Examkin

Soru

Zorluk: ZorState Building and Societies in Africa

Source: Archaeological survey report of the Great Enclosure at Great Zimbabwe, detailing findings from stratigraphic levels dated to the fourteenth century C.E.

"Excavations within the massive dry-stone walls of the Great Enclosure have revealed thousands of local artifacts alongside exotic goods. These include shards of Chinese Celadon and blue-and-white porcelain from the Song and Ming dynasties, Persian glazed pottery, and glass beads from India. No traces of mortar were used in the construction of the undulating stone walls, which reach up to 11 meters in height and enclose a complex of stone towers and public spaces."

Which of the following best explains the historical development that allowed for the construction and material wealth of the site described in the passage?

  1. The integration of southern African commercial networks with the Indian Ocean trade system, which allowed Shona rulers to tax and control the flow of gold and ivory.Cevap
  2. B
    The adoption of European feudal military and administrative structures, which enabled local Shona lords to construct castles to protect agricultural serfs.
  3. C
    The establishment of direct diplomatic ties with East Asian dynasties, which led to the large-scale importation of bulk agricultural foodstuffs to sustain the urban population.
  4. D
    The isolation of the southern African interior from coastal trade due to unpredictable Indian Ocean monsoon winds, which forced the kingdom to rely entirely on internal agricultural tribute.

Cevap

The integration of southern African commercial networks with the Indian Ocean trade system, which allowed Shona rulers to tax and control the flow of gold and ivory.
The correct answer correctly identifies that Great Zimbabwe's growth and the construction of its monumental dry-stone architecture were funded by its participation in the Indian Ocean trade network. By controlling the flow of gold and ivory from the interior to the coast, Shona rulers accumulated wealth and consolidated political authority.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the source text to identify key evidence.
The presence of Chinese porcelain, Persian pottery, and Indian beads indicates participation in long-distance trade networks, while the dry-stone walls indicate a highly organized, wealthy local state.
This establishes that Great Zimbabwe was connected to global trade routes rather than isolated, and possessed significant local political organization.
2
Relate the archaeological evidence to regional trade systems of the period (1200-1450 C.E.).
Great Zimbabwe served as a middleman connecting the mineral-rich interior of Southern Africa to the Swahili merchant city-states along the East African coast.
This connects the local wealth of the Shona state to the broader Indian Ocean network, where gold and ivory were exchanged for Asian and Middle Eastern luxury goods.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which historical process best accounts for this wealth and political centralization.
The regulation and taxation of this transregional trade by Shona elites provided the resources necessary to support specialized labor and construct monumental architecture like the Great Enclosure.
This demonstrates how state-building in Africa was often facilitated by participation in and control of regional and global commercial networks.

Anahtar Kavram

State Building and Societies in Africa
Bu soruyu puanla

Konular

State Building and Societies in Africa

Bu konudan daha fazla soru