Question

Which sea was the main trade route of Muslim world with eastern Africa, Persia and Asia?
A) Black Sea
B) Red Sea
C) Arabian Sea
D) South China Sea

Answer 1

Hint: A trade route is a logistical network recognized as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over waterways. Permitting merchandise to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long-distance arteries, which may further be associated with smaller networks of commercial and noncommercial transportation routes.

Complete answer:
Muslim trade routes stretched out through a lot of Europe, Northern Africa, and Asia (including China and India). These trade routes were both via sea and over long stretches of land (including the well known Silk Road). Significant trade cities included Mecca, Medina, Constantinople, Baghdad, Morocco, Cairo, and Cordoba.

Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Black Sea: This option is incorrect as Red sea was the main trade route of Muslim world with eastern Africa, Persia and Asia. Whereas the Black Sea is an important year-round transportation artery, linking the eastern European countries with world markets. Hence, the given option is wrong.

Option B) Red Sea: This option is correct as Red sea was the main trade route of Muslim world with eastern Africa, Persia and Asia. The Periplus also describes how Hippalus first discovered the direct route from the Red Sea to India. The Red Sea was favored for Roman trade with India starting with the reign of Augustus, when the Roman Empire gained control over the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the northern Red Sea.

Option C) Arabian Sea: This option is incorrect as Red sea was the main trade route of Muslim world with eastern Africa, Persia and Asia. Whereas the Arabian Sea has been crossed by many important marine trade routes since the 3rd or 2nd millennium BCE. Hence, the given option is wrong.

Option D) South China Sea: This option is incorrect as Red sea was the main trade route of Muslim world with eastern Africa, Persia and Asia. Whereas there are several major transit routes or sea lines of communication (SLOC) that offer entry into the South China Sea – the Sunda Strait and the Lombok Strait among them – the Strait of Malacca is by far the most widely used. Hence, the given option is wrong.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: Red Sea is a seawater bay of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its association with the ocean is in the south, through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. Towards its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal). It is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is a section of the Great Rift Valley.