Question

The photograph below shows a fourteenth century C.E. mosque in the city of Xi’an, central China. This image most clearly supports which of the following conclusions about the spread of Islam?

A. Early Muslim communities in China adopted local architectural styles for their religious buildings.

B. Political instability in fourteenth-century China encouraged the spread of Islam.

C. Islam spread to China before Buddhism did.

D. Early Muslim communities in China disguised their mosques as Confucian academies.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. Early Muslim communities in China adopted local architectural styles for their religious buildings.

Explanation:

Islam first originated in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) but spread to other regions including countries such as China in the far East, which was possible through trade. Moreover, Islam mixed or coexisted with the traditions and styles of the region.

This is shown in the image because this mosque does not look like a traditional mosque in terms of architectural style, but resembles the traditional architectural style in China including the use of wood, the symmetry in buildings, and the characteristic Chinese roofs that have corners pointing to the sky. According to this, option A is correct.