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Difficulty: Very hardLiteral Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

Read the passage below carefully:

The ancient city walls of Kano, known locally as Badala, were initially constructed between 1095 and 1134 AD under the reign of Sarki Gijimasu to safeguard the settlement against external invasions. Expanded significantly during the fourteenth century, the defense system encompassed an extensive network of sun-dried mud brick structures, reinforced by an outer trench known as a gara. Contrary to common assumptions that the wall served purely defensive military functions, historical administrative records from the sixteenth century document that the sixteen gated entrances were primarily utilized to regulate incoming commercial traffic and systematically collect trade tariffs on commodities such as indigo-dyed cloth and leatherware.

Statement: Based on the passage, the sixteen gated entrances of the Kano city walls were originally constructed in the eleventh century for the primary purpose of collecting trade tariffs.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. The passage states that the Kano city walls were initially constructed in the eleventh century (1095–1134 AD) to safeguard against external invasions, whereas trade tariff collection is described as a function documented in sixteenth-century administrative records.
The statement is false because it misrepresents explicit temporal facts in the passage. The text confirms that the initial 11th-century construction was aimed at defending the city against invasions, while trade tariff collection is associated strictly with 16th-century administrative records.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the explicit historical details regarding the initial 11th-century construction of the city walls.
The text states that the walls were 'initially constructed between 1095 and 1134 AD under the reign of Sarki Gijimasu to safeguard the city against external invasions.'
This establishes the founding purpose of the structures.
2
Identify the context in which trade tariffs and gated entrances are mentioned.
The text states that 'historical administrative records from the 16th century document that the sixteen gated entrances were primarily utilized to regulate incoming commercial traffic and systematically collect trade tariffs...'
This confirms that tariff collection describes 16th-century administrative usage, not the 11th-century founding purpose.
3
Compare the statement with the facts in the text.
The statement incorrectly attributes the 16th-century economic function as the original 11th-century reason for construction.
Because the statement misrepresents the factual timeline and original purpose given in the text, it is false.

Key Concept

Literal Comprehension and Fact Retrieval
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Topics

Literal Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

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