Archive for February 2017

Contacts between Hindus and Muslims led to

Contacts between Hindus and Muslims led to



(A) the seclusion of Hindu women.
(B) constant warfare between the two groups.
(C) the absorption by the Muslims of many Hindu social practices.
(D) mass conversion of Hindus to Islam.
(E) decreased trade opportunities.







Answer: C

The Abbasid reign ended when

The Abbasid reign ended when



(A) Mongol soldiers sacked Baghdad.
(B) the Seljuk Turks overran the empire.
(C) Christian crusaders took Jerusalem.
(D) the Mamluks invaded the empire.
(E) Shi'a governors and troops revolted and murdered the last caliph.







Answer: A

The Sufis

The Sufis



(A) condemned scientific and cultural borrowing from non-Muslim sources.
(B) helped spread Islam.
(C) objected to the violence and social strife, which befell the Abbasid world.
(D) led religious wars against Christians in Europe and the Middle East.
(E) attempted to blend Islam with Judaism and Christianity.







Answer: B

The greatest beneficiaries of the sustained urban prosperity during the rule of the Abbasids were

The greatest beneficiaries of the sustained urban prosperity during the rule of the Abbasids were



(A) women, who acquired rights to own property.
(B) slaves, when the caliphs emancipated them and gave them lands to farm.
(C) poor workers, who were freed from taxes.
(D) artisans, artists, architects, and merchants.
(E) foreigners, especially non-Muslims, who ran the empire's bureaucracy







Answer: D

The Seljuks

The Seljuks




(A) conquered the Abbasid caliphate and Byzantine Empire.
(B) favored the Shi'a sect and became its protector.
(C) settled in the lands of modern Turkey and became the Abbasids' protector.
(D) were unable to stop the Crusades or end crusader control of Jerusalem.
(E) became a sect of Islam devoted to learning, mysticism, and medicine.






Answer: C

During the Abbasid period, the use of slaves

During the Abbasid period, the use of slaves




(A) began to gradually die out as economically profitless.
(B) spread throughout the region and came to dominate agriculture.
(C) was legally curtailed by the Muslim courts.
(D) was confined to the royal court.
(E) expanded as male and female slaves were valued for their beauty, intelligence and strength.






Answer: E

During the Abbasid period, women

During the Abbasid period, women



(A) were at the center of the Shia opposition to Abbasid rule.
(B) frequently became Sufi mystics because of the freedoms allowed them.
(C) acquired rights to own land and engage in business.
(D) became increasingly isolated in the harem and behind the veil.
(E) exercised no influence in palace and harem politics







Answer: D

The decline of the Abbasid power was due to all of these reasons EXCEPT:

The decline of the Abbasid power was due to all of these reasons EXCEPT:




(A) the difficulty of governing a widespread empire.
(B) invasions of European crusaders.
(C) regional loyalties.
(D) Shi'ia dissenters and slave revolts.
(E) rebellious governors and new dynasties






Answer: B

What was the attitude of the Abbasids toward the institution of slavery?

What was the attitude of the Abbasids toward the institution of slavery?




a. The dynasty forbade all slavery except for the mercenary armies loyal to the Abbasids.
b. The local customs determined the status of slaves as stated in the Qur'an.
c. The dynasty permitted slavery of Muslims, but forbade the enslavement of members of other religions.
d. The Abbasid elite demanded growing numbers of both male and female slaves for concubines and domestic service.
e. The Abbasid dynasty forbade slavery in general.









Answer: D

What was the nature of Islamic religion that developed in Southeast Asia?

What was the nature of Islamic religion that developed in Southeast Asia?





a. Because Islam came to Southeast Asia from India and was spread by Sufi holy men, it developed a mystical nature that incorporated much of indigenous religion.
b. Because Islam was carried by conquering warriors from India, it rejected the native Buddhism and Hinduism in preference for more conservative Islamic orthodoxy.
c. Because Islam adopted many Buddhist ideas, a large number of native groups in the area rejected it.
d. Because most of the missionaries were ulama from Arabia, the religion most closely resembled Islam as practiced in the first generations after Muhammad.
e. Because Islam was carried to Southeast Asia from China, it bore many of the characteristics of Buddhism.








Answer: A

How did Islam and Hinduism differ?

How did Islam and Hinduism differ?




a. Hinduism was monotheistic, while Islam was polytheistic but both had a supreme God.
b. Islam stressed the egalitarianism of all believers, while Hinduism embraced a caste-based social system.
c. Hinduism stressed the egalitarianism of all believers, while Islam embraced a caste-based social system.
d. Hinduism stressed the egalitarianism of all believers, while Islam was more rigid in terms of orthodox belief.
e. Islam stressed the egalitarianism of all believers, while Hinduism was more rigid in terms of orthodox belief.






Answer: B

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the decline of the Abbasid dynasty by the ninth century C.E..?

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the decline of the Abbasid dynasty by the ninth century C.E..?




a. The retention of regional identities by the population
b. The difficulty of compelling local administrators to obey
c. Disputes over succession of the caliph
d. The collapse of the cities in the Islamic heartland
e. The difficulty of moving armies across the great distances of the empire





Answer: D

Which of the following statements concerning the mercenary armies of the later Abbasid era is NOT accurate?

Which of the following statements concerning the mercenary armies of the later Abbasid era is NOT accurate?




a. They helped foster the decline of the empire.
b. Despite their tendency toward random violence, they loyally defended the Abbasid caliphs.
c. They were consistently a major player in the factional contests for control of the capital and the empire.
d. Mercenary troops became a disruptive force in the life of Baghdad and other cities.
e. They often consisted largely of slave troops.







Answer: B

Which of the following statements concerning the Sufi movement within Islam is most accurate?

Which of the following statements concerning the Sufi movement within Islam is most accurate?




a. Sufism was a rationalistic movement based on the teachings of Ibn Khaldun.
b. The Sufi questioned the Islamic interest in the Greek traditions in science.
c. The Sufi movement incorporated mysticism with a trend toward evangelism.
d. The Sufi movement stressed withdrawal from life and into monastic communities.
e. The Sufi movement stressed an increasingly restrictive conservatism within Islam.







Answer: C

How did the political center of Islam change after the Mongol invasions?

How did the political center of Islam change after the Mongol invasions?




a. Mongolian became the language of politics and commerce.
b. The political center of Islam was removed to sub-Saharan Africa.
c. Baghdad was supplanted by Cairo to the east and soon thereafter Istanbul to the north.
d. The center of Islam passed with the withdrawal of the invaders into the steppes of central Asia.
e. Baghdad remained the capital of Islam, but under the control of successive Mongol dynasties.






Answer: C

What group captured Baghdad in 1258?

What group captured Baghdad in 1258?



a. Mongols
b. Avars
c. Crusaders
d. Buyids
e. Seljuk Turks







Answer: A

Which of the following statements concerning women during the Abbasid era is most accurate?

Which of the following statements concerning women during the Abbasid era is most accurate?



a. Abbasid women had vastly greater freedom than did women in the first century of Islam.
b. Women often married at puberty, set at age nine.
c. Rich women had many career outlets in Islamic cities.
d. No Islamic women engaged in labor.
e. Women often practiced polygamy.







Answer: B

What was the level of trade in the Abbasid Empire?

What was the level of trade in the Abbasid Empire?



a. Long-distance trade with Africa, the Mediterranean, India, and China continued to flourish despite periodic interruption.
b. The economy shifted to a focus on trading only with other Muslims.
c. As a whole, long-distance trade along the traditional caravan routes virtually ceased during the Abbasid Empire.
d. Trade with Africa and the Mediterranean continued to expand, but the wars in India disrupted the eastern trade routes.
e. Trade with the East grew, but the Crusades eliminated the western trade routes.








Answer: A

What was the trend of urbanization during much of the Abbasid Empire?

What was the trend of urbanization during much of the Abbasid Empire?




a. Despite political disintegration and a declining agricultural sector, towns continued to grow rapidly.
b. Successive invasions led to a decline in urbanization with many city dwellers moving to the countryside.
c. Towns established in the early years of the dynasty were able to hold their own, but there was little growth.
d. Because the Abbasids abandoned Baghdad for other capitals, cities within the empire tended to wither and die.
e. The Abbasids forcibly relocated people to the desert in such areas as Yemen.






Answer: A

How did the administration of al-Rashid set a trend for subsequent Abbasid rulers?

How did the administration of al-Rashid set a trend for subsequent Abbasid rulers?




a. He removed all regional governors and established strict absolutism from the court at Baghdad.
b. He was at the outset of his reign heavily dependent on Persian advisors, a practice that became commonplace thereafter.
c. He made the position of caliph all-powerful by building a new capital complex in Cairo.
d. He divided the empire into a series of states each of which elected representatives to a caliphal parliament at Baghdad.
e. He stressed the importance of piety and simplicity, a position subsequently adopted by his successors.






Answer: B

Which of the following statements concerning the ulama is most accurate?

Which of the following statements concerning the ulama is most accurate?




a. It brought mysticism into Islam and placed less emphasis on evangelism.
b. It stressed withdrawal from the rest of the community of believers and the creation of Islamic monasteries.
c. It favored a type of Byzantine worship stressing the use of icons with the picture of Muhammad.
d. It embraced the full consequences of fusing Greek and Quranic traditions willingly.
e. It stressed an increasingly restrictive conservatism within Islam, particularly with respect to scientific inquiry.






Answer: E

What changes occurred during the Abbasid period with respect to women?

What changes occurred during the Abbasid period with respect to women?



a. The legislation of multiple marriages for women
b. The establishment of the harem
c. Legislation against concubinage and prostitution
d. The creation of Islamic nunneries
e. Women were allowed to take more than one husband.








Answer: B

What groups in India were most likely to convert to Islam?

What groups in India were most likely to convert to Islam?



a. Raja and warriors
b. Buddhists and low caste Hindus
c. Brahmins and merchants
d. Members of the administrative machinery of the Islamic kingdoms
e. Sikhs and sultans






Answer: B

What was the impact of the Seljuk conquest of Baghdad on the Abbasid Empire?

What was the impact of the Seljuk conquest of Baghdad on the Abbasid Empire?




a. The empire continued to crumble as a result of the military successes of Fatimid Egypt and the Byzantine Empire.
b. It restored the ability of the empire to meet the challenges of Egypt and the Byzantine Empire.
c. The Seljuks abandoned the Middle East for further conquests in the Indian subcontinent.
d. The imposition of a Christian government in the name of the Abbasid caliphs temporarily restored order.
e. It allowed the crusaders to conquer Egypt and Jerusalem with little difficulty.






Answer: B

What accounts for the disruption of the agricultural economy of the Abbasid Empire?

What accounts for the disruption of the agricultural economy of the Abbasid Empire?




a. Spiraling taxation, the destruction of the irrigation works, and pillaging by mercenary armies led to destruction and abandonment of many villages.
b. The government ordered regions of the empire populated by Shi'as abandoned.
c. The decline of the cities led to a fall in the demand for food supplies and consequent drops in agricultural prices.
d. The ayan class began to import large numbers of slaves to work the land.
e. Progressive desiccation of the region led to a diminution of the land available for agriculture.






Answer: A

What was the impact of the Crusades on Islam?

What was the impact of the Crusades on Islam?



a. Islam fell into decline and was eclipsed by the Mongols.
b. Although they resisted most influence, the Muslims did acquire a taste for Western cuisine.
c. The Muslims adopted military technology, words, and scientific knowledge among other things from the West.
d. In the long run, there was little impact on Islamic culture and society.
e. The Crusades temporarily cut off all exchange between the West and Islam.






Answer: D

How did the Muslim conquerors of Sind treat the Hindu and Buddhist residents of the region?

How did the Muslim conquerors of Sind treat the Hindu and Buddhist residents of the region?




a. Hinduism was prohibited and Buddhism tolerated, but many Hindus were encouraged to move back to Islamic heartlands such as Iran.
b. Hindus and Buddhists were treated as dhimmis or "peoples of the book."
c. Forced conversions of the native population followed the Muslim military successes.
d. Most of the higher-caste Hindus were treated well, which led to mass conversions.
e. All non-Muslims were put to death but their children were allowed to convert.




Answer: B

What accounts for the success of the First Crusade?

What accounts for the success of the First Crusade?




a. The overwhelming military superiority of Western military technology
b. The Byzantine Empire provided naval support and the use of "Greek fire"
c. The contemporary emergence of the Christian Seljuk Turks in Baghdad
d. Muslim political fragmentation and the element of surprise
e. The support and cooperation of the Jewish community of the Holy Land






Answer: D

Which statement is TRUE regarding Caliph al-Mahdi and the problem of succession in the Abbasid dynasty?

Which statement is TRUE regarding Caliph al-Mahdi and the problem of succession in the Abbasid dynasty?




a. He appointed one of his sons to succeed him.
b. He failed to resolve the problem of dynastic succession with disastrous results.
c. He specified the rule of primogeniture, the succession of the oldest son.
d. He accepted the radical proposition that only a man of demonstrable Islamic purity should succeed.
e. He accepted the Shi'a doctrine that only the person with the most direct relationship to Muhammad should succeed.







Answer: B

What was the difference between the Islamic invasions of India and previous incursions of the subcontinent?

What was the difference between the Islamic invasions of India and previous incursions of the subcontinent?





a. Islam proved to be a temporary setback to India but was quickly replaced by Buddhism.
b. With the Muslims, the peoples of India encountered for the first time an invasion from the west rather than the east.
c. The Muslims, unlike previous invaders, bypassed the Gangetic plain in preference for southern India.
d. With the Muslims, the peoples of India encountered for the first time a large-scale influx of invaders with a civilization as sophisticated as their own.
e. The Muslims were rapidly able to unify all of India into a single empire.






Answer: D

How did Hinduism respond to the challenge of Islam?

How did Hinduism respond to the challenge of Islam?




a. Hindus converted to Islam in increasing numbers, until Muslims outnumbered Hindus in the subcontinent.
b. Hindus placed greater emphasis on the devotional or bhakti cults of gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Vishnu.
c. Hindus abandoned their emphasis on many deities in favor of monotheism in the person of Shiva.
d. Hindus created a new warrior class and began a military campaign, which led to the eventual demise of Islam in India.
e. The brahmins accepted Islam as a variety of orthodox Hindu belief, while anticipating the incorporation of the Muslim immigrants into the Indian caste system.








Answer: B

What was the result of the civil wars following the death of al-Rashid?

What was the result of the civil wars following the death of al-Rashid?




a. The practice of electing caliphs in Mecca was once again instituted.
b. The Abbasid dynasty came to an end with the defeat in the Battle of Zamzam.
c. The Shi'as were able to take over the throne with the election of Ali.
d. Private armies were abolished in an attempt to curtail future violence over the succession.
e. Succession disputes led to the build up of personal armies, often of slave soldiers.






Answer: E

What was the most critical cultural advance as a result of the increased contact between Muslims and Indian civilization?

What was the most critical cultural advance as a result of the increased contact between Muslims and Indian civilization?




a. Muslim commerce was increasingly dominated by the merchant caste of India.
b. India adopted Islamic science and Sufi literary techniques.
c. Muslims adopted the Indian system of mathematical notation.
d. Muslims adopted the highly stratified social system common in Indian civilization.
e. Muslims adopted the Hindu pantheon of gods.






Answer: C

What was al-Mahdi's attitude toward the Shi'as?

What was al-Mahdi's attitude toward the Shi'as?





a. He viewed them as opponents of his dynasty and attempted to eliminate them.
b. He accepted the fundamental doctrines of the Shi'as and abdicated.
c. He appealed to the moderate factions of the Shi'as to support the Abbasid dynasty.
d. In order to placate the Shi'as, al-Mahdi lived a pious life of poverty and simplicity.
e. He instituted a program of conversion so they would become Sunni.





Answer: C

Why were the Sufis effective missionaries within the Indian subcontinent?

Why were the Sufis effective missionaries within the Indian subcontinent?




a. They enjoyed the support of the Hindu princes because of their support for brahmin ritual.
b. They rejected low-caste Hindus in preference for converts among the brahmin elite.
c. Their message was totally new to India but appealing to brahmins.
d. In both style and message they shared much with Indian mystics and wandering ascetics.
e. They were supported by huge armies of Arabs who migrated to India in search of land.






Answer: D

In general, how did Islam spread in southeast Asia?

In general, how did Islam spread in southeast Asia?



a. Most of southeast Asia was converted to Islam after the military victories of Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
b. Islam was carried to southeast Asia from China.
c. Isolated regimes were visited by dervishes and other Sufi sects.
d. Trade to southeast Asia from Africa and Persia established Islamic centers on the mainland from which conversion took place.
e. Port cities were points of dissemination to other links in trading networks.






Answer: E

What was the Shah-Nama?

What was the Shah-Nama?



a. A set of romantic stories based on the life of Sinbad
b. A written history of Persia from creation to the Islamic conquests
c. The title of the commander of the slave mercenaries
d. The name given to the first wife of the caliph
e. The title given to the oldest son of the caliph






Answer: B

What was the impact of the Crusades on the Christian West?

What was the impact of the Crusades on the Christian West?




a. Christians rejected most Muslim influence, although they did gain a taste for Muslim wines and liquors.
b. There was no Muslim influence on the Christian West.
c. The Crusades led to an extension of feudalism through the use of Islamic silver.
d. Christians adopted military techniques, words, scientific learning, and Arabic numerals among other things.
e. The Crusades interrupted the trade of the Mediterranean and cut off the West from Islam until 1293.






Answer: D

The first flowering of Islamic civilization

The first flowering of Islamic civilization




(A) was intolerant toward older civilizations and their learning because these cultures were pagan.
(B) grew largely out of indigenous Arabia and bedouin traditions.
(C) borrowed exclusively from the Chinese.
(D) borrowed heavily from classical civilizations, but made significant contributions in its own areas.
(E) was mostly imitative rather than creative.








Answer: D

As similarly compared to classical Rome, later Muslim society

As similarly compared to classical Rome, later Muslim society




(A) granted women extensive rights.
(B) denied merchants high social status.
(C) discouraged toleration of foreigners and conversion to the official religion.
(D) relied on the military to run the government.
(E) used slave labor extensively and had an important landed elite.






Answer: E

As the Muslim empire grew and the Abbasid dynasty came to power

As the Muslim empire grew and the Abbasid dynasty came to power



(A) Muslim rulers were increasingly isolated because of advisors and harems.
(B) civil wars destroyed the unity of the empires as provinces broke away.
(C) the Shi'a doctrines were supported and spread by the caliphs.
(D) the caliphs increasingly brought distant provinces under central control.
(E) conversions to Islam declined.






Answer: A

The decline of women's position within Islamic civilization was due to

The decline of women's position within Islamic civilization was due to



(A) Islamic dogma.
(B) contacts with older sedentary cultures and their highly stratified urban systems.
(C) the necessities of war and holy war.
(D) the high death rates of males; the increased number of women in Islamic society "decreased the value" of women.
(E) bedouin traditions.







Answer: B

The reasons for the Arabs' (Muslim) successful conquest of the Middle East and north Africa was most likely due to

The reasons for the Arabs' (Muslim) successful conquest of the Middle East and north Africa was most likely due to



(A) the promise of booty to be won.
(B) overpopulation in the Arabian peninsula.
(C) the desire to convert others to Islam.
(D) the weaknesses caused by their long wars of Islam's two main adversaries, Persia and the Byzantine Empire.
(E) the unity provided by their faith in Islam.






Answer: D

The Pillar of Islam which helped create the first global civilization was

The Pillar of Islam which helped create the first global civilization was




(A) a profession of faith.
(B) charity and alms-giving to help the Muslim community.
(C) the pilgrimage by the faithful to Mecca.
(D) fasting during Ramadan.
(E) the holy war (jihad) against unbelievers.




Answer: C

The issue that confronted Muslims following Muhammad's death, and the issue which eventually split Muslims into Shi'a and Sunni sects involved

The issue that confronted Muslims following Muhammad's death, and the issue which eventually split Muslims into Shi'a and Sunni sects involved



(A) the toleration or persecution of christians and Jews.
(B) who was Muhammad's legitimate successor.
(C) the conversion of non-Arabs to Islam.
(D) the morality of the holy war (jihad) against enemies of the faith.
(E) the accuracy of different translations and versions of the Quran.






Answer: B

One of the strengths of Islam which made it a successful universalizing religion similar to Christianity was its

One of the strengths of Islam which made it a successful universalizing religion similar to Christianity was its



(A) use of a common language, Arabic, to unite all members.
(B) insistence that there was only one God.
(C) support for merchants and commercial values.
(D) egalitarianism that transcended previous loyalties, ethnicities, or allegiances.
(E) condemnation of violence as incompatible with faith.







Answer: D

The Prophet Muhammad had knowledge of life beyond Mecca because he was

The Prophet Muhammad had knowledge of life beyond Mecca because he was



(A) a merchant and had traveled.
(B) well-read and well-educated as an Arab scholar.
(C) exiled to Persia before his conversion.
(D) a judge who frequently arbitrated disputes.
(E) a traveling scholar who moved between cities teaching.






Answer: A

In pre-Islamic times, the status of Mecca was enhanced by

In pre-Islamic times, the status of Mecca was enhanced by




(A) the presence in the city of a Christian bishop.
(B) the Ka'aba, a religious shrine which attracted pilgrims.
(C) its merchants control of trade throughout the Middle East.
(D) its alliance with the Sassanid Persian Empire.
(E) the freedoms given its slaves and women.






Answer: B

What was the status of artisans in Abbasid cities?

What was the status of artisans in Abbasid cities?



a. Artisans were free men who owned their own tools and who formed guild-like organizations to negotiate wages.
b. Artisans found no markets for their goods and were finally incorporated into the ayan.
c. Artisans were able to utilize their guild-like organizations to seize political control of most Abbasid towns.
d. The number of artisans decreased along with the economic crisis of the Abbasid period.
e. Handicraft industries were staffed by slave labor exclusively.






Answer: A

What was the initial response of the Umayyads to Muhammad's new faith?

What was the initial response of the Umayyads to Muhammad's new faith?



a. They sought him as an ally against the Sassanians and the Byzantines.
b. The Umayyads simply ignored Muhammad as an insignificant member of a weak clan.
c. The Umayyads immediately accepted Muhammad as their religious and political leader and the chief power in Mecca.
d. They sought to protect him from a plot on his life by the Banu Hashim.
e. They regarded him as a threat to their wealth and power as he questioned the traditional gods of the Ka'ba.






Answer: E

What was the Umayyad attitude to other religions?

What was the Umayyad attitude to other religions?



a. Christianity and Judaism were suppressed as heresies, but other communities were permitted to retain their religions.
b. The Umayyads displayed tolerance towards the religions of dhimmi peoples.
c. The Umayyads suppressed all religions within their territories other than Islam.
d. The Umayyads converted to Christianity, but continued to permit the open worship of Islam.
e. Zoroastrians and Hindus were never accepted.




Answer: B

What was the nature of the Abbasid government?

What was the nature of the Abbasid government?




a. The Abbasids outdid the Umayyads in establishing an absolutist government symbolized by the growing powers of the wazirs and the sinister presence of the executioner.
b. The Abbasids continued the policies of the Umayyads virtually without change, including the maintenance of an exclusively Arabic elite.
c. The Abbasid government represented a return to the principles of government in the first days of the Orthodox caliphate.
d. The Abbasids abandoned the formality and absolutism of the Umayyads and established an open and representative government.







Answer: E

What was Muhammad's teaching with respect to the revelations of other monotheistic religions?

What was Muhammad's teaching with respect to the revelations of other monotheistic religions?




a. Muhammad accepted the earlier Christian revelations, but rejected completely any influence from Judaism.
b. Muhammad taught that monotheistic religion was compatible with polytheism.
c. Muhammad stressed that only his own revelations had merit and that others were works of the devil.
d. Muhammad accepted the validity of earlier Christian and Judaic revelations and taught that his own revelations were a final refinement and reformulation of earlier ones.







Answer: E

What was the primary cultural contribution of the Muslims during the Abbasid period?

What was the primary cultural contribution of the Muslims during the Abbasid period?




a. Although the material culture of the Abbasid period remained poor, Muslims were able to make some advances in music.
b. The Muslims became extraordinarily adept at portraiture, focusing on depictions of Muhammad and the early caliphs.
c. The Muslims were able to recover and preserve the works of the ancient philosophers as well as transmit ideas and culture from one civilization to another.
d. Islamic culture combined the achievements of earlier civilizations such as the Harappan and the Aryans.
e. Islamic learning was necessarily unique, as they had no access to the ancient traditions of philosophy and science.








Answer: C

What happened after Muhammad's death in 632?

What happened after Muhammad's death in 632?






a. After a lengthy period of grief, the tribes selected a new leader based on the established principle of succession in the Quran.
b. Islam remained unified under the leadership of Ali.
c. A military commander, Khalid ibn al-Walid, was chosen as leader of Islam.
d. Many of the bedouin tribes renounced Islam.
e. Islam ceased to exist until it was reestablished under the Umayyad dynasty at Damascus.





Answer: D

Which of the following statements concerning inter-clan relationships in bedouin society is most accurate?

Which of the following statements concerning inter-clan relationships in bedouin society is most accurate?





a. Inter-clan violence was regulated by a universally recognized code of law imposed by the Quraysh in Mecca.
b. Inter-clan violence over control of water and pasturage was common.
c. Violence in Bedouin society was generally limited to slave uprisings.
d. Arabic society was too mobile to result in many contacts between clans, and therefore violence was minimal.
e. Clans within the same tribe almost never engaged in warfare, but violence between different tribes was common.







Answer: B

What was the nature of the economy of the Abbasid period?

What was the nature of the economy of the Abbasid period?




a. It was a period of general prosperity typified by urban growth and the restoration of the Afro-Eurasian trade axis.
b. There was a general crisis in the agricultural economy resulting from the constant warfare of the period.
c. The economic downturn of the era was typified by the breakdown in the trade between the Middle East and China.
d. Trade was initiated with northern Europe, which eventually led to the rise of slave trade with Africa.
e. Although commerce was generally resuscitated during the Abbasid period, artisan production dropped off significantly.







Answer: A

Which of the following statements concerning the ethical system of early Islam is NOT correct?

Which of the following statements concerning the ethical system of early Islam is NOT correct?



a. Islam stressed the dignity of all believers and their equality in the eyes of Allah.
b. It recognized the truth of similar ethical ideas in Judaism and Christianity.
c. A tax for charity was obligatory in the new faith.
d. The teachings of the Prophet and the Quran were not formally incorporated into a body of law.
e. Islam stressed the responsibility of the wealthy and strong to care for the poor and weak.







Answer: D

What was the result of inter-clan rivalries?

What was the result of inter-clan rivalries?



a. They allowed for intermarriage between clan groups, thus preventing social isolation.
b. They kept population down in a region that could support few people.
c. They prevented mobility and migration that would have debilitated efforts at more complex social organization.
d. They strengthened be bedouin and enabled them to challenge their neighbors.
e. They tended to weaken the bedouin in comparison to neighboring peoples and empires.







Answer: E

What was the principle advantage of the Islamic concept of the umma?

What was the principle advantage of the Islamic concept of the umma?




a. It provided dietary restrictions that allowed for more equitable distribution of food in Arabia.
b. It provided a clear principle of political succession that would provide the basis for an Islamic state.
c. It provided for an annual treaty that would restore the trade routes of Arabia.
d. It emphasized the value of individualism and fostered self-reliance among the bedouin tribes.
e. It transcended old tribal boundaries and made possible political unity among Arab clans.






Answer: E

What was the nature of slavery within the Abbasid social system?

What was the nature of slavery within the Abbasid social system?




a. Slavery was known in Abbasid cities, but was virtually unknown in the countryside where most labor was performed by a free peasantry.
b. Because most unskilled labor was left to the unfree, slaves could be found in both the towns and countryside of the Abbasid Empire.
c. Slavery was limited to the non-Arab converts to Islam, and died out during the period of the Abbasid Empire.
d. According to the Quran, slavery could not exist in Islam, and the Abbasid freed all former slaves.
e. Most slaves worked under favorable conditions but were never allowed to convert to Islam.





Answer: B

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the status of women in bedouin society prior to Islam?

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the status of women in bedouin society prior to Islam?



a. Women were regarded as little more than property with neither rights nor status.
b. They enjoyed greater freedom and higher status then Byzantine and Sasanian women.
c. Women were the equals of males in the rugged society of the desert bedouin.
d. Descent in bedouin tribes was strictly patrilineal.
e. Women were permitted to take more than one husband (with approval of their mother).






Answer: B

What was the major difference between Medina and Mecca?

What was the major difference between Medina and Mecca?




a. Medina was located on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, while Mecca was located on the Persian Gulf.
b. Medina was engaged in long-distance caravan trade, while Mecca was not.
c. Mecca was established in an oasis, and Medina was in a mountainous region.
d. Political dominance in Medina was contested between a number of Jewish and bedouin tribes.
e. Medina was controlled by Coptic Christians while Mecca was controlled by the Banu Hashim clan.






Answer: D

Who were the ayan?

Who were the ayan?





a. African slaves
b. A rural landholding elite
c. Free artisans
d. Abbasid bureaucrats
e. Jewish converts to Islam






Answer: B

Compared to river valley cultures in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Chinese civilization

Compared to river valley cultures in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Chinese civilization



(A) probably developed after civilizations in the Nile Valley and Mesopotamia.
(B) predates the rise of civilization in both Egypt and Mesopotamia.
(C) developed simultaneously with Egypt and Mesopotamia.
(D) did not rely on heavy irrigation as year round water was plentiful.
(E) has no verifiable historic origins and left no written records.







Answer: A

Unlike Sumer and Egypt, the Indus Valley or Harappan civilization

Unlike Sumer and Egypt, the Indus Valley or Harappan civilization




(A) became a geographic center for a unified, continuous culture lasting millennia.
(B) is particularly difficult to study because its writing has not been deciphered.
(C) was secure from nomadic incursions and invasions.
(D) never developed a military social class.
(E) developed a monotheistic religion.




Answer: B

Unlike Sumer and the Indus Valley or Harappan civilization, Egypt

Unlike Sumer and the Indus Valley or Harappan civilization, Egypt



(A) did not have an effective method of irrigation.
(B) lacked a coherent system of writing.
(C) began using metal tools much later.
(D) retained a unified state throughout most of its history.
(E) worshipped many gods.







Answer: D

Cuneiform and other types of writing are important in part because they

Cuneiform and other types of writing are important in part because they





(A) help organize elaborate political structures.
(B) lead directly to social stratification.
(C) can compel leaders to follow written guidelines of behavior.
(D) hinder economic development in certain circumstances.
(E) limit bureaucratic inefficiencies







Answer: A

The start of sedentary agriculture

The start of sedentary agriculture




(A) occurred simultaneously in various places and spread around the world.
(B) began only in the savannas of West Africa.
(C) started in the Middle East first but developed independently in other areas.
(D) arose in the river valleys of the Huang-he and Yangtze.
(E) began after the abandonment of hunting and gathering.





Answer: C

Metalworking was important to agricultural and herding societies for each of the following reasons EXCEPT:

Metalworking was important to agricultural and herding societies for each of the following reasons EXCEPT:



(A) Farmers could use more efficient metal hoes to work the ground.
(B) Metal weapons were superior to those made of stone or wood.
(C) Toolmakers could focus on their craft full time and trade with farmers for food.
(D) Woodworkers and other manufacturing artisans could improve their craft.
(E) Large metal boats could be constructed, improving trade.






Answer: E

Why did the original inhabitants of Australia not develop agriculture?

Why did the original inhabitants of Australia not develop agriculture?



a. The Australian climate was too severe.
b. They were prevented from doing so by the Neolithic revolution.
c. They were too isolated to learn of developments elsewhere until recently.
d. Australia never experienced an ice age.
e. Australian soil was too barren to grow crops.






Answer: C

The development of writing

The development of writing



a. helps explain why agriculture could develop.
b. was unusual in an agricultural society.
c. resulted from the needs of the various river valley civilizations to communicate with one another.
d. helps explain why governments could become more formal and bureaucratic.
e. resulted from new technologies, notably the invention of paper.





Answer: D


Egypt differed from Mesopotamian civilization by stressing

Egypt differed from Mesopotamian civilization by stressing



a. extensive trade.
b. greater social equality.
c. well-organized, durable empires.
d. firm religious beliefs.
e. more modest building projects.








Answer: C

Hunting and gathering societies

Hunting and gathering societies



a. organize rather small groups into political units.
b. are always warlike and require little land.
c. could not survive after Middle Eastern people developed agriculture.
d. are not able to produce art.
e. generally produce a food surplus.





Answer: A



Jewish monotheism

Jewish monotheism



a. was spread actively by Jewish missionaries throughout the Middle East.
b. influenced no other religions.
c. proposed a less human-like and more abstract God.
d. included worship of various lesser gods.
e. emerged at the high point of Sumerian civilization.







Answer: C

Sumerian civilization produced the first

Sumerian civilization produced the first




a. coined money.
b. examples of warfare among people.
c. written law code.
d. mass literacy.
e. monotheistic religion.







Answer: C

The Paleolithic Age refers to

The Paleolithic Age refers to




a. the period before people learned how to communicate.
b. the period at which agriculture was developed.
c. the period in which simple stone tools were developed.
d. the latest of the two stone ages.
e. the period before the full development of the Homo sapiens species.







Answer: C

A society is almost certainly a civilization if

A society is almost certainly a civilization if



a. it gathers food to survive.
b. it involves tool use.
c. it has some political structure.
d. it has religious rituals.
e. it practices sedentary agriculture.







Answer: E

A characteristic of the human species before the advent of civilization was

A characteristic of the human species before the advent of civilization was




a. the ability to spread to various geographic settings and climate zones.
b. the ability to organize large political units.
c. the inability to communicate about abstractions such as death.
d. land ownership was equal.
e. that all tasks were shared equally by men and women.







Answer: A

Among the early river civilizations

Among the early river civilizations



a. the use of metal tools spread very slowly.
b. the Huang he culture in China was the most isolated.
c. sedentary agriculture first developed in Mesoamerica.
d. writing was only found in the Nile river valley.
e. west Africa developed the first empire.








Answer: B

With respect to religion, the vast majority of Latin Americans

With respect to religion, the vast majority of Latin Americans 



A) are still nominally Roman Catholics.
B) practice religions brought with slave populations from Africa.
C) follow indigenous Indian religions that predate the arrival of the Spaniards.
D) have converted to some form of Protestantism.
E) view the Catholic Church as a symbol of oppression.






Answer: A

The percentage of Latin American people living in cities is

The percentage of Latin American people living in cities is 




A) greater than Western Europe.
B) less than Asia.
C) less than Africa.
D) less than Europe, but greater than Africa and Asia.
E) about the same as in the United States






Answer: D

Which of the following types of population movement was NOT typical of Latin Am in the late twentieth century

Which of the following types of population movement was NOT typical of Latin Am in the late twentieth century 



A) movement of labor across international boundaries in Latin America
B) movement of labor from Latin America to the u.s.
C) flight of political refugees
D) movement of population away from the cities to the countryside
E) movement of populations into large urban areas






Answer: D

Which of the following statements concerning Latin American population is most accurate

Which of the following statements concerning Latin American population is most accurate 




A) Between 1950 and 1985, Latin American population remained stagnant due to poor health conditions and constant internal warfare.
B) Despite improvements, Latin America's population continued to increase more slowly than that of North America.
C) Almost all population increase in Latin America can be attributed to immigration of European laborers.
D) Since 1950, Latin American population has more than doubled, while North American population has grown more slowly.
E) the diffusion of the Latin American people into the United States has virtually ceased.






Answer: D

Which of the following statements concerning women in Latin American politics and society is most accurate

Which of the following statements concerning women in Latin American politics and society is most accurate 




A) Nowhere in Latin America did women achieve the right to vote before 1955.
B) Women tended to join the national political parties, where traditional prejudices against women in public life limited their ability to influence programs.
C) Women continued to be excluded from the Latin American industrialized labor force, although they played a major role in agricultural production.
D) By the mid-1980s, Latin American women continued to hold social and political status more similar to other areas of the Third World than western Europe and North America.
E) Women were unwilling to challenge traditions that kept them out of the political arena.





Answer: B

What led to the U.S. return to more aggressive policies including direct military intervention following World War ill

What led to the U.S. return to more aggressive policies including direct military intervention following World War ill 



A) the desire to contain communism and the Cold War
B) the discovery of uranium in Mexico
C) the increasing intervention of Japan into Latin American economies
D) the alliance of many Latin American countries with fascist governments during the war
E) the need to prevent human rights violations






Answer: A

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the progress of democratization in Latin America during the 1980s

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the progress of democratization in Latin America during the 1980s 





A) Despite return to democratic government in many Latin American countries, problems with populist movements, threats from military leaders, inflation, and the drug trade weakened the new regimes.
B) Once democratic governments were restored in much of Latin America, the influence of the u.s. in the region began to wane.
C) The return of democracy to Latin America was so universal that military governments ceased to exist.
D) Democratic governments in the 19805 ceased to be troubled by the existence of leftist, guerrilla movements.
E) Democratic governments resulted in better living conditions in all Latin American countries.







Answer: A

Which of the following statements concerning military governments in Latin America after 1960 is most accurate

Which of the following statements concerning military governments in Latin America after 1960 is most accurate 




A) Military governments tended to favor labor and the working classes at the expense of the traditional oligarchy.
B) Political repression and torture were often used to silence critics.
C) None of the military governments were successful in introducing social or economic reforms.
D) Military governments were uniformly surrogates for conservatives in Latin American society.
E) Military governments reestablished order and then held democratic elections.





Answer: B

The emergence within the Roman Catholic hierarchy of a combination of theology and socialist principles in an effort to bring about improved conditions for the poor was called

The emergence within the Roman Catholic hierarchy of a combination of theology and socialist principles in an effort to bring about improved conditions for the poor was called 




A) "liberation theology."
B) "socialism in one country."
C) "Tierra y Liberated.'
D) the "communist primer."
E) the "counter-reformation. "





Answer: A

The revolutionary government of Cuba traded economic dependency on the U.S. for

The revolutionary government of Cuba traded economic dependency on the U.S. for 




A) economic autonomy with a successful program of industrialization.
B) increasing political and economic ties with Japan.
C) increasing economic dependency on the Soviet Union.
D) a significant share of the world's petroleum market.
E) a new prosperity tied to tourism.






Answer: C


Which of the following statements most accurately describes the outcome of the Cuban revolution

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the outcome of the Cuban revolution 



A) Despite the successful overthrow of Batista, the revolutionary government failed to enact significant reforms in the plantation economy.
B) The revolutionary government eventually announced its adoption of Marxist-Leninist leanings, broke off relations with the U.S., and introduced sweeping socialist reforms.
C) The largely liberal government that resulted from the revolution returned to the constitution of 1940 and closer relationships with the u.s.
D) After a brief sojourn in the U.S., Batista was able to return to power with the support of the U.S. military.
E) The Cuban Revolution produced a short-lived Marxist state.







Answer: B

Which of the following statements concerning the revolution in Guatemala in 1954 is most accurate

Which of the following statements concerning the revolution in Guatemala in 1954 is most accurate 




A) The communist Arbenz government that ruled Guatemala was overthrown by liberal reformers under Arevalo.
B) Communist revolutionaries overthrew the conservative military government despite active U.S. support.
C) The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency aided conservative dissidents in overthrowing the nationalistic Arbenz government.
D) The U.s.-supported regime that replaced the Arbenz government introduced significant land reform and limited foreign ownership of Guatemalan industry .
E) the Arbenz government welcomed the assistance of the United States.






Answer: C

What caused the downfall of the first Peronist government in 1955

What caused the downfall of the first Peronist government in 1955 



A) the death of Peron
B) Peron's divorce of Evita
C) the coalition of labor, business, and the military fell apart
D) a peasant revolution
E) war with Britain over possession of the Falkland Islands







Answer: C

What type of government did Getulio Vargas institute in Brazil between 1929 and 1945

What type of government did Getulio Vargas institute in Brazil between 1929 and 1945




A) Vargas restored the Brazilian monarchy.
B) Vargas introduced a centralized program based on ideas from Mussolini's Italy in 1937 before turning to the left by 1945.
C) Vargas introduced a socialist and totalitarian government in 1929 based on the model of Stalin's Russia.
D) Vargas was dedicated to the principles of liberal democracy and the retention of a vibrant and open political arena.
E) Vargas ended all forms of racial oppression and dedicated the government to the principle of absolute equality.






Answer: B

What was the primary difference between the Liberal governments of Latin America and those of Europe

What was the primary difference between the Liberal governments of Latin America and those of Europe 




A) Latin American Liberals were more closely allied with labor.
B) The programs of Latin American Liberals produced more social mobility.
C) Latin American Liberals gained power in conjunction with the traditional oligarchy, and their programs failed to dissolve class boundaries.
D) Latin American Liberals introduced the reformist ideal of the "cooperative democracy."
E) Latin American liberals were much closer to the Communists.






Answer: C

Between 1914 and 1930, Latin America was swept by

Between 1914 and 1930, Latin America was swept by 



A) strikes and labor unrest in response to economic dislocation.
B) Indian uprisings.
C) conservative revolutions in favor of caudillos.
D) a series of European invasions.
E) a devastating series of floods.






Answer: A

Which of the following statements most accurately summarizes the state of Mexican political organization after the revolution

Which of the following statements most accurately summarizes the state of Mexican political organization after the revolution 




A) A multitude of political parties so confused the electoral scene that no meaningful political compromise could be achieved.
B) Mexico was immediately dominated by labor parties who originated in the northern parts of Mexico.
C) The revolutionary leadership institutionalized the regime by creating a one-party system under PRI.
D) Presidents ruled much as the caudillos before them without limitation of powers or term of office.
E) The system of foreign investment encouraged under Diaz was continued.






Answer: C

In 1934, Mexico nationalized its

In 1934, Mexico nationalized its 



A) steel industry.
B) petroleum industry .
C) mining industry.
D) textile industry.
E) telephone com







Answer: B

Who were the "Cristeros "

Who were the "Cristeros "




A) Marxist revolutionaries within the Mexican labor force
B) radicals who sought to overthrow the influence of Catholicism in Mexico
C) conservative peasants backed by the Church who fought to stop the slide toward secularism
D) members of the revolutionary elite who desired the establishment of a parliamentary democracy
E) the strongest supporters of the Revolution of 1910







Answer: C

Which of the following was included in the policy of "indigenism" that was incorporated into many of the post-revolutionary reforms in Mexico

Which of the following was included in the policy of "indigenism" that was incorporated into many of the post-revolutionary reforms in Mexico 



A) the removal of all evidence of Spanish heritage
B) the Mexican muralist movement featuring works of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco .
C) active attempts to Europeanize Mexican culture
D) intentional emulation of Soviet "socialist realism"
E) less funding for archaeological research




Answer: B

The Mexican Revolution began in

The Mexican Revolution began in 




A) 1901.
B) 1910.
C) 1914.
D) 1919.
E) 1876.





Answer: B

Which of the following statements concerning change in Latin America in the twentieth century is most accurate

Which of the following statements concerning change in Latin America in the twentieth century is most accurate 




A) The region has remained remarkably unchanged, as the old institutions and patterns of politics and economy have adapted to new situations.
B) While the Latin American economy had remained relatively unchanged, the political and social order has been revolutionized.
C) The most significant change has been in the overthrow of the old social hierarchy based on race and color.
D) The elites of Latin America now are based on the increasingly dominant labor movement that accompanied industrialization throughout Latin America.
E) Labor conditions in Latin America are now comparable to those in North America.





Answer: A

The "Second World" refers to

The "Second World" refers to 



A) the industrialized West.
B) Latin America.
C) industrialized communist nations.
D) unindustrialized nations.
E) former British colonies.





Answer: C

Because the nomadic peoples of Australia did not occupy lands permanently, British settlers considered the continent terra nullius, "land belonging to no one," and one that they could seize and put to their own uses.

Because the nomadic peoples of Australia did not occupy lands permanently, British settlers considered the continent terra nullius, "land belonging to no one," and one that they could seize and put to their own uses.



True or False?



Answer: True

In 1916 the Indian National Congress

In 1916 the Indian National Congress



a. was granted financial support by the British colonial government.
b. joined forces with the All-India Muslim League.
c. demanded the establishment of "concessionary companies."
d. represented about 25 percent of the Indian population.
e. All these answers are correct.







Answer: B

Ram Mohan Roy was a

Ram Mohan Roy was a




a. prominent Bengali intellectual sometimes referred to as the "father of modern India."
b. member of the Indian elite and a newspaper publisher.
c. Hindu reformer who tried to bring spirituality to bear on the problems of his time.
d. member of the Indian elite who worked with Christian social reformers.
e. All these answers are correct.





Answer: E

In regard to imperialism, the Japanese and Americans

In regard to imperialism, the Japanese and Americans





a. were much more tolerant and respectful of their colonies than were the Europeans.
b. expanded for very different reasons than did the Europeans.
c. never saw the need to expand.
d. proved to be just as racist as the Europeans.
e. drew a sharp distinction between their enlightened sense of rule and that of the Europeans.





Answer: D

The term "social Darwinism" is associated with

The term "social Darwinism" is associated with




a. Cecil Rhodes.
b. Josiah Clark Nott.
c. Herbert Spencer.
d. Count Joseph Arthur de Gobineau.
e. Otto von Bismarck.






Answer: C

The social Darwinists believed that

The social Darwinists believed that





a. a sharp distinction had to be made between the biological and social worlds.
b. only a socialist political and social structure would keep humans from destroying themselves.
c. more powerful nations had to protect weaker nations.
d. powerful nations were meant to dominate weaker societies.
e. human beings had reached the point at which competition among nations was no longer necessary.





Answer: D

Count Joseph Arthur de Gobineau viewed Europeans as

Count Joseph Arthur de Gobineau viewed Europeans as




a. smart but docile.
b. somewhat intelligent but remarkably energetic.
c. intelligent and morally superior to all other peoples in the world.
d. dull and arrogant.
e. unintelligent and lazy.





Answer: C
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