This system of exchange would have encouraged which of the following social and cultural developments most directly?

(A) The diffusion of Buddhism throughout Asia (B) The weakening of traditional social hierarchies (C) The formation of merchant diaspora communities (D) The rise of Islamic patriarchalism in East AfricaExplanation: (C) This question also calls for knowledge related to the stimulus material, and tests causation as well. Answer A applies more to the Silk Road, and B and D are even less relevant to the chart. The Indian Ocean trade network is famous for having created far-flung merchant communities from East Africa to China.