Mayan Political Structure

Mayan Political Structure

The Maya were an indigenous people who occupied a vast expanse of land in Mesoamerica, stretching from modern day Honduras to the Yucatan peninsula. The Maya, though usually thought of as one collective empire, were never unified, but separated into around eighteen city-states. Often confused with The Aztecs, another ancient Mesoamerican civilization, the Maya and Aztecs were vastly different. While the Aztecs were a warmongering, aggressive civilization, the Maya were more focused on their advances in astronomy, mathematics, and writing which are still of importance today. But what is arguably more important than all their calendars and religious texts was their highly complex and layered government structure. Rather

An assembly of delegates appointed by the halach and his closest advisors, the Al Holpop council was arguably the most influential component of a city-state’s government. While the halach was an important figurehead for the people, embodying their religious ideals and parading a façade of power, it was within the council that the real work was done. The halach would send his ideas for laws to the council, but often these laws originated as the ideas of the council themselves. This is because the council served not only as the limiting body for the halach, but also as his advisors. The council would advise the king on what needed fixing in the city-state, whether it be an economic, military, or legislative issue, and the king would then create a proposal and send it to the council. Thus, the Al Holpop remained the central governing body of the Mayan political structure, and sometimes this was quite literal; in city-states where a king was inept for the job or had died with no heirs, the Al holpop would take his spot, and govern the city-state directly. But the Al Holpop had more than just legislative control over the city-state, they were also in charge of the lower tiers of the Mayan political structure. Namely they oversaw, with the halach’s approval, the appointment of

The Batabs, as the lowest tier in the political hierarchy, had the most work, but least reward. Each Batab held an administrative position in either the military, governmental, or religious subdivision of their assigned municipality. The Batabs were also in charge of ensuring that the citizens of their town paid tribute to the halach and his council. While the Batab himself was not paid tribute, he was often supported by the members of his community, most likely as a display of gratitude for representing their needs. Within each town’s government, a Batab also would have a place on the ah cuch cabob, a municipal council much like the Holpop. Here the Batab would bring orders from the Holpop, which would be carried out by the tupiles. The tupiles acted as a sort of constable, or police force, and were monitored by their corresponding