Period 1 SAQ Prompts

1A: Impact of Indian Ocean trade on East Africa

A: Rise of Swahili city-sates (Kilwa, Mombasa); wealthy from trading gold, ivory, enslaved people led to→ economic growth + spread of Islam.

1B: Idea spread on both Indian Ocean & Silk Road

A: Islam spread widely. Merchants brought it to the Swahili coast and caravans carried it to Central Asia. This created religious unity across trade networks.

1C: Difference in transport: Indian Ocean vs. Silk Road

A: Indian Ocean used dhows & junks carrying bulk goods like timber, rice. Silk Road used camel caravans carrying silk, spices. This explains why ocean trade moved volume, while Silk Road focused on luxury.

2A: Women’s rights under Islam

A: The Qur’an gave women rights to inherit property, receive dowries, own land. This increased women’s legal and economic independence.

2B: Women in Islam vs. Song China

A: Islam → legal rights. China → footbinding restricted mobility and symbolized male control. Shows contrast between independence vs. inferiority.

2C: Merchants in Islam vs. China

A: Islam valued merchants (Muhammad was one). Confucian China ranked merchants low for not producing goods. Result → stronger merchant class in Islam.

3A: Innovation enabling Indian Ocean trade

A: Magnetic compass (China) guided sailors across open seas. Enabled reliable long-distance voyages.

3B: Innovation enabling Trans-Saharan trade

A: Camel saddle let camels carry heavy loads. Enabled gold-salt trade linking Mali & North Africa.

3C: Cultural similarity: SE Asia & West Africa

A: Both spread new religions through trade—Southeast Asia: Buddhism/Hinduism, West Africa: Islam; influenced government, learning, and art.

4A: Tang/Song influence on neighbors

A: Spread Confucianism & bureaucracy. Korea adopted civil service exams modeled on China. Shows China’s political influence abroad.

4B: Mongols’ economic impact on Eurasia

A: They promoted long-distance trade by securing the Silk Road, which increased the flow of goods, ideas, and wealth across Eurasia.

4C: Dar al-Islam’s impact on Eurasia

A: Introduced algebra, spreading new math methods that improved science, engineering, and trade.