Jackson Armstrong a.P. World

Jackson Armstrong A.P. World

The Mexica and the Songhay are often overlooked in history and regarded as unimportant, as both will fall to European might, but it is important to analyze the accomplishments and lifespans of these civilizations. These nations both played key roles in their respective areas and greatly influenced the culture and economy of their homelands. Many customs from their times remain alive today. However, the Aztecs and the Songhay show distinctly different forms of government and religion, even though they both follow a similar historic path.

Both nations rise out of the ashes of another local empire, the Songhay conquer the Mali and the Aztecs kill off the last of the Toltecs. They will both expand violently and crush all resistance from local forces and extract tributes. However, the Aztecs will only do this through threat of further violence, leaving the conquered people to govern themselves and control their own affairs while the Songhay will make a far more permanent presence. The Aztecs maintained no standing army and lacked much of a true administration at all, most likely because there was very little threat from outside forces. The empire was ruled by a council of military elites. The Songhay, on the other hand, even went so far as to establish a Navy, possibly to regulate trade in the area, as well as a large bureaucracy to maintain conquered provinces and extract tribute. Clearly, both nations created powerful military machines with very similar purposes, but through distinctive means. However, the common thread with both military powers is a quick demise at the hands of technologically advanced European invaders.

The Aztecs and the Songhay both prospered economically even when compared to European standards and established powerful ruling centers at Tenochtitlan and at Timbuktu. However, agriculture played a far more important role in Meso-America than it did in Africa. The Aztecs used creative agricultural techniques such as the chinampa which brought the output above anything else previously achieved. This, along with expansive conquest, fueled the Aztec economy. In Songhay Africa, trade was the driving economic force. Trans-Saharan trade helped to bring enormous wealth both to fund conquests and support their large bureaucracy.

The cultures of these societies are also very distinct most likely due to varying degrees of exposure to the outside world. Songhay is an Islamic state where education is encouraged and universities are established. Where the Aztecs favor a very powerful military ruling elite as well as an influential priest class. Most likely due to the influence of Islamic merchant culture and the high degree of trade in the area, merchants quickly become leading figures in Songhay society. Although merchants do play a part in Aztec society, they are not nearly as powerful