AP World History · Sourcing and situation
Which additional evidence would be most useful for determining whether Bar Sauma's journey reflected a broader increase in trans-Eurasian…
Rabban Bar Sauma and trans-Eurasian travel, late thirteenth century
Rabban Bar Sauma, a Christian monk born near Beijing in Mongol-ruled China, traveled west with a companion. After reaching Ilkhanid Persia, he later served as an envoy of Ilkhan Arghun to Byzantine and western European rulers. Accounts of his mission describe audiences in Constantinople, Paris, and England and the Christian communities he encountered across Eurasia.
Adapted from <em>The History of the Life and Travels of Rabban Sawma</em>, translated by E. A. Wallis Budge, 1928.
Which additional evidence would be most useful for determining whether Bar Sauma's journey reflected a broader increase in trans-Eurasian interaction rather than an exceptional diplomatic mission?
Answer and explanation
Answer: A: Records of merchant traffic, caravan taxes, or travel permits from routes crossing Mongol-controlled territories
To decide whether his trip reflected broader trans-Eurasian interaction or an exceptional mission, a historian needs evidence of recurring movement along those routes. Records of merchant traffic, caravan taxes, or travel permits from Mongol-controlled territories measure that directly, so A is correct. Choice B, a Paris theology debate, might show European intellectual life but not how often people traveled. Choice C, a Mamluk officer list, is too indirect. Choice D, a Chinese farming manual about one region, says nothing about long-distance interaction.
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