Question

"They [the Mongols] came down upon the city and killed all they could, men, women and children, the old, the middle-aged, and the young. Many of the people went into wells, latrines, and sewers and hid there for many days without emerging. Most of the people gathered in the caravanserais [inns] and locked themselves in. The Tatars [Mongols] opened the gates by either breaking or burning them. When they entered, the people in them fled upstairs and the Tatars killed them on the roofs until blood poured from the gutters into the street; ‘We belong to God and to God we return’ [Qur'an, ii, 156]. The same happened in the mosques and cathedral mosques and dervish convents. . . . And Baghdad, which had been the most civilised of all cities, became a ruin with only a few inhabitants, and they were in fear and hunger and wretchedness and insignificance.”

Which of the following sociopolitical changes resulted from the events described in the passage? The collapse of the Abbasid caliphate The end of Islam as a powerful influence The introduction of Buddhism into Persia The beginning of the Mongolian tribute empire

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage is an eyewitness account of the Mongol sack of Baghdad in 1258, which was one of the most devastating events in Islamic history. The siege, led by Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, resulted in the destruction of the city, the massacre of its inhabitants, and the execution of the Abbasid caliph Al-Musta'sim. The siege marked the end of the Abbasid caliphate, which had been the political and religious center of the Islamic world for over five centuries. The Mongols also destroyed many cultural and scientific treasures, such as the House of Wisdom, a library that contained thousands of manuscripts on various subjects.

Out of the four options given, the best answer is **the collapse of the Abbasid caliphate**. This was a direct and immediate consequence of the Mongol invasion, and it had a profound impact on the political and religious landscape of the Muslim world. The other options are either incorrect or not directly related to the passage. Islam did not end as a powerful influence, as it continued to spread and flourish in other regions, such as Africa, Asia, and Europe. Buddhism was not introduced into Persia by the Mongols, as it had already existed there since ancient times. The Mongolian tribute empire was not a result of the sack of Baghdad, but rather a broader phenomenon that encompassed many territories and peoples under Mongol rule.