Being one of the greatest cities of West Africa, Mali made a lasting on the Silk Road with their history, geography and trade. There were more differences than similarities between the two. Things such as geography are obviously different but there is more to it like history and trading. The Silk Road started at 200 bc while Mali was founded before 1000 ad. The Silk Road traded slaves, spices, cloth, and other goods. Mali traded gold mainly but other goods as well.
A clear difference is, the history of both the Silk Road and Mali. The Silk Road started at 200 bc. There were several routes that went from China to the middle east and then to Europe. Silk was a life or death for China. Once the Romans saw the silk in a battle they immediately …show more content…
The Silk Road traded many things because of all the countries it goes through. The main good is silk from China which was very rare because only China knew how to make it.They also traded pottery, paper, and gunpowder. These were all invented by China and a lot of people wanted it especially Romans. Moreover, India traded goods such as, spices. Slaves, metals and weapons, ivory, pearls, and precious gems. Then there was the Byzantine Empire Empire. This was known as the “gateway to Europe” because it is the end of the Silk Road in Constantinople. They traded wine, grapes, woven goods, glassware, timber from the Black Sea region, art, fur, and animal hides. On the contrary, Mali’s main trade was gold. They traded through the Sahara desert. Mali had a whole expansions of markets just for west African goods. They traded gold, ivory, slaves, civet and gum arabic. There was also a trading and learning center located on the upper Niger River. Both Mali and Ghana would also trade crops such as rice, millet, cotton, and others. They would also breed animals for food. Mali and Ghana were able to control the trade routes in West Africa by charging taxes to pass into the gold
A clear difference is, the history of both the Silk Road and Mali. The Silk Road started at 200 bc. There were several routes that went from China to the middle east and then to Europe. Silk was a life or death for China. Once the Romans saw the silk in a battle they immediately …show more content…
The Silk Road traded many things because of all the countries it goes through. The main good is silk from China which was very rare because only China knew how to make it.They also traded pottery, paper, and gunpowder. These were all invented by China and a lot of people wanted it especially Romans. Moreover, India traded goods such as, spices. Slaves, metals and weapons, ivory, pearls, and precious gems. Then there was the Byzantine Empire Empire. This was known as the “gateway to Europe” because it is the end of the Silk Road in Constantinople. They traded wine, grapes, woven goods, glassware, timber from the Black Sea region, art, fur, and animal hides. On the contrary, Mali’s main trade was gold. They traded through the Sahara desert. Mali had a whole expansions of markets just for west African goods. They traded gold, ivory, slaves, civet and gum arabic. There was also a trading and learning center located on the upper Niger River. Both Mali and Ghana would also trade crops such as rice, millet, cotton, and others. They would also breed animals for food. Mali and Ghana were able to control the trade routes in West Africa by charging taxes to pass into the gold