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Difficulty: HardContinuity and Change in the Early Modern Era

Source: Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, French traveler and merchant, *The Six Voyages*, 1676

"The kings of Persia have acted wisely in placing the trade of silk in the hands of the Armenian Christians of New Julfa. These merchants travel not only into all parts of Europe, but also to India and the borders of China. They bring back great wealth, especially silver, into the kingdom. While the Dutch and English companies seek to transport goods by sea around the Cape of Good Hope, the land caravans of the Armenians still carry the greatest portion of Persian silk overland to the Mediterranean ports of the Ottoman Empire, where it is purchased by European merchants."

Based on the passage, the continued success of the Armenian merchant network best illustrates which of the following global economic developments in the period 1450 to 1750?

  1. A
    The adoption of mercantilist economic strategies by land-based empires to restrict the trade activities of foreign joint-stock companies.
  2. B
    The shift of Eurasian land routes to the transport of bulk agricultural goods rather than high-value luxury commodities.
  3. The persistence of traditional overland trade routes and regional merchant groups alongside expanding maritime networks.Answer
  4. D
    The adaptation of overland trade networks to seasonal monsoon wind patterns to optimize their transport routes.

Answer

The persistence of traditional overland trade routes and regional merchant groups alongside expanding maritime networks.
The correct option is correct because the source directly highlights how land caravans managed by Armenian merchants in Safavid Persia continued to transport the 'greatest portion' of Persian silk overland to the Levant, even as Dutch and English companies expanded their maritime routes around Africa. This illustrates that overland routes and traditional merchant communities remained highly resilient and active alongside the new global maritime networks.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical source context and content.
The source is a 1676 account by French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier describing how Armenian Christian merchants in Persia dominated the overland silk trade to the Mediterranean, despite the Dutch and English companies transporting goods by sea.
Understanding the core focus of the source allows for the identification of the continuity or change it represents.
2
Identify the historical continuity shown in the text.
The text highlights that overland caravans continued to transport the majority of Persian silk, demonstrating that traditional land-based Eurasian trade routes survived and remained crucial even after the expansion of European maritime empires.
This links the details of the stimulus to the AP World History learning objective of continuity and change in the early modern global economy.
3
Eliminate incorrect choices based on historical errors.
Eliminated options regarding mercantilist restrictions, bulk agricultural transport, and monsoon winds, leaving the option on the persistence of overland networks.
Verifying that the distractors rely on historical misconceptions helps confirm the correct answer.

Key Concept

Continuity and Change in the Early Modern Era
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Continuity and Change in the Early Modern Era

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