Who was blocking European access to Asia and riches?

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Multiple Choice

Who was blocking European access to Asia and riches?

Access to Asian markets and their riches was being blocked by the Muslim powers, especially the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the land routes through the Middle East and to the Silk Road. By holding Constantinople and dominating eastern Mediterranean trade, they could tax or hamper overland travel to Asia, pushing Europeans to seek new sea routes around Africa. The other groups don’t fit the situation: Christians weren’t the ones blocking access; Mongols disrupted trade earlier in history but didn’t seal off Asia in this period; Venetians were powerful merchants who traded across the region, not the barriers to access.

Access to Asian markets and their riches was being blocked by the Muslim powers, especially the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the land routes through the Middle East and to the Silk Road. By holding Constantinople and dominating eastern Mediterranean trade, they could tax or hamper overland travel to Asia, pushing Europeans to seek new sea routes around Africa. The other groups don’t fit the situation: Christians weren’t the ones blocking access; Mongols disrupted trade earlier in history but didn’t seal off Asia in this period; Venetians were powerful merchants who traded across the region, not the barriers to access.

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