Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

"Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore, the brothers should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading... If the needs of the place or their poverty should require that they busy themselves with harvesting crops, let them not be saddened, for then they are truly monks when they live by the labor of their hands."
— Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 48

Which of the following best describes the historical role of monastic communities in Western Europe during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450, as reflected in the passage?

The following passage is adapted from Garcilaso de la Vega’s Royal Commentaries of the Incas, published in 1609:

'The Inca kings established that each town should be divided into sections, and that there should be officials in charge of groups of ten, fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand, so that they could register all the vassals and keep track of their work, tribute, and needs.'

Which of the following aspects of state-building in the Americas is best illustrated by the passage?

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, constructed in the thirteenth century under the Zagwe dynasty of Ethiopia, were carved directly from solid volcanic rock. These massive structures were designed to replicate the holy sites of Jerusalem, which had become inaccessible to Christian pilgrims due to Muslim conquests in the Middle East. By building these churches, the rulers of Ethiopia sought to establish a 'New Jerusalem' within their own borders.

Based on the passage, the construction of the churches of Lalibela best illustrates which of the following aspects of state-building in Africa during the period 1200–1450?

“As this kingdom of the Incas was so vast, in each of the provinces there were storehouses containing supplies. In times of war, the armies were provisioned from these storehouses without placing any tax burden on the local population. If there was a year of scarcity or famine, the governors opened the storehouses and distributed food and clothing to the commoners, so that no one was left in need or allowed to be idle. Through the labor tax known as the *mita*, the rulers directed the building of roads, bridges, and agricultural terraces, ensuring that the diverse peoples under their control were bound to the central authority of Cuzco.”

—Adapted from Pedro Cieza de León, *Chronicle of Peru*, c. 1553

The administrative practices described in the passage best illustrate which of the following aspects of state-building in the Americas during the period c. 1200–c. 1450?

"When the Mongol forces advanced, the scholar Nasir al-Din al-Tusi found refuge first in the mountain fortresses of the Ismaili governors, who patronized his pioneering work in ethics and astronomy. Following the fall of Alamut, he entered the service of the Mongol ruler Hulegu, who funded the construction of the magnificent Maragheh Observatory in northwestern Iran. Here, al-Tusi gathered astronomers from as far as China and Christian Syria, producing the astronomical tables that would later influence Renaissance astronomers in Europe."
—Adapted from a historical account of thirteenth-century intellectual networks

The patronage and intellectual exchanges described in the passage best support which of the following conclusions about Dar al-Islam in the period c. 1200 to c. 1450?

"The vassal is bound by his oath to give counsel and aid to his lord whenever required, and to defend his lord’s person and property. Likewise, the lord is bound to protect his vassal, to do him justice in his court, and to refrain from seizing his fief without a judgment of his peers. If the lord fails in these duties, the vassal may withdraw his fealty, for the bond between lord and vassal is mutual."

�� Jean de Ibelin, French jurist, Assizes of Jerusalem, mid-thirteenth century

Based on the passage, the political relationship described best reflects which of the following features of medieval European society?

"In the past, the state minted copper coins to facilitate trade, but today, merchants in Sichuan and the capital carry paper certificates representing cash. These paper notes, lightweight and easy to transport, have replaced thousands of strings of heavy metal coins. In every market, farmers sell their surplus grain and purchase specialized crafts, not for local consumption, but for transport along the Grand Canal to distant provinces."
—Adapted from a Song Dynasty government report on treasury administration, c. 11th century

Which of the following developments in Song China is best illustrated by the passage?

"If a vassal does not serve his lord as he has sworn to do, the lord may cite him to his court. If the vassal refuses to come, he shall forfeit his fief. But the king himself cannot judge the vassal of a prince except in the prince's own court, nor can he deprive any man of his land without a lawful judgment of his peers. For the lords have their own courts and their own jurisdictions, and the king's jurisdiction is limited by the rights of the territorial princes..."

—Eike von Repgow, *Sachsenspiegel* (Saxon Mirror), a German legal code, c. 1220

Which of the following developments in the period 1200 to 1450 represents the most significant contrast to the decentralized judicial and political structures described in the passage?

Read the passage below and answer the following question.

"It is necessary for the sultan to inquire into the state of the treasury and the conduct of his governors... In these times, although the supreme authority of the Caliph in Baghdad is formally acknowledged in the Friday sermon (*khutbah*) and on the coinage, the actual administration of the provinces, the collection of revenues, and the defense of the frontiers have passed into the hands of the Turkic commanders and regional sultans. Yet, even as the empire of the faithful is divided into many principalities, the colleges (*madrasas*) are filled with students, libraries are expanded by the patronage of regional courts, and scholars journey from Nishapur to Cairo under the protection of local rulers who compete to sponsor the sciences."
— Nizam al-Mulk, Seljuk vizier, *Siyasatnama* (*Book of Government*), late eleventh century

Which of the following historical developments in Dar al-Islam in the period circa 1200 to 1450 is best illustrated by the passage?

"The teachings of the ancient sages became obscured when scholars began to pursue only worldly success and empty literary skill. They memorized texts merely to pass the imperial examinations and secure government posts, forgetting that the true purpose of learning is to clarify the principle (*li*) of all things under heaven and to cultivate the self. In doing so, they have allowed the errors of Buddhist quietism and Daoist escapism to mislead the mind, believing that truth lies in retreating from human relationships. But the ancient sages taught us that the moral principles governing the family are the very same principles that order the cosmos itself."

— Adapted from the writings of Zhu Xi, Song dynasty philosopher, twelfth century CE.

The critique of contemporary scholars in the passage is best understood in the context of which of the following cultural and political developments during the Song Dynasty?

"In the prefectures of the lower Yangtze Valley, land is no longer cultivated for the subsistence of individual households. Farmers have converted their paddy fields to cultivate mulberries, sugar cane, and oranges, relying entirely on grain imported from the middle Yangtze region. Transactions are increasingly settled not with copper coins, which are heavy and scarce, but with paper certificates issued by merchant pools in the capital. These certificates are accepted by government offices in payment for tax obligations."
—Adapted from a Song Dynasty administrative report, c. 1200

Which of the following processes in East Asia during the period c. 1200–c. 1450 is best illustrated by the administrative report?

The following excerpt is from a temple charter issued by a Javanese ruler during the Majapahit Empire in the fourteenth century:

'He, the King, who is the incarnation of Vishnu on earth, has built this temple to honor the ancestors and to provide a dwelling place for the deities. By ordering the preservation of these sacred lands, the King ensures the fertility of the rice fields and the obedience of his subjects, who are organized according to their spiritual merit and service to the state. The royal court, advised by both Buddhist priests and Shaivite Brahmins, maintains the cosmic order (dharma) across the realm.'

Which of the following historical processes in South or Southeast Asia during the period 1200–1450 is best illustrated by the charter?

Source: Excerpt from the *Nagarakretagama* (also known as the *Desawarnana*), a court poem composed in Java, 1365 CE, describing the capital of the Majapahit Empire.

'His Majesty King Hayam Wuruk is the incarnation of Shiva and Buddha, ruling over the lands of Java. At the annual festival, the Shivaite priests and Buddhist monks jointly perform the sacred purification rituals at the palace. The nobles and lords from the outer islands bring their tribute and bow before the throne, recognizing the divine order established by the King to maintain peace and fertility throughout the realm.'

The rituals described in the passage best illustrate which of the following developments in Southeast Asia in the period circa 1200 to 1450?

The rise of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt during the thirteenth century represented a significant shift in the governance of the Islamic world. Born out of the military slave system of the Ayyubids, the Mamluks established a highly centralized regime. While their political system was marked by factionalism and struggles for succession among the military elite, the Sultanate proved remarkably resilient. It halted the Mongol advance at Ayn Jalut, expelled the remaining Crusader states from the Levant, and positioned Cairo as a premier cultural and intellectual center. The Mamluk state demonstrated that the decentralization of caliphal authority did not equate to a decline in state capacity or cultural dynamism; rather, it allowed for regional specialization and the institutionalization of military power that sustained and expanded Islamic rule.

—Modern historical analysis of medieval Islamic governance

Which of the following developments in the post-Abbasid Islamic world is best illustrated by the political survival and achievements of the Mamluk Sultanate described in the passage?

The territories of Majapahit are divided into areas under the direct administration of the royal family, and areas ruled by vassal lords who must submit tribute. Every year, during the month of Caitra, all the vassal princes, chiefs, and governors from the outer regions must journey to the capital of Trowulan to pay homage to the King. The King, identified as an incarnation of Shiva and Buddha, presides over grand ceremonies where he receives these offerings, which include local specialties, forest products, and gold. In return, the King distributes holy water and royal gifts, cementing the spiritual and political bonds that tie the archipelago under his authority.

—Adapted from the Nagarakretagama, a Javanese court poem, 1365 CE

Which of the following characteristics of state building in South and Southeast Asia during the period c. 1200–c. 1450 is best illustrated by the annual ceremony described in the passage?

"Now, the court has established the civil service examinations to select men of talent from all under heaven. Yet, many scholars today merely memorize the classics to obtain office and wealth, neglecting the true cultivation of the mind and the moral principles of the sages. They fail to understand that the ultimate goal of learning is to investigate the cosmic principle (li) of all things and to govern the state with virtue. If a scholar does not purify his heart and recognize this universal order, how can he assist the Emperor in maintaining the social hierarchy and achieving harmony?"

— Excerpt from a memorandum by a Song dynasty scholar-official, c. 1180 CE.

The criticisms and goals expressed in the passage are best understood in the context of which of the following developments in Song China?

"In the regions of Hebei and Hedong, coal is dug from the earth to smelt iron. The iron is cast into plowshares, needles, and military weapons, which are distributed throughout the empire. Smelting furnaces burn day and night, and thousands of laborers are employed in the mines. Without the use of coal, the forests would have been entirely depleted, and the cost of transport would have paralyzed the state’s metal production."

— Su Shi, Song Dynasty official, memorandum on state metallurgy, c. 1078 CE

Which of the following historical developments most directly enabled the scale of production and distribution described in the passage?

"The Solomonic kings of Ethiopia in the fourteenth century did not govern from a fixed capital. Instead, they ruled from a massive, mobile tent city—the royal camp, or *katama*—that moved throughout the highlands. This mobile court, numbering in the tens of thousands, functioned as the administrative, judicial, and military heart of the empire. By physically moving the center of power, the Ethiopian monarchs could directly extract agricultural tribute, enforce loyalty among regional lords, and project imperial power over a highly diverse and rugged landscape. This practice of ambulatory kingship allowed the state to maintain centralized authority without the bureaucratic infrastructure typical of contemporary East Asian empires."

—Adapted from a modern historical analysis of medieval Northeast African state-building

Which of the following best describes the method of state-building and political centralization utilized by the Ethiopian Empire as described in the passage?

Source: Adapted from a modern historical analysis of Mesoamerican political structures, 2024.

'The expansion of the Mexica Empire in the fifteenth century was marked by a decentralized tributary system rather than direct administrative integration. Conquered city-states (altepetl) retained their traditional elites and local laws, provided they regularly delivered specified quantities of agricultural products, luxury goods, and labor to the imperial capital, Tenochtitlan. Rather than imposing a uniform administrative bureaucracy, the Mexica rulers relied heavily on military coercion, tributary demands, and localized elite alliances. This system prioritized wealth extraction over cultural assimilation or political centralization. Consequently, while the imperial center accumulated massive surpluses of jade, feathers, and maize, the lack of direct imperial administrative control left the empire politically fractured and vulnerable to internal resistance.'

Based on the passage and your knowledge of world history, which of the following best describes how Mexica state-building differed from that of the contemporary Inca Empire?

"The profits from maritime trade are very great. If they are managed correctly, they can yield millions of strings of cash. Is this not far better than extracting taxes from the common people? We should encourage foreign merchants to come to our ports and trade, which will both enrich the state and benefit our subjects."
—attributed to Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, mid-twelfth century

Which of the following historical developments during the Song dynasty best explains the policy described in the passage?