Answer :
The correct answer to this open question is the following.
Although the question does not include options, we can comment on the following.
A key similarity in the policies of the rulers of African states such as Ethiopia in the period circa 1200–1450 was that some African states were capable to overcome geographical barriers and other internal issues to establish trade and diplomatic relationships with other states in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
In the case of Ethiopia, the ruler of Italy received important Ethiopian diplomats that visited Naples in 1450. The Emperor of Ethiopia was King David, and he sent to Naples a man called Pietro, who notify the King of Italy that Ethiopians professed the Christian religion.
A key similarity in the policies of African rulers in states such as Ethiopia was that B . They used religion and laws to bolster their legitimacy.
African leaders for a long time have always used religion and laws to prove that they are indeed the right leaders.
They would either claim that they were gods like the Pharaohs or they would get the oracle of the gods to support them.
The other options are wrong because:
- people did not have freedom of speech but rather were bound by certain morals and expectations
- rulers were much more powerful than merchants and so did not worry about them
- rulers did not restrict trade with other societies but rather encouraged it for its lucrative rewards
In conclusion, African leaders used their claim to religion to get the people to follow them.
Find out more at https://brainly.com/question/17563611.
Options for this question include:
A . They granted their subjects unrestricted freedom of speech.
B . They used religion and laws to bolster their legitimacy.
C . They faced challenges to their power from powerful merchant elites.
D . They sought to achieve economic self-sufficiency by restricting trade contacts with other societies.