AP Modern World History Practice Quiz: Changing Social Hierarchies
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 10 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 10
All Questions (10)
A) The expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal.
B) The restrictive policies against Han Chinese in Qing China.
C) The acceptance of Jewish people in the Ottoman Empire.
D) The rise of the Casta system in the Americas.
Correct Answer: C
The provided content explicitly contrasts the expulsion of Jews from Spain/Portugal with their acceptance in the Ottoman Empire, citing the latter as an example of a state adopting practices to accommodate religious diversity.
A) Religious conversion and the decline of monarchical power.
B) Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities.
C) The suppression of diversity and the rise of the nobility.
D) Adoption of local customs and challenges to existing elites.
Correct Answer: B
The text states, 'Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites... in the Americas with the rise of the Casta system.'
A) The formation of new economic systems in the Americas.
B) The accommodation of ethnic and religious diversity.
C) The rise of increasingly powerful monarchs and leaders.
D) The expulsion of certain religious groups from their territories.
Correct Answer: C
The content specifies that the power of existing political and economic elites 'fluctuated as they confronted new challenges to their ability to affect the policies of the increasingly powerful monarchs and leaders.'
A) The Mughal Empire's policies towards its subjects.
B) The Ottoman Empire's acceptance of diverse populations.
C) Qing China's restrictive policies against the Han Chinese.
D) The European nobility's challenge to monarchical power.
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly lists 'restrictive policies against Han Chinese in Qing China' as an example of a state suppressing diversity or limiting a certain group's role.
A) The formation of new economic elites due to global trade.
B) The successful accommodation of religious diversity by large empires.
C) The creation of new social hierarchies based on ethnicity, as in the Casta system.
D) The struggle between established elites and centralizing state power.
Correct Answer: D
The text groups Ottoman timars, Russian boyars, and European nobility as 'existing political and economic elites' whose power fluctuated as they 'confronted new challenges' from 'increasingly powerful monarchs and leaders.' This exemplifies the struggle between established elites and centralizing states.
A) The fluctuation of power among existing economic elites.
B) A state policy of accommodating religious diversity.
C) The formation of new political and economic elites.
D) The varying status of women within an empire.
Correct Answer: C
The text states that 'Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites, including in China with the transition to the Qing Dynasty.'
A) Both empires expelled Jewish populations to enforce religious uniformity.
B) Spain expelled its Jewish population, while the Ottoman Empire provided a place of acceptance.
C) The Ottoman Empire restricted the roles of Jewish people, while Spain utilized their contributions.
D) Both empires adopted practices to accommodate Jewish communities, leading to their growth.
Correct Answer: B
The text explicitly contrasts the 'expulsion of Jews from Spain/Portugal' with their 'acceptance in Ottoman Empire,' highlighting two different state approaches to religious diversity.
A) all empires in this period granted women equal status to men.
B) the Ottoman Empire was unique in how it treated women.
C) even in states that accommodated some forms of diversity, other social hierarchies and limitations existed.
D) the power of female elites fluctuated due to challenges from monarchs.
Correct Answer: C
By placing the 'varying status of women in the Ottoman Empire' in the same category as restrictive policies, the text implies that social hierarchies were complex and that even in an empire known for some accommodation (like with religious groups), limitations and varied statuses were imposed on other groups, such as women.
A) existing elites always maintained their power against new leaders.
B) all states chose to suppress ethnic and religious diversity.
C) imperial expansion and global economics reshaped social hierarchies.
D) monarchical power was in a state of universal decline.
Correct Answer: C
The text links both the rise of the Casta system and the new elites in Qing China to 'Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities.' This shows that these large-scale processes were a direct cause of the formation of new social structures and hierarchies.
A) suppressed all forms of diversity to create a homogenous society.
B) saw their existing elites, like boyars, lose all power.
C) adopted practices to accommodate the diversity of their subjects.
D) created new social hierarchies based strictly on race, like the Casta system.
Correct Answer: C
The content directly states that 'Many states, such as the Mughal and Ottoman empires, adopted practices to accommodate the ethnic and religious diversity of their subjects or utilize their contributions.'