AP WORLD HISTORY - FULL SEMESTER REVIEW

The introduction of the Islamic faith to the kingdoms of West Africa, such as Ghana and Mali, was primarily facilitated by which of the following groups?

The faith spread peacefully across the Sahara primarily through Muslim merchants who conducted trade, establishing the first Muslim communities.

What was the most significant factor that promoted trade along the Silk Roads as a result of the Mongol Empire's expansion across Eurasia in the thirteenth century?

The Mongol Empire created a unified, stable political environment (Pax Mongolica) that made land trade safer and cheaper across vast distances for merchants by eliminating many local tolls and banditry.

Which civilization sponsored massive, long-distance naval voyages across the Indian Ocean during the early 1400s?

The Ming dynasty sponsored the massive naval expeditions of Admiral Zheng He in the early to mid-fifteenth century, which sailed across the Indian Ocean to East Africa.

The widespread movement of the bubonic plague (Black Death) across Eurasia in the fourteenth century was primarily caused by which factor?

The vast, unified trade and communication network established by the Mongol Empire served as the vector for the disease, carrying infected fleas and rats along trade routes like the Silk Road.

Which statement accurately describes a key component of sub-Saharan Africa's commercial economy before 1450 C.E.?

Gold from West African empires like Mali was the key commodity transported north across the Sahara and into the wider Afro-Eurasian trade network.

What led the Ming government in China to halt large-scale state-sponsored overseas voyages in the Indian Ocean during the mid-fifteenth century?

Conservative Confucian officials argued the voyages were too costly and distracted from the more pressing threat from the Mongols on the northern frontier and internal stability.

The most direct cause of the massive reduction in urban populations across Eurasia during the 1300s was which of the following?

The Black Death (bubonic plague) was the single most devastating factor, killing a significant portion of the population, especially in dense urban centers across Eurasia in the 14th century.

The extensive travels of the Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta across the vast Dar al-Islam in the fourteenth century highlight the importance of which of the following?

As a Muslim scholar, Ibn Battuta was able to travel, find employment, and be understood throughout the vast network of Muslim-ruled lands (Dar al-Islam) due to a shared legal system and culture.

Mansa Musa's 1324 pilgrimage (Hajj) from the Mali Empire to Mecca is best understood in the context of:

Mansa Musa's Hajj was a religious duty and a testament to the fact that Islam had spread far beyond the Arabian Peninsula, connecting a West African empire into the greater Muslim world.

Which statement accurately describes a major political or economic effect of the Mongol Empire on Eurasia?

The political unification of Eurasia under Mongol rule secured the trade routes, facilitating the flow of goods and ideas between East and West.

The rapid spread of the Black Death to major urban centers like Cairo, Beijing, and Florence in the 14th century underscores the importance of which interconnected network?

The interconnected trade networks of the unified Mongol Empire provided the fastest and most expansive means for the plague to spread across Eurasia.

By 1250 C.E., which characteristic defined the commercial activity along the trans-Saharan trade routes?

North African Muslim merchants, using camels in large caravans, were the key organizers and drivers of commerce across the desert.

Which is an accurate statement regarding the massive naval missions commanded by Chinese Admiral Zheng He in the early 1400s?

Zheng He's massive fleet reached the Swahili city-states on the East African coast on several of his seven major voyages.

From 1492 to the mid-17th century, the largest demographic group immigrating to the Western Hemisphere originated from which region?

The vast majority of migrants to the Americas between 1492 and 1800 were enslaved people forcibly transported from West and West-Central Africa.

Which of the following factors best accounts for the major population shifts observed during the Columbian Exchange?

Old World diseases caused the mass death in the Americas, and New World crops (like potatoes and maize) fueled global population growth in Afro-Eurasia.

A lasting consequence of Vasco da Gama's successful voyage around the Cape of Good Hope to India in the late 1490s was that it:

Da Gama's voyage established the direct sea route that allowed the Portuguese and, later, other Europeans to participate in the lucrative Indian Ocean trade, challenging existing Arab and Swahili control.

 A primary objective for the maritime exploration sponsored by European monarchies beginning in the fifteenth century was to:

European states wanted to bypass the Muslim and Italian middlemen who controlled the overland trade in luxury goods, seeking direct access to sources of gold and spices.

The economic theory of mercantilism, prominent in the Atlantic trading system by 1750, is best illustrated by which policy?

Mercantilism mandated that the mother country protect its merchants and companies to ensure favorable trade balances, maximizing exports and accumulating wealth (bullion).

The Mughal Empire, which dominated the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to 18th centuries, is accurately described as:

The Mughal emperors were Muslims who governed the Indian subcontinent, where the population was overwhelmingly Hindu.

Which global development beginning in the late 1400s most fundamentally justifies the demarcation of a new era in world history?

Columbus's voyages connected the Eastern and Western hemispheres, creating the first truly globalized trade network, which is the defining feature of the next period.

Why were Portuguese mariners unable to establish direct trade with West African states before the fifteenth century?

Before the 15th century, Europeans lacked the ship designs (like the caravel) and navigational techniques to sail against the prevailing winds and currents and return reliably from West Africa.

Between 1500 and 1700, what significant change occurred in the organization of long-distance transregional trade?

Joint-stock companies, such as the VOC and the EIC, revolutionized overseas trade by pooling capital and spreading risk, fundamentally changing global commerce.

The global economy between 1450 and 1750 is best characterized by which feature?

Silver from the Americas (Potosí, Mexico) was the commodity most in demand in Asia, serving as the currency that sustained the global trade system.

A shared characteristic of the most prominent Asian and European philosophical traditions during the period 1000 to 1450 was:

In both regions, major philosophies like Neo-Confucianism, Scholasticism, and Islamic scholarship were deeply tied to and supported by religious institutions and texts.

How did the geographic spread of Islam influence gender relations in the regions it reached between 1200 and 1600?

The syncretic nature of Islam’s spread meant that local traditions, such as a lack of veiling or women’s strong commercial roles, often persisted alongside Islamic legal frameworks.

 Which of the following statements accurately reflects a core belief of Islam?

Islam is the submission to the will of one God (Allah) and is strictly monotheistic (Tawhid).

The religious system of Judaism is founded upon the central idea of:

The foundational concept of Judaism is the belief in a sacred, reciprocal agreement (a covenant) between God (Yahweh) and the people of Israel.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share the common characteristic of:

All three are Abrahamic faiths that share the prophets and figures of the Old Testament/Torah, including Adam, Abraham, and Moses.

During the period from 1000 to 1450, which world region possessed the largest and most technologically advanced capacity for manufacturing and industrial output?

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, China was the most industrialized society, leading the world in iron production, porcelain, and textile manufacturing.

 In the history of China, the principle of the “Mandate of Heaven” was often invoked to legitimize which political action?

The Mandate of Heaven justified the overthrow of a dynasty, asserting that the ruler had lost divine favor due to incompetence or tyranny, making rebellion legitimate.

The foundational agricultural crop most responsible for supporting the major civilizations of Mesoamerica was:

Maize (corn) was domesticated in Mesoamerica and formed the dietary and agricultural foundation of all major civilizations in the region.

The Japanese 'samurai' warrior class in feudal society is most structurally comparable to which professional group in medieval European feudalism?

Both samurai and knights were mounted, professional warriors who served aristocratic lords and adhered to a strict code of conduct (Bushido and Chivalry).

Which pair of universalizing religious systems is characterized by a monotheistic belief, adherence to a sacred canon of texts, and a strong history of missionary activity?

Both are universalizing religions that believe in a single God, possess canonical texts (Bible/Qur'an), and actively seek converts through missionary activity.

What was the most significant social consequence of the spread of Buddhist philosophy across South Asia?

Buddhism rejected the Brahmanical concept that social status was determined by birth, asserting instead that spiritual merit came from one's actions, which threatened the Hindu social order.

A key political outcome following the death of Genghis Khan and the division of the Mongol Empire was:

The empire divided into four major, independent successor states, known as khanates (Yuan Dynasty, Golden Horde, Ilkhanate, Chagatai Khanate), each ruled by a different branch of the family.

For a historian examining the intellectual transfer of technology resulting from the Crusades, which source would be most valuable?

This is direct evidence of the transfer (diffusion) of mathematical knowledge (a type of intellectual technology) from the Islamic world to Europe as a result of the Crusades.

What elements of Kublai Khan’s court did the Venetian traveler Marco Polo note as being absent or unusual in contemporary Europe?

Polo was amazed by China's advanced use of paper currency, the burning of coal as fuel, and the relatively high standards of hygiene compared to 13th-century Europe.

What elements of Kublai Khan’s court did the Venetian traveler Marco Polo note as being absent or unusual in contemporary Europe?

Calicut, located on the Malabar Coast of India, was a central port for the Indian Ocean spice trade, and pepper was its most valuable and highly sought-after export.

 The Ottoman practice of devshirme in the Balkans was primarily designed to serve which purpose?

The system took Christian boys, converted them to Islam, and trained them to be professional soldiers (Janissaries) or high-ranking government administrators, ensuring loyalty to the Sultan.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Chinese authorities initially responded to increasing European maritime trade by:

The Ming dynasty enforced strict maritime prohibition policies (Haijin), limiting European trade to controlled ports.

Between 1450 and 1750, which single commodity was most instrumental in connecting the various regional economies and establishing a truly global trade system?

Silver from the Americas became the world's first global currency, facilitating trade between the hemispheres and the flow of goods (especially Asian luxuries) worldwide.

Prior to 1700, the Spanish Crown managed its vast American territories primarily through a system of:

Spain governed its colonies through a centralized bureaucracy, appointing high-ranking officials such as viceroys and audiencias to rule on behalf of the Crown.

A historian studying the volume, origins, and destinations of the trans-Atlantic slave trade between 1600 and 1800 would find which primary source most useful for quantitative data?

Ship manifests and customs records are the primary quantitative source, detailing the ports of embarkation (origin), ports of arrival (destination), and the number of people transported.

What accurately describes the political structure of the Swahili Coast trading centers from the 11th to the 16th centuries?

Swahili city-states (like Kilwa and Mombasa) were politically autonomous, each ruled by its own local elite and competing for Indian Ocean trade.

The rise of the Safavid Empire (1501–1736) in Persia fundamentally affected the regional balance of power because of its policy of:

The declaration of Shi'a Islam as the state religion created a profound, lasting ideological and political division with its powerful Sunni neighbor, the Ottoman Empire.

Which statement accurately describes the global effects of the 'Little Ice Age' (c. 1300–c. 1850) on human populations during the 17th century?

The cooler temperatures and resulting shorter growing seasons caused crop failures, famine, and led to social and political unrest in China, Europe, and elsewhere.

In Spanish colonial America, the adaptation of the indigenous Andean mita system by Spanish authorities primarily served which colonial purpose?

The Spanish coerced Indigenous people to work in the dangerous silver mines by adapting the Incan mita system, a pre-existing labor draft for public works.

By the mid-17th century, the colonization efforts of both the English and the Dutch were distinguished from Spanish and Portuguese colonization primarily by their reliance on:

Companies like the English East India Company and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) were privately funded by shareholders, reducing the financial risk to the crown.

The primary objective of the Russian expansion across Siberia during the 17th century was to gain control over which highly valued natural resource?

Furs (sable, ermine) were the single most lucrative resource in Siberia, often collected as tax (yasak) from indigenous people, which drove the rapid eastward expansion of the Russian state.

The cultural phenomenon represented by the Mexican devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the 16th century is best understood as an example of:

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared at a site sacred to the Aztec goddess Tonantzin and provided a recognizable female deity, merging Christian figures with indigenous belief structures