Question

maritime empires established quiz
questions 1 through 3 refer to the following.
portuguese ivory plaque representing the christ child on a sailing ship, produced in portuguese goa, * early seventeenth century
© the trustees of the british museum
2
mark for review
a likely purpose for including the religious figure in the plaque was to show that:
a
salvation for the portuguese inhabitants of goa could be obtained only by rejecting material wealth
b
portuguese naval activities in the indian ocean region were favored by divine forces
c
because of their belief in the prophecy of jesus, the muslim inhabitants of goa could also obtain salvation
d
jesus was going to provide the portuguese with new sailing technologies for their ships if they continued to follow him

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The idea that salvation is only through rejecting material wealth is not related to the Portuguese's use of a religious figure in the plaque, as they were involved in trade and colonization (seeking material wealth too), so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The plaque has a religious figure (Christ Child) and the Portuguese were involved in naval activities in the Indian Ocean. Linking their naval activities to divine favor (through the religious figure) would serve to legitimize their actions, showing that their naval efforts were blessed. This fits with the context of Portuguese colonization and religious motivation.
• Option C: The plaque is Portuguese - made, and there's no indication it's for Muslim inhabitants of Goa to obtain salvation (Portuguese were spreading Christianity, not facilitating Muslim salvation), so C is incorrect.
• Option D: The plaque doesn't suggest Jesus would provide new sailing tech for ships if they follow him; it's more about legitimizing their naval/colonial efforts, not about technical assistance, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. Portuguese naval activities in the Indian Ocean region were favored by divine forces