“The numerous suburbs, covered with parks, gardens, villas and beautiful promenades, and plentifully supplied with rich bazaars,
and finely built mosques and baths, stretched for a considerable distance on both sides of the river. In the days of its prosperity the population of Baghdad and its suburbs amounted to over two million!” -Arab historian and biographer, Yakut al-Hamawi, ca. 1000 CE discussing Baghdad during the Abbasid Dynasty
Which of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn when considering the passage above
a
The city became too large to control, which led to warfare and strife
b
Baghdad had a rich economy that supported a large population
c
Yakut is not a reliable source on Baghdad due to the imprecise dates
d
Baghdad was taken over by the Ottoman Turks during the 1200s
A conclusion we can draw from the above is that b
. Baghdad had a rich economy that supported a large population.
From the way Yakut al-Hamawi described Baghdad, we can tell that it is a city that has a rich economy because:
it had many suburbs
rich bazaars
finely built Mosques and baths, and,
villas
For these to be built in a place, the place must have a great economycapable of affording them. We can also tell the population was large as there were over two million people there.
In conclusion, Baghdad was a great city with a strong economy and a large population.
