Question

Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans.
(A)True
(B)False

Answer 1

Hint: A caravan is a group of people who travel together, usually on a trade journey. Caravans were mostly used in desert areas and along the Silk Road, where moving in groups helped in both protection against bandits and trade economies of scale.

Complete answer:
Caravans linking East Asia and Europe in the past often transported expensive and lucrative items, such as silks or jewellery. Caravans, as a result, could be costly to build and a lucrative target for bandits. A prosperous journey may result in enormous profits, comparable to the later European spice trade. Many rulers along important trade routes were enticed to construct caravanserais by the luxury products brought by caravans.

Caravanserais were roadside stations that supported the flow of commerce, knowledge, and people across Asia, North Africa, and southeastern Europe, especially along the Silk Road. Caravanserais provided drinking water, washing water, and ritual ablutions for humans and animals.

Caravans were favoured by merchants because they saved time. Caravans provided a convenient trip for
traders travelling to cities to sell their wares. Hence, Merchants preferred to travel in caravans.

Therefore, the statement is false. (B) is the correct option.

Note: In less-developed parts of the world, caravans are still used to transport essential commodities, such as seeds for agriculture in arid regions, through inaccessible areas. Camel trains traversing the southern reaches of the Sahara Desert are an example.