Voyages such as those referred to in the third paragraph were most directly facilitated by which of the following? A
A decrease in pirate activity following Zheng He's naval expeditions
B
Merchants' understanding of the patterns of the monsoon winds
С
An increase in the use of new forms of credit, such as paper money
D
Technological transfers from Europe, such as the compass

B . Merchants' understanding of the patterns of the monsoon winds

Explanation:

India faces a very heavy monsoon every year that brings heavy rainfall and very strong winds.

It would make sense that for merchants to have been able to trade in India in the past, they would have had to have a good understanding of the patterns of the monsoon winds so that they would embark on their trade missions with little to no losses.