Meccan Trade

[gsbedi21]

The traditional historical account of the rise of Islam credits an elaborate trading network in Mecca with providing the crucial background setting for the successful creation of the Islamic religion. Few scholars had questioned the logic behind this assumption until Professor Patricia Crone published her detailed study of Meccan trade. In her book, Professor Crone finds that Mecca was situated in a site unfit for trading either by ship or over land by caravan. In the traditional account of Meccan trade, Mecca is considered a natural stop along the incense route because it is located midway between two major trading hubs. Crone discredits this logic by reminding her reader that Mecca sports an inhospitable climate, and is located near well-known green environments. She also points out that caravans traveling for months at a time made many stops, not just one at the midway point on their journey.

Although Professor Crone’s arguments are creative, they fail to convince her readers that her representation of Meccan trade should be taken as fact. Her logic is well reasoned when she criticizes others’ work, yet she does not apply the same critical eye to the logic of her own conclusions. She argues for an alternative location for a central trading post somewhere in northwest Arabia, basing her theory on early mosques that did not face Mecca but towards this area. However, logical reasoning shows that practical concerns required alterations in the construction of these mosques, which provides a more believable explanation for their unusual orientation.

 

 

 

Which of the following statements about Professor Crone's arguments is supported by information in the passage?

 

(1)

Professor Crone's arguments do not succeed in persuading the readers that her account of Meccan trade is correct despite their originality.

 

(2)

Despite their originality, Professor Crone's arguments about Meccan trade are incorrect.

 

(3)

The creativity of Professor Crone's arguments does not convince her readers that her account of Meccan trade is correct.

 

(4)

Although they are original, Professor Crone's arguments fail to convince her readers that Meccan trade existed.

 

(5)

Because of Professor Crone's innovations, her arguments about Meccan trade fail to convince her readers of their validity.

 

OA will Follow.........

[jigsai22]

1 seems to restate the sentence that begin, "Although Professor Crone's..." so I would chose 1.

[gsbedi21]

OA is 1)

[Shantanu Raj]

It's 3:)

[achiever2011]

I would go with 3 ..

 

from the passage : Although Professor Crone’s arguments are creative, they fail to convince her readers that her representation of Meccan trade should be taken as fact.

 

1) asserts of her arguments being original

[rohansladdha]

@achiever2011 : Option 3 indicates CREATIVITY as being a reason for not being convincing. But that's not the case. Hence 1.

[Abhishek009]

Although Professor Crone’s arguments are creative, they fail to convince her readers that her representation of Meccan trade should be taken as fact.

 

 

 

​Hence would choose A