Until recently, scholars treated the medieval Indian Ocean as a backdrop for Asian political history. The work of historian Saira Bhatia has transformed that view by showing that the ocean itself was a primary site of cultural exchange — a hub through which ideas, religious texts, and commodities circulated more rapidly than across many overland routes.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the text?
- A
It restates the prior consensus introduced in the first sentence.
- B
It defines the term 'Indian Ocean'.
- C
It introduces a different historian's view of European exchange.
- Dcheck_circle
It introduces an intervention that overturns the prior consensus.
Explanation
Bhatia's work transforms the prior view from backdrop to hub. B captures this overturning function.