Examine the impact of merchants and travellers on developments in trade during the period 1400–1700.

The question requires that candidates consider the interrelationship between merchants and travellers and the developments in trade. The examples chosen may or may not come from the same region and the impact may extend beyond the timeframe but must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may examine the expansion of trade in the Spanish or Portuguese Empires resulting from the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Alternatively, the impact of Christian missionaries and Dutch merchants on trade with the Japanese Shogunate may be examined. The voyages of Admiral Zheng may be examined with the proviso that their long-term impact was limited when the Hongxi Emperor decided to restrict external trading links. Candidates may examine the interrelationship between merchants and travellers and the state that may have sponsored their journeys and may or may not have responded positively to new trading opportunities. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the interrelationship between merchants and travellers and the developments in trade. Some responses were seen but these mostly consisted of general comments with limited historical context.