Question

In the following excerpt, the Muslim scholar and traveler Ibn Battuta describes his journey to Taghadda, a city of West Africa's Songhai Empire: I then set out in the direction of Taghadda by land with a large caravan of merchants . . . I had a riding camel and a she-camel to carry my provisions. We pushed on rapidly with our journey until we reached Taghadda . . . The inhabitants of Taghadda have no occupation except trade. They travel [by caravan] to Egypt every year, and import quantities of all the fine fabrics to be had there and of other Egyptian [products]. . . . The copper mine is in the outskirts of Taghadda . . . [the copper bars are] their medium of exchange; with the thin bars they buy meat and firewood, and with the thick, slaves male and female, millet, butter, and wheat. Excerpted from H. A. R. Gibb, translator, Ibn Battuta: Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325-1354 London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1929

What conclusion about trade in the Songhai Empire is supported by the excerpt?

A. The Songhai Empire primarily engaged in agricultural trade.

B. Copper was a significant commodity in the trade of the Songhai Empire.

C. The Songhai Empire had a self-sufficient economy.

D. Taghadda was not a major trading center in the Songhai Empire.

Answer 1

The excerpt from Ibn Battuta suggests that copper was a significant commodity in the Songhai Empire's trade, used as a medium of exchange for a variety of goods. Hence, the correct answer is option B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The conclusion about trade in the Songhai Empire that is supported by the excerpt from Ibn Battuta's description of his journey to Taghadda is that copper was a significant commodity in the trade of the Songhai Empire. Battuta notes that copper bars served as a medium of exchange, indicating its crucial role in the Songhai economy.

The thin bars were used to buy everyday items like meat and firewood, while the thicker bars were exchanged for more valuable items such as slaves and food staples like millet, butter, and wheat. This use of copper for trade purposes points out its significance in the Songhai Empire’s economic system.