Questions: The Indian Ocean Trade Network and the Swahili Coast

Question 1

Why were the monsoon winds so important to Indian Ocean trade?

• A. They blew steadily in one direction all year
• B. They changed direction with the seasons, making round trips predictable
• C. They prevented ships from crossing the open ocean
• D. They only blew near the coast of China

Answer: (B)

The monsoon reverses direction seasonally. Sailors could time departures to ride the wind out and then wait in port for it to turn and carry them home.

Question 2

The Swahili language and culture developed from contact between African coastal communities and Muslim merchants from across the Indian Ocean.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

Swahili is a Bantu language with many Arabic loanwords. Coastal African towns took part in ocean trade, many of their merchants and rulers became Muslim, and settlers from Arabia and Persia married into local families.

Question 3

Name two goods that moved through the Indian Ocean network and the region each came from.

Model answer: Examples: gold and ivory from East Africa; cotton textiles and pepper from India; cloves and nutmeg from Southeast Asia; silk and porcelain from China; horses from Arabia and Persia.

The network linked regions with different products. Each region exported what it produced well and imported what it lacked.

Question 4

What was the main purpose of Zheng He's voyages for the Ming court?

• A. To conquer and settle East Africa
• B. To display Ming power and bring foreign states into the tribute system
• C. To find a sea route to Europe
• D. To spread Christianity

Answer: (B)

Zheng He led large fleets as far as East Africa between 1405 and 1433. The aim was prestige and tribute, not colonies, and the court stopped the voyages after 1433.