World History I

Chapter 12: Sultanates, Song, and the Mongol Super Empire: Contrasting Patterns in India, China, and Inner Asia
600-1600 CE

54: Mon, Mar 23, 2026

This assignment is under revision for 2023-2024.

Please read the chapter and take the quiz by midnight on Sun, Mar 22, 2026.
Please also post in the forum for the day a short essay in response to this question:

We’ve discussed in the past geographical resources (climate, terrain, ecological systems, indigenous life forms), population resources (people, skill sets), and cultural resources (literature, language, arts). All of these are in play in the cultures discussed in chapter 12, which includes kingdoms and sultanates in India, the Mongols in Asia, and the dynasties in China. Compare these three regions and their cultures, considering at least two of the points below (you may address others, or add your own points, if you wish):

• How did the tribes of the Steppes of Central Asia maximize the resources available to them? How did they find and acquire resources not available in their home territories? [You may need to read this text carefully for clues here.]/li>
• How did the cultures of India maximize the resources available to them? How did they find resources not available in their home territories?/li>
• How did the cultures of China maximize the resources available to them? How did different regions within China develop and exchange resources not available in their home territories?
• How did each of these view trading, traders, and exploit trade?/li>
• How did each of these cultures view and exploit people with different sets of skills (farmers, merchants, administrators?/li>

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