Question

"The first man who came to Pate* was Sulayman, son of Mudhafar. He was a king in Arabia, but he had been driven out. He came to Pate in 1203 and married the daughter of the king of Pate. Because of this marriage, the Swahili adopted a custom that still lasts to this day: seven days after a wedding, the husband goes to see his wife's father, who then gives him something. Indeed, seven days after the wedding, Sulayman went to see his father-in-law, who handed over the kingdom to him.

In 1291, Sulayman's great-grandson Muhammad reigned, and he kept on conquering the towns of the Swahili coast in many wars. His son, Sultan Umar, became very powerful and gained possession of all of the Swahili towns.

In 1331, Sulayman's great-great grandson Muhammad ruled the whole kingdom of his father by peaceable means. He was extremely fond of money and trade. He ordered his merchants to undertake voyages to India to trade there, and because of this he became very wealthy."

*an island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya

A Swahili History of Pate, chronicle based on an ancient oral tradition, written down in Swahili in 1903. Swahili is a Bantu language that contains a significant number of Arabic words and phrases.

The third paragraph most directly illustrates the ways in which rulers in the Indian Ocean in the period before 1450

A) used their military power to monopolize the trade in luxury goods

B) attempted to incorporate new territories and peoples into their commercial empires

C) sought to spread religious traditions by patronizing merchant communities

D) used expanding trade networks to facilitate state development

Answer 1

The Swahili ruler's promotion of peaceful trade with India before 1450 exemplifies how expanding trade networks were used to bolster state development along the Indian Ocean.

Step-by-step explanation:

The third paragraph of the Swahili history most directly illustrates how rulers in the Indian Ocean before 1450 used expanding trade networks to facilitate state development. Specifically, it highlights the actions of a Swahili ruler who, rather than using military might, focused on peaceful means to rule and expand his kingdom's wealth through maritime trade. By sending merchants on voyages to India, the ruler amplified his kingdom's prosperity, which in turn, reinforced the state development.