Ap World Compare and Contrast Essay

During the years 1200 to 1500 CE, two ideal empires, Mali of Sub – Saharan Africa and the Aztecs of the Americas developed into truly influential and powerful empires. Both empires shared a similarity in economy but a different society. The Mali and Aztecs both traded, but while Mali traded with Islamic regions developing Islamic institutions within its borders, the Aztecs traded locally consequently not being influenced by outside cultures. Both Empires differed in society in which women in Mali tended to have more rights than women in an Aztec society whom they had little to no role in their society. Also social structure of both societies varied in which Mali had extended families and clans serve as the main foundation of their social structure while Aztec society was mainly a hierarchy with military elite as their main source of authority. The Mali Empire and the Aztec Empire rose in different locations thus they had different ways of approaching different aspects of their culture but both empires still shared some key aspects also.
The Mali Empire and the Aztec Empire both benefited and flourished from trade. The Mali Empire came very much in contact with Islamic based regions when they traded items such as gold, ivory, and slaves. Trade for Mali had cultural implications because it facilitated the introduction of Islam to the region. Aztecs traded with nearby people of their society and traded textiles, rabbit – fur blankets, embroidered clothes, jewelry, and obsidian knifes. Aztec society did not experience an introduction of new cultural ideas because they traded only locally. Trading for both society stimulated agricultural growth and for the Mali empire also stimulated introduction to Islam.
Women roles in Mali and Aztec society were very much different. Women in the Mali Empire generally had more opportunities open to them than did their counterparts in other lands did. Women influenced public affairs and even participated actively in both local and