Deck 1: The Many Worlds of the Fifteenth Century: 1405-1510

Question 1

The idea of an "Afro-Eurasian supercontinent" makes most sense in terms of which of the following?

A) Mongol rulers united all of these regions in one empire.
B) Religious unity and a common culture spread across the continents.
C) Land and sea trade routes created interconnectedness across diverse political and economic entities.
D) A common language permitted chroniclers to describe the history of all three continents.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Under the "biological old regime" the main economic activity of all human societies was:

A) Manufacturing surplus goods to trade.
B) Agriculture.
C) Commercial enterprise.
D) Technological development.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following empires established control over much of the Eastern Mediterranean region in the fifteenth century?

A) The Ottomans.
B) The Mongols.
C) The Ming.
D) The Romans.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The North African city of ______________ remained a vital center of Islamic learning in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

A) Constantinople.
B) Baghdad.
C) Tenochtitlan.
D) Timbuktu.

Question 5

From the discussion of the biological old regime we can infer that the most important factor for determining economic success was

A) Climate.
B) Number of merchants participating in trade.
C) Size of the military.
D) Capitalism.

Question 6

One consequence of the Mongol expansion was that Mongol rulers:

A) eventually united central Asia under one religion.
B) purged central Asia and Eastern Europe of the bubonic plague.
C) protected overland trade routes, allowing the expansion of commerce.
D) united their subject peoples with a common culture and language.

Question 7

The fourteenth century crises that befell Western Europe included the bubonic plague, the 100 Years' War, and:

A) invasion by the Mongols.
B) a cooling trend in average temperatures.
C) a mass immigration of Muslims from North Africa.
D) a religious schism within the Eastern Orthodox faith.

Question 8

One of the projects taken on by the Ming Dynasty in China was to move the imperial capital north to the city of:

A) Canton.
B) Nanking.
C) Pyongyang.
D) Beijing.

Question 9

The discovery of Roman coins in India and discussion of Chinese silks in the records of the Roman Senate indicate that:

A) Chinese ships once anchored in the port of Rome.
B) Rome's navy reached the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal.
C) empires are necessary for the conduct of long distance trade.
D) Significant trade existed between the Roman Empire and Asia as far back as the beginning of the Common Era.

Question 10

In terms of political order, the concept of legitimacy refers to:

A) the marriage rituals in a society.
B) the natural geographic boundaries of a state.
C) the way rulers justify their exercise of power.
D) the egalitarian impulse of imperial rule.

Question 11

The consolidation of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century contributed to:

A) the end of Egyptian trade with East Asia.
B) the Western European search for new trade routes to East Asia.
C) the consolidation of European power under the Pope.
D) the isolation of Africa.

Question 12

The Black Death (plague) of the mid-fourteenth century:

A) had a devastating impact on populations of both Europe and Asia.
B) had little impact on China.
C) decimated the indigenous population of the Andes.
D) Inspired the Ming Dynasty to fund the Treasure Fleet.

Question 13

Empire building by indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere included:

A) military excursions and tribute demands against adjacent states and communities.
B) naval expeditions for trade and conquest.
C) use of Christian missionaries to ensure loyalty.
D) deliberately spreading smallpox among enemies.

Question 14

The Ottoman Empire designed the millet system to:

A) enforce the practice of Islam among all residents of the empire.
B) to maintain political stability within a religiously diverse empire.
C) increase agriculture productivity on the frontiers of the empire.
D) provide a military defense for the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Question 15

The painter Gentile Bellini served on a diplomatic mission to negotiate peace between:

A) Constantinople and the Ottoman Empires.
B) Beijing and the Mongol Empire.
C) Cusco and the Spanish Empire.
D) Venice and the Ottoman Empire.

Question 16

By the fifteenth century, plow cultivation was the dominant method of food procurement in

A) Australia.
B) Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
C) North and South America.
D) South Asia. Map,

Question 17

Which of the Islamic cultural centers was sacked by the Mongols?

A) Constantinople.
B) Beijing.
C) Baghdad.
D) Tenochtitlan.

Question 18

Historians continue to debate the reasons for the end of the Chinese Treasure fleet voyages because:

A) the Yongle Emperor offered contradictory explanations for his decision.
B) no primary sources have yet been discovered to account fully for the decision.
C) the Ming Dynasty kept no written records.
D) contemporary researchers have not yet deciphered the Ming alphabet.

Question 19

The Hansa, or Hanseatic League:

A) engaged in commercial and military activities.
B) pledged loyalty to Grand Prince Ivan III.
C) financed the voyages of Prince Henry (the Navigator).
D) sent a rhinoceros to Beijing with Zheng He.

Question 20

The most active European merchants in the Atlantic Ocean in the late fifteenth century were from:

A) Germany.
B) Italy.
C) Portugal.
D) England.

Question 21

The textbook authors choose to describe Africa, Europe, and Asia as a single "supercontinent." What are the reasons for this? What evidence can be presented to argue against the idea that this is a single entity?

Question 22

What are the major distinctions to be drawn between human interactions in Afro-Eurasia and those of the Western hemisphere in the fifteenth century?

Question 23

What conditions beyond the control of human agency shaped historical outcomes during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries? Please give specific examples.