Flourishing trading city in Malaya; established a trading empire after the fall of Shrivijaya

• A. Malacca
• B. Shrivijaya
• C. Mongols
• D. Ulama

Answer: (A)

This item is testing how a city can become a dominant trading power by leveraging a strategic location and the networks of long-distance commerce that Islam helped sustain in Southeast Asia. Malacca sits at the narrow Straits of Malacca, the crucial chokepoint linking the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. After the decline of Srivijaya, which had previously controlled this maritime corridor, Malacca emerged to attract merchants from across the Indian Ocean—Arab and Persian traders, Indians, and Chinese—offering safety, markets, and intermediaries for goods like spices and precious metals. By establishing a sultanate and imposing taxes on ships and goods, Malacca built wealth and diplomatic leverage, turning itself into a powerful trading empire centered on this crossroads. The spread of Islam through Muslim traders and rulers further integrated Malacca into regional networks and helped propel its commercial prominence. Shrivijaya was the earlierpower that fell, and Mongols or Ulama are not the city and political center responsible for this rise, so Malacca best fits the description.