Political Practices Flashcards
What was the population of The Maya civilization when divided into independent city states ?
8,000-10,000 people
What was the priest-king called ?
A Halach Uinic or ‘real man/true man’
Where was this position inherited from ?
The father
What would happen if the sons of the dead ruler were not fit to rule ?
They would either let one of his brothers rule or if this wasn’t possible they would pick another person from the rules family whom is elected by a council of nobles
Who was at the top of The Maya society ?
The king who was an absolute ruler was at the top
Why was the king deemed as powerful ?
He was deemed as powerful as he was the only one who could communicate to the God’s .
Why was this communication important to The Maya people and what was their payment ?
This was important as he could ask for rain fall on a regular base and their payments was to share the crops and handicrafts their families produced
Who was directly below the king ?
The batabs or nobles which included the council ,the chiefs and the officers
What exactly was the council ?
The council was an advisory board to the king
What were the lesser chiefs responsible for ?
They were responsible for training young soldiers and recruiting them in time of civil unrest and war
What did the Chiefs have control over ?
They had control over the states smaller towns and villages with rules enforced by the laws of the king
Who helped the chiefs and what were their duty ?
The officers helps the chiefs and their duty was to run the states by organizing the division of land and work, maintaining all records of citizens and making sure everyone paid taxes.
Who was exempted from paying taxes ?
The kings, nobles, lords and officials of the upper class
Who made up the majority of the population ?
The farmers and the artisans
Along with their duties what did the men have to do and if refused what would happen ?
They had to help construct temples and crave huge stone blocks to decorate the walls and if they refused the gods would stop the rain
