Question

Which of the following stopped the Muslim advance into Central Asia in the 13th century? (5 points)
Muslims lost interest in conquest under the Abbasid dynasty.
Mongol nomads from Central Asia dominated the area and fought Islamic invaders.
Crusaders, who had invaded Central Asia, pushed the Muslims back.
Transportation and communication between Arabia and Central Asia were poor.

Answer 1

Crusaders, who had invaded Central Asia, pushed the Muslims back. Right?

Answer 2

Yes, i believe your right.

Answer 3

Actually, the Crusades did little to stop the Muslim advance in Central Asia. What really did them in was the utter annihilation of the Khwarezmia by the Mongols under Genghis Khan. The Khwarezm empire covered Central Asia from present-day Iraq to Afghanistan and was a powerful nation until they got on the wrong side of the Mongols by killing their messengers.

After that insult, Genghis Khan decided to invade using a brilliant tactic that split their vastly superior army and allowed him to destroy their forces piecemeal, ending in victory. But he didn't stop there - he destroyed their cities and most of the population in brutal reprisal, although he shipped artists, scholars, etc. back to his empire to teach his people.

So the answer would have to be the second one, mongol nomads from Central Asia dominated the area and fought Islamic invaders. After that conquest, Genghis Khan's control of most of Asia was complete creating the largest contiguous land based empire the world had ever seen.

Answer 4

The Mongols, you bet. Wikipedia has an impressive map of their conquest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mongol_Empire_map.gif