowned, protected by heavenly beings, King of kings! He orders what should be known to all!"

Sanskrit inscription on a statue of a bodhisattva produced in the Malayapura kingdom, Sumatra, Indonesia, circa 1350 c.e.

*a major figure worshipped in Mahayana Buddhism

The claim in the second paragraph that the king has become "free from all physical desire" can best be understood to mean that

in Vedic religions, rejecting worldly concerns in order to attain spiritual perfection was considered a virtue.

"I, the reverend Buddhist teacher Dharmasekhara, dedicated this statue of the bodhisattva Amoghapasa* on the orders of His Majesty King Adityawarman, for the benefit and salvation and happiness of all creatures.

Hail to the King—experienced in the arts of war, well versed in the sciences, he is an ocean of all virtues practiced by the followers of the Buddha! He is free from all physical desire. Hail to the King—he who supports the entire world. He has collected jewels by the millions, taken them from the hands of his enemies among the other rulers of this world. He who is like God among kings, crowned, protected by heavenly beings, King of kings! He orders what should be known to all!"

Sanskrit inscription on a statue of a bodhisattva produced in the Malayapura kingdom, Sumatra, Indonesia, circa 1350 c.e.

*a major figure worshipped in Mahayana Buddhism

Which of the following is an argument in the second paragraph of the inscription regarding King Adityawarman?

His spiritual attributes and worldly achievements made him a powerful and legitimate ruler

"One of the most important aspects of the Maya economy was the exchange of exotic goods. Maya rulers and elites needed such goods to maintain and reinforce their social status and power. Many of these goods were used in the formal dress of kings, nobles, and priests. Without them, the elites could not carry out the rituals that were their principal duties in the eyes of the people. Jaguar pelts, fine textiles, feathers, and other such products were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands. . . .

Such items were probably exchanged as dowry, gifts at royal marriages, coronations, funerals, or at religious pilgrimages. Exotic goods were also probably given as tribute to rulers by their vassals.

These high-status goods held together the Maya world and unified patterns of behavior in religion, science, and warfare. Their exchange surely went hand in hand with exchanges of information, including scientific knowledge, early writing, and, most importantly, models of political organization."

Arthur Demarest, United States anthropologist, Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization, 2004

Which of the following pieces of evidence most strongly supports the author's conclusion about the importance of exotic goods to the Maya region's economy?

Exotic goods were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands.

"One of the most important aspects of the Maya economy was the exchange of exotic goods. Maya rulers and elites needed such goods to maintain and reinforce their social status and power. Many of these goods were used in the formal dress of kings, nobles, and priests. Without them, the elites could not carry out the rituals that were their principal duties in the eyes of the people. Jaguar pelts, fine textiles, feathers, and other such products were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands. . . .

Such items were probably exchanged as dowry, gifts at royal marriages, coronations, funerals, or at religious pilgrimages. Exotic goods were also probably given as tribute to rulers by their vassals.

These high-status goods held together the Maya world and unified patterns of behavior in religion, science, and warfare. Their exchange surely went hand in hand with exchanges of information, including scientific knowledge, early writing, and, most importantly, models of political organization."

Arthur Demarest, United States anthropologist, Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization, 2004

The author directly uses all of the following pieces of evidence to support his argument about the relationship between exotic goods and the power of Maya rulers EXCEPT that Maya rulers

prohibited nobles and priests from wearing certain types of exotic goods reserved for rulers

"One of the most important aspects of the Maya economy was the exchange of exotic goods. Maya rulers and elites needed such goods to maintain and reinforce their social status and power. Many of these goods were used in the formal dress of kings, nobles, and priests. Without them, the elites could not carry out the rituals that were their principal duties in the eyes of the people. Jaguar pelts, fine textiles, feathers, and other such products were exchanged over long distances within the Maya lowlands. . . .

Such items were probably exchanged as dowry, gifts at royal marriages, coronations, funerals, or at religious pilgrimages. Exotic goods were also probably given as tribute to rulers by their vassals.

These high-status goods held together the Maya world and unified patterns of behavior in religion, science, and warfare. Their exchange surely went hand in hand with exchanges of information, including scientific knowledge, early writing, and, most importantly, models of political organization."

Arthur Demarest, United States anthropologist, Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization, 2004

Which of the following does the author cite most directly to support his argument in the third paragraph about the importance of exotic goods in the Maya region?

The existence of unified patterns of behavior in warfare, science, and religion

"In that year [1450 c.e.] there came to Naples a three-man embassy from the King of Ethiopia to His Highness, our King Alfonso. Among the ambassadors was a certain Pietro Rombulo, an Italian, native of the city of Messina. This Pietro claimed that he had lived among the Ethiopians for over 40 years. And he described to me how in Ethiopia there are innumerable Christians—since both the people and the king there worship Christ—among whom he had been able to live a good Christian life safely and honorably. The ruler of Ethiopia, King David, whom they call Zara Yacob, was said by the ambassadors to be the most civilized, the most just, and the most pious of princes."

Pietro Ranzano, Catholic Church official in Naples and Sicily, universal history written circa 1480

Which of the following was a continuity in the development of African states in the period circa 1200-1450 ?

Despite geographical barriers, some African states were able to maintain diplomatic and cultural contacts with the broader Afro-Eurasian world.

"In that year [1450 c.e.] there came to Naples a three-man embassy from the King of Ethiopia to His Highness, our King Alfonso. Among the ambassadors was a certain Pietro Rombulo, an Italian, native of the city of Messina. This Pietro claimed that he had lived among the Ethiopians for over 40 years. And he described to me how in Ethiopia there are innumerable Christians—since both the people and the king there worship Christ—among whom he had been able to live a good Christian life safely and honorably. The ruler of Ethiopia, King David, whom they call Zara Yacob, was said by the ambassadors to be the most civilized, the most just, and the most pious of princes."

Pietro Ranzano, Catholic Church official in Naples and Sicily, universal history written circa 1480

Which of the following continuities in the development of African states in the period circa 1200-1450 most likely explains the prevalence of Christianity in Ethiopia?

Some African states' religious traditions continued to be influenced by cultural transfers dating back to earlier centuries.

"In that year [1450 c.e.] there came to Naples a three-man embassy from the King of Ethiopia to His Highness, our King Alfonso. Among the ambassadors was a certain Pietro Rombulo, an Italian, native of the city of Messina. This Pietro claimed that he had lived among the Ethiopians for over 40 years. And he described to me how in Ethiopia there are innumerable Christians—since both the people and the king there worship Christ—among whom he had been able to live a good Christian life safely and honorably. The ruler of Ethiopia, King David, whom they call Zara Yacob, was said by the ambassadors to be the most civilized, the most just, and the most pious of princes."

Pietro Ranzano, Catholic Church official in Naples and Sicily, universal history written circa 1480

Which of the following was a key similarity in the policies of the rulers of African states such as Ethiopia in the period circa 1200-1450 ?

They used religion and laws to bolster their legitimacy.

"I, Edward, by the grace of God king of England, sent this decree to the reverend father in Christ William, by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, supreme Church leader of all England:

Know that, because of the great number of people who died in the recent pestilence, those who survive see that masters need servants, which have become scarce, and so they now refuse to serve as workmen unless they receive excessive wages.

That is why, I, considering the grave inconveniences that might come from the lack of such workmen, especially plowmen, and after consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm, have decided that every man and woman of our realm of England shall be required to serve his or her lord at the wages that were provided five years ago, in the year 1346.

The lords are entitled to keep their serfs. If any such serf, man or woman, who is required to serve their lord will not do so, they shall be immediately committed to jail."

King Edward III of England, the Statute of Laborers, royal decree, 1351

The terminology used in the opening sentence of the decree was most directly influenced by which of the following?

The deep influence of Christianity on medieval society and culture

"I, Edward, by the grace of God king of England, sent this decree to the reverend father in Christ William, by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, supreme Church leader of all England:

Know that, because of the great number of people who died in the recent pestilence, those who survive see that masters need servants, which have become scarce, and so they now refuse to serve as workmen unless they receive excessive wages.

That is why, I, considering the grave inconveniences that might come from the lack of such workmen, especially plowmen, and after consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm, have decided that every man and woman of our realm of England shall be required to serve his or her lord at the wages that were provided five years ago, in the year 1346.

The lords are entitled to keep their serfs. If any such serf, man or woman, who is required to serve their lord will not do so, they shall be immediately committed to jail."

King Edward III of England, the Statute of Laborers, royal decree, 1351

The process of "consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm" in the making of Edward III's decree best reflects which of the following?

The fragmented, decentralized nature of European feudal monarchies

"I, Edward, by the grace of God king of England, sent this decree to the reverend father in Christ William, by the grace of God archbishop of Canterbury, supreme Church leader of all England:

Know that, because of the great number of people who died in the recent pestilence, those who survive see that masters need servants, which have become scarce, and so they now refuse to serve as workmen unless they receive excessive wages.

That is why, I, considering the grave inconveniences that might come from the lack of such workmen, especially plowmen, and after consultations with the nobles and clergy of the realm, have decided that every man and woman of our realm of England shall be required to serve his or her lord at the wages that were provided five years ago, in the year 1346.

The lords are entitled to keep their serfs. If any such serf, man or woman, who is required to serve their lord will not do so, they shall be immediately committed to jail."

King Edward III of England, the Statute of Laborers, royal decree, 1351

The need for legal action to address the "grave inconveniences" that might result from the labor shortages described in the passage most likely resulted from

the agrarian nature of medieval European economies and their reliance on coerced labor