1. According to Islam, with which role did the angel Gabriel charge Muhammad?
2. Which answer most precisely describes the location of Mecca and Medina?
3. Why do Muslims consider the Quran sacred?
4. What was Islam like under the Umayyads?
5. Which geographic feature marks the easternmost edge of Islam under the Umayyads?
6. Why is Spain a good example of how most conquered peoples of other faiths were treated under the Umayyad caliphate?
7. Which mathematical innovation did the early Muslim caliphates achieve?
8. Which invention most contributed to the spread of both the Ottoman and Safavid empires?
9. In which way could Christian men in the Ottoman empire advance through social and political ranks?
10. How did the Ottomans most benefit from the expelled Spanish Jews in their empire?
11. What makes the Swahili language a valid example supporting the conclusion that East Africa’s geographic proximity to the coast affected its culture?
12. What caused the West African kingdom of Ghana to grow powerful, wealthy, and to incorporate Islamic values and ideas in its society and government?
13. Which statement is true about the ancient capital city of Axum before A.D. 600?
14. How did local East African rulers deal with Arab and Persian merchants in the 600s?
15. What was one of the significant aspects of Muslim domination of North African cities in the 690s?
16. How did Islam spread across North Africa?
17. Which geographic feature encouraged expansion of civilization in North Africa?
18. Which of the following items did Nubia trade to the Mediterranean and Asia?
19. Meroë’s economic and political strength were based on access to which natural resources?
20. Which core social factor gave people a sense of community and shared responsibility in medieval African culture?
21. How does the architecture of the ruins at Great Zimbabwe reflect characteristics of African civilization?
22. As Islam and Christianity spread through Africa, which of the following were examples of their impact?
23. Which roles were brothers and sons expected to play in Africa’s matrilineal cultures?
Short Answers
1. What factors led to the rapid growth of Islam following Muhammad’s death, despite early internal conflicts between Sunni and Shia?
2. Connect East Africa’s geographic proximity to the Indian Ocean to its historic development. How might the region have developed differently if it were in an inland desert or mountainous area?
3. According to Islam, with which role did the angel Gabriel charge Muhammad?
Answer: According to Islam, the angel Gabriel charged Muhammad with the role of a prophet.