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.