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The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

It’s not that modern historians of medieval Africa have been ignorant about contacts between Ethiopia and Europe; they just had the power dynamic reversed. The traditional narrative stressed Ethiopia as weak and in trouble in the face of aggression from external forces, so Ethiopia sought military assistance from their fellow Christians to the north. But the real story, buried in plain sight in medieval diplomatic texts, simply had not yet been put together by modern scholars. Recent research pushes scholars of medieval Europe to imagine a much more richly connected medieval world: at the beginning of the so-called Age of Exploration, there is evidence that the kings of Ethiopia were sponsoring their own missions of diplomacy, faith and commerce.

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CAT 2022 Question Paper with Solution (27-Nov-2022) (Slot-1)
The correct answer is

Medieval texts have been ‘cherry-picked’ to promote a view of Ethiopia as weak and in need of Europe’s military help with aggressive neighbours, but recent studies reveal it was a well-connected and outward-looking culture.

The passage says modern historians had the power dynamic reversed: the traditional narrative showed a weak Ethiopia seeking help, but the diplomatic texts show that its kings sponsored their own missions of diplomacy, faith and commerce.

The summary that captures this says texts were read selectively to present Ethiopia as weak, while recent studies reveal a well-connected, outward-looking culture.

The other summaries misplace the source of the error, invent links with neighbours, or claim the texts documented military and trade links, which the passage does not say.

Hence, Medieval texts have been ‘cherry-picked’ to promote a view of Ethiopia as weak and in need of Europe’s military help with aggressive neighbours, but recent studies reveal it was a well-connected and outward-looking culture.

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