Answer:Option B says that "Merchants used connections to develop trade networks", but according to the passage there's no information that says anything about trade networks so B is not correct. Option C is not correct because that would have to involve with trading and there's no where that it says about it. Option D is not correct because Shiite theocracy means if you take a look of the context of the word theocracy, it means that "a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god". It the passage it says about a prince named Melik Tuchar "who keeps an army of 200,000 men; Melik Khan keeps 100,000; Kharat Khan, 20,000, and many are the khans that keep 10,000 armed men. The sultan goes out with 300,000 men of his own troops". Option A would be the closest answer since it did mention about the prince having troops which it used for war and transportation. Again don't take my word, it could be wrong but I think it may be the correct answer.
