All SAT II World History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Global Developments
Which of these empires did the most to facilitate trade between the Far East and the European and Arabian worlds?
The Mongol Empire
The Mughal Empire
The Iberian Empire
The Hunnic Empire
The Olmec Empire
The Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire is the largest land empire the world has ever seen. At its height, it stretched from Siberia down to the Middle East and from China to Eastern Europe. The Mongols committed some of the worst atrocities in human history to conquer their empire, but once their empire was conquered, it facilitated trade in a way unseen previously in human history. The fact that all territory between China and the Mediterranean was effectively governed by one administration ensured that trade could flow freely and people could move safely as never before.
Example Question #2 : Global Developments
Who is credited with connecting Europe and Asia into one trade network?
Attila the Hun
Otto von Bismarck
Justinian I
Kublai Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan conquered the largest empire the world has ever seen. His empire stretched from China all the way to Central Europe and from Northern Russia down to the Middle East. It was the first incidence in human history where the massive stretch of land between Asia and Europe could be considered somewhat unified and organized. This connected Europe and Asia into one cohesive trade network for the first time in human history and helped facilitate the exchange of ideas, produce, and disease across the entire landmass.
Example Question #1 : Political And Governmental Structures 600 Ce To 1450
Which of the following best defines meritocracy?
None of the other answer choices is correct.
A religious sect of ancient Confucianism
The name given to the Japanese concept of chivalry and honor
The name given to Genghis Kahn’s style of intimidation and warfare
A system where promotions are made based on ability rather than familial status
A system where promotions are made based on ability rather than familial status
Meritocracy is the name given to a system in which promotions are made and jobs awarded based on the ability of an individual rather than the status of his or her family. Genghis Khan famously introduced this concept to his Mongolian forces, greatly improving the efficiency of his forces and the loyalty of his men.
Example Question #1 : 500 C.E. To 1500 C.E.
During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, trebuchets began to emerge in Europe and the Middle East; they were primarily used __________.
as siege weapons
as close-combat weapons
for caring for the sick and wounded
to spot enemies from a safe distance
for defensive purposes
as siege weapons
Trebuchets are siege weapons that became a popular component of medieval war-making in the twelfth century. A trebuchet is similar in design to a catapult, although significantly more complicated and effective. Trebuchets were eventually phased out in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with the advent of gunpowder and cannons.
Example Question #3 : Global Developments
The invention of gunpowder occurred in __________.
France
China
England
Russia
Germany
China
The invention of gunpowder happened in China sometime around the ninth or tenth century. The China of this time period was a highly innovative society that gave the world many notable inventions, including block printing and compass navigation at sea. Gunpowder spread across Central Asia and the Middle East before arriving in Europe around the thirteenth century.
Example Question #4 : Global Developments
Why is Charles Martel considered significant to the rise of Christianity in Europe?
His armies halted the advance of Islam into France.
He retook the Holy Land during the First Crusade and defended it against Muslim invasion.
He ensured the continuation of the Papacy when he took his armies to defend Rome from barbarian conquest.
He wrote extensively on theology and spread Christianity around the British Isles and Scandinavia.
His armies halted the advance of Islam into Spain.
His armies halted the advance of Islam into France.
Charles Martel was the ruler of the Frankish people in the early eighth century C.E. He is most famous for defending the realms of Christendom from Islamic invasion in 732 C.E. when he won the Battle of Tours. Islamic armies never reached further north than Spain in Western Europe. Without Martel's victory, it is very possible that all of Europe would eventually have been Islamic instead of Christianity, and the whole history of the world would be very different.
Example Question #5 : Global Developments
Pope Gregory VII banned lay investiture because __________.
it threatened to undermine the legitimacy of the Holy Roman Emperor
it served to highlight the intolerable conditions of the peasantry
it allowed church officials to pardon the sins of rich people in exchange for bribes
it allowed the Holy Roman Emperor to appoint church officials
it prevented the Papal States from trading with the rest of the Italian city states
it allowed the Holy Roman Emperor to appoint church officials
Lay investiture is the name given to the common medieval practice whereby the Holy Roman Emperor, or another secular ruler, would appoint church officials without the consent of the Papacy. Gregory VII saw this as a challenge to his rule and banned the practice. He also subsequently excommunicated Emperor Henry IV when he ignored this rule.
Example Question #6 : Global Developments
The split between Western and Eastern Christianity was formalized with the excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople in which century?
The eleventh century
The eighth century
The seventh century
The ninth century
The tenth century
The eleventh century
The schism between Eastern and Western Christianity had been developing for several decades before it was finally formalized in 1054 (the eleventh century) with the excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople by Pope Leo IX. From this point on, Christianity was divided between a Catholic West and an Orthodox East. The main cause of the schism was the centralizing and autocratic power of the Papacy in the eleventh century, which was challenged by the imperial power of Constantinople. This was the first of many subsequent divisions of Christianity that have occurred in the centuries since.
Example Question #7 : Global Developments
Simony is the practice of __________.
pardoning sins in exchange for money
marrying while being a member of the clergy
refuting the authority of the Pope on both secular and spiritual matters
waiting until adulthood to be baptized
selling positions in the Catholic church
selling positions in the Catholic church
Simony is the practice of selling (or buying) positions in the Catholic Church. Although technically forbidden under church canon law, it was nonetheless extremely common throughout the early medieval period. It was an important part of various controversies throughout the Medieval period and contributed to the loss of faith, among certain parts of the European population, in the Catholic Church.
Example Question #8 : Global Developments
The Spanish Inquisition was originally intended to __________.
prosecute and punish Protestants within the Spanish Empire
replace Catholicism with Calvinism in Spanish territories in Europe
torture and execute heretics within the Catholic faith
determine the legitimacy of Jews and Muslims claiming to be converting to Christianity
prosecute and punish Protestants in the Spanish Netherlands
determine the legitimacy of Jews and Muslims claiming to be converting to Christianity
The Spanish Inquisition was founded in 1478 by the significant Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. It was originally intended to judge the legitimacy of those Jews and Muslims who rather than choosing to flee Spain (both groups were banished from the country) instead opted to convert to Christianity. The Inquisition was set up to determine if these conversions were false or not. Later, the Inquisition morphed into a device to wield state power and ensure uniformity of religion through torture and execution. Contrary to popular belief, it was rarely used within Spain to torture Protestants simply because there were so few Protestants in Spain. The Spanish Inquisition would last, in some form or another, until the early nineteenth century.
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