Which pair of civilizations exemplifies continuity in social structure by maintaining landholding aristocracies, patriarchies, and peasant systems into their eras?

Which pair of civilizations exemplifies continuity in social structure by maintaining landholding aristocracies, patriarchies, and peasant systems into their eras?

• A. Inca and Rome
• B. Mali and Songhai
• C. Ottoman and Ming
• D. Greece and Persia

Answer: (B)

The idea here is continuity in social structure: powerful landholding elites, patriarchal authority, and a peasant majority that underpins the economy stay shaping society across the era. Mali and Songhai both preserved a social order where a landed aristocracy and ruling elites held political and economic power, while most people remained peasants who worked the land and paid taxes or tribute. Authority was exercised within a patriarchal framework, with male leaders steering political and family life. Islam helped legitimize rulership in both states, but it did not overhaul this hierarchical setup; the basic pattern—elite control of land and resources, a male-dominated leadership, and a large dependent peasant population—remained recognizable from the empire’s early periods through its later stages. This combination shows a clear throughline in social organization.

The idea here is continuity in social structure: powerful landholding elites, patriarchal authority, and a peasant majority that underpins the economy stay shaping society across the era.

Mali and Songhai both preserved a social order where a landed aristocracy and ruling elites held political and economic power, while most people remained peasants who worked the land and paid taxes or tribute. Authority was exercised within a patriarchal framework, with male leaders steering political and family life. Islam helped legitimize rulership in both states, but it did not overhaul this hierarchical setup; the basic pattern—elite control of land and resources, a male-dominated leadership, and a large dependent peasant population—remained recognizable from the empire’s early periods through its later stages. This combination shows a clear throughline in social organization.