World History to 1500

Use reading material from Robert W. Strayer, Ways of the World: A Brief Global History, with Sources, Vol. 1. Choose one of the following options for Essay 2 : OPTION 1: Using the primary sources in “Working with Evidence: Travelers’ Tales and Observations (pp. 312-322), write a 700-900 word essay assessing the credibility of these sources. What information in these sources is most useful for historians seeking to understand India, China, and West Africa during the period? What claims in these sources might be viewed by historians with the most skepticism? It is important to consider the authors’ purposes and their intended audiences as you prepare for this essay. OPTION 2: Using the primary sources in “Working with Evidence: The Leisure Life of China’s Elites (pp. 356-362), write a 700-900 word essay analyzing the different ways that women are depicted in these images. Remember that all the artists are men; how might this affect the ways that women are represented? Considering the changes Chinese women underwent during this period (see pp. 210-13 and 331-32), can these images be used to illustrate those changes? If so, how? Essay 2 must be a minimum of 700-900 words in length, double-spaced, and completed in either MS Word or saved in Rich Text Format. Be sure all sources have been cited in the Turabian (Chicago) Style.