Assignment
Read part of the account of his travels. You should also supplement this by reading your textbook and consulting library resources to determine what is known about these locations from other sources. (Don't use Wikipedia.)
Do NOT use Wikipedia.Do NOT plagiarize. use MLA
Pay close attention to the 9 questions in the attached document. Let these questions guide your writing and do NOT just provide a biography of the person.
1. Who is the author and when was it created?
2. What was going on in his world? Describe the political/historical context of the Silk Road in the traveler's time, or the region in which most of his travels took place. What were the circumstances that caused him to make the journey? Was it encouraged by the state to which the traveler belonged? Why or why not?
3. Write a short summary of the main idea expressed by this tale - an elevator pitch (assume you have to present the essential points before your audience gets off the elevator!)
4. Where does he contribute valuable observations about other societies? Where is he an accurate historian of his day? Do other sources corroborate his testimony?
5. Describe what the traveler found strange and wonderful along the route. Is there an element of the fantastic in his tale? How did you arrive at this conclusion? In some cases, the account may be obviously supernatural but you may have also encountered factual material that contradicts your traveler's account.
6. For whom was the account written? Travelers tales can soon become "tall tales" when produced for entertainment purposes. Was there any underlying agenda in his account or portrayal? For example, the narrative may have been written for a certain audience and that may have shaded his interpretation.
7. To what extent does cultural bias enter into his account? What is his attitude towards these societies? Does the bias or ignorance invalidate his observations?
8. What do you feel is the value of this account and how does it contribute to our understanding of history?
9. Conclude whether this era was one of openness to cultural exchange or not.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.