1. Mali
1.1. Government and Military
1.1.1. The Mali Empire was made up of a capitol with smaller villages and kingdoms pledging allegiance by donating food and weaponry to the capitol in exchange for protection.
1.1.2. The Mali Empire was ruled by a Mansa (master). Mali was constantly ruled by a bad Mansa.
1.1.3. The court systems and lower levels of government acted as a balance to the power of the Mansa, with the highest court officials usually having more power than the Mansa himself.
1.1.4. Mali had a large army to protect their empire, stop uprisings in the smaller kingdoms, and to protect their more important trade routes.
1.2. Geography and Agriculture
1.2.1. Farmers in the Mali Empire grew a variety of plants including rice, millet, and sorghum.
1.2.2. The Niger River runs Right through the Mali Empire. Most of the population was located near the river.
1.2.3. The Mali Empire was in the Sahara desert and Sahel.
1.2.4. Plains and plateaus made up most of the Mali Empire.
1.3. Economy and Trade
1.3.1. All imports and exports were heavily taxed. Proceeds from taxation went to the Mansa.
1.3.2. Muslim traders were often referred to as Wangara.
1.3.3. Gold and salt are responsible for a majority of the Mali Empire's wealth
1.3.4. The Mali Empire had no currency. Instead they used a trade and barter system, usually trading copper and salt.
1.4. Science and Technology
1.4.1. Evidence shows that the astronomers of the Mali Empire may have been the first to discover Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, and even theorizing the spiral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy.
1.4.2. Records show that explorers from the Mali Empire discovered the Americas way before Columbus did, some of them even stayed in South America.
1.4.3. Buildings of the Mali Empire were mostly made of mud bricks and wood planks.
1.4.4. Mali Empire Weaponry wasn't nearly as advanced as the European weapons of the time. While Europe had guns, Mali warriors fought with spears and arrows.
1.5. Social Structure and Family Life
1.5.1. The Mali Empire had a Caste system in place, putting those who brought more wealth and prosperity to the empire higher up. The Mansa and court officials were at the top followed by merchants and noblemen, then farmers and artisans.
1.5.2. The Mali Empire was multilingual and multicultural. Nobody was forced to conform to any religion of language.
1.5.3. The Mali Empire had a surprisingly prominent slave trade. Many nobles would buy and sell slaves to build their fortunes.
1.5.4. The men of a family had a responsibility to feed and milk the camels and raise crops and livestock. The women of the family cooked, made and dyed clothing, and raised children up until age twelve.
1.6. Religion
1.6.1. Mansa Sundiata, the founder of the empire, claimed to have a direct link to the spirits of the land.
1.6.2. There was no forced religious conformity.
1.6.3. Islam was the major religion of the Mali Empire.
1.6.4. Most people blended Islam with their native traditions.
1.7. Arts and Education
1.7.1. Scholars, astronomers, and engineers were taught at learning institutions like the Sankara Madrasa and University of Sankore.
1.7.2. Sankara Madrasa was the largest library in Africa since the Library of Alexandria. It was estimated to have housed between 250,000-700,000 manuscripts.
1.7.3. Very little is known about the art of the empire, as it was mostly made of perishable material.
1.7.4. Pottery fragments and terra cotta figurines have been found and linked to the Mali Empire.
2. Persia
2.1. Government and Military
2.1.1. The Persian government was a centralized government.
2.1.2. The wealthy merchant class had power which included the Armenians, Indians, and Georgians.
2.1.3. The political structure of the Persian empire in the 1500s originally started as a militaristic government.
2.1.4. The capitals of the Persian government were Tabriz, Qazvin, and Isfahan.
2.2. Geography and Agriculture
2.2.1. The Persian empire covered Iran, Turkey, and Georgia during the 1500s.
2.2.2. Persians developed an irrigation system for their crops.
2.2.3. The Persian empire grew some vegetables and fruits that were not heard of before in Europe.
2.2.4. They didn't have very fertile soil so they made their money by making and trading spices and silk.
2.3. Economy and Trade
2.3.1. The best known trade routes to the Persian Empire were the silk road and the Persian gulf.
2.3.2. Imports consisted of spices, metals, coffee , and sugar. Exports consisted of rugs, silks, and textiles.
2.3.3. The Persian Empire trades with Europe, Netherlands, and mostly with England.
2.3.4. The silk road ran through the northern part of the Persian empire which benefited them greatly.
2.4. Science and Technology
2.4.1. The Persians built Domes like huge mosques that still remain a mystery on how they were built.
2.4.2. Persians in the 1500s had advanced planning with irrigation and sewage systems.
2.4.3. Persians were very smart in their technical side and could make arches and multistory buildings.
2.4.4. Persian scientists and mathematicians went over other people's work and never really made new ideas for themselves.
2.5. Stoical structure and family life
2.5.1. The Persian empire during the 1500s was a hierarchy.
2.5.2. Women had no freedom and had to be covered at all times.
2.5.3. Power shifted to merchant class and Indians as well as nobilities.
2.5.4. Kizilbash power receded at the time of Shah Abbas.
2.6. Religion
2.6.1. The Persian Empire granted money to promote their religion to schools and shrines.
2.6.2. Persian religion was a form of Islam calls shi’ism.
2.6.3. Since shi’ism was a state religion, educational institutions which gave there time to preach this religion greatly developed its theology and philosophy.
2.6.4. Ashura was the most important religious festival that celebrated the death of Husayn.
2.7. Arts and Education
2.7.1. Much of early art in the 1500s was devoted to the glories of earlier kingdoms and such.
2.7.2. During the 1500s the Persians were making painting, metalwork, textiles, and carpet.
2.7.3. Since art in the 1500s was going so big they had to have many patrons to sponsor them for art to keep growing.
2.7.4. Persian painters were very good in the Mughal painting style.
3. French Empire
3.1. Arts and Education
3.1.1. The French Renaissance was established, which was the beginning of the French Empire's education and art
3.1.2. This renaissance created different types of education, such as world expansion, the development of new techniques, and artistic forms in the fields of printing agriculture
3.1.3. Painting, sculpture, music, science, and literature was adapted in the French Empire during the French Renaissance
3.2. Government and Military
3.2.1. France was a monarchy country, which meant that the French government and leaders were related of other monarchies, such as family members
3.2.2. France applied mercantilism towards their government and political leaders
3.2.3. France was really aggressive when it came to winning wars that were based on religion
3.3. Geography and Agriculture
3.3.1. France Controlled part of North America and parts of the Caribbean
3.3.2. France had a geographical disadvantage because there was a trade route that was very common, and the French had no access to it
3.3.3. France provided a geographic, economic, and linguistic bridge joining the northern and southern Europe
3.3.4. France was one of the oldest Empires in Europe and had one of the worst agriculture advanced country in Europe
3.3.5. Crop seasons gave the French empire a big advantage for food sources
3.4. Economy and trade
3.4.1. They didn’t have good access to trade routes
3.4.2. Had no access to the the silk road
3.4.3. France was involved in two major economic trade routes
3.4.4. They were involved in the fur trade which took place in North America and Slave trade took place in the Caribbean islands
3.4.5. The French had access the valuable resources such as luxury goods like silk, silver, and papyrus
3.5. Science/Technology
3.5.1. Science and Technology weren’t very common until the European renaissance which started education and science within the French Empire
3.6. Social Structure/Family Life
3.6.1. Women hardly had any power over their actions
3.6.2. 93% of the population of France were peasants
3.6.3. The French Empire had the highest population in europe at the time
3.6.4. Children of the French Empire lived in broken homes and blended families
3.6.5. Siblings were often separated during the guardianship period
3.7. Religion
3.7.1. The French Empire's main religion was catholicism
3.7.2. The French tried to spread the religion in Rome but a war broke out instead
3.7.3. After the war was over, the French Empire built 2000 churches