The West African Sudanic Empire of Mali

The West African Sudanic empire Mali and Aztec had many differences in how they rose to be but had lots of similarities on how the empires were ran such as trade and slaves. The West African Sudanic Empire of Mali started in 1235 when the Ghana Empire was falling. The Aztec empire was similar in it also began to rise during the fall of an earlier empire. During the fall of Ghana, Sumanguru took over what was left of Ghana and was very cruel to anyone who challenged him and killed anyone who did. Soon one of the Malinka princes, Sundiata, the “Lion King”, crushed Sumanguru’s forces and started the empire of Mali. The Aztecs rose to power in 1150 as the Toltec’s began to fall.

The two empires had a lot in common in how they were run. Both were connected to other civilizations. Mali’s was connected to many empires on a trade route and the Aztecs were also connected by trade and even had alliances with other civilizations such as Texcoco. Another thing that was similar between the civilizations was that they both had slaves. Mali used their slaves to transfer goods and the Aztecs used their slaves to build temples and human sacrifice. They both traded gold and had their own calendars. They both also had a peak after about a hundred years.

Both of the empires fell in very different ways. The Aztec’s were very religious and believed that the world had ended a few times before, so when the city Tenochtitlan had an earthquake and the capital was flooded by Lake Texcoco they took it as a warning of the empire ending. In the same year of 1519 the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes arrived on the east coast of Mexico. After about 2 years, Spanish weapons and European diseases destroyed had destroyed the empire. Mali’s on the other hand were different. After the rule of Sundiata, the new ruler named Mansa Musa can to power. He extended the empire very far and after his death his sons took charge of the thrown. The sons couldn’t control the large empire and eventually smaller states it had conquered broke off and the empire collapsed.

The two empires had many differences in their rise and fall but during their time they had many similarities such as trading gold and each of them having a calendar.