The Mayan civilization was one of the most developed civilizations of history.A network of city-states characterized the civilization, and each of them was ruled by a monarch. The Maya civilization developed in the new world around 2600 BC and lasted for 300 years.The Mayan people excelled in agriculture and pottery. They came from Central America and were known for their hierarchical government. The Mayan civilization was the torchbearer of the monarch system in history.When Mayan was a small civilization, it was common for an elder leader to rule the village. However, as the number of Maya cities grew, their life became way more complex, and the need of a well-structured government was required. When the king died, the job of ruling the city-state remained in the family. Out of all the king’s children, the oldest son always got the throne of the city-state; no other child got a shot at it. If the king did not have any sone, the next oldest brother became the king. If the king died and his son was too young to rule, women had the power to be a ruler.The reason behind the downfall of the Mayans was warfare and overpopulation; they were each other’s enemies.If you are interested in more amazing content, then keep on reading the fun facts articles on Afghanistan government facts and Denmark government facts too.Structure Of Mayan GovernmentThe city-states of Maya civilization followed a hierarchy in their social structure: people were ranked according to their political authority. Each city-state had a noble family, which was the ruling family of the city-state.The Maya kings came from the noble family of the city-state and ruled. The kings of the Maya city-states were considered to have a semi-divine right mediating the physical world with the supernatural world. The succession to the kinship was passed through the family’s male line; often, the eldest son would be crowned as king. However, a woman could rule if the king died and his successor was too young. The new heir was welcomed to the kinship with a human sacrifice.The king, along with other nobles, served as the judge and the jury respectively in the ancient Maya society. The kings led their army in battles; they were expected to prove their vigor in the battle. The rulers of the Maya city-states were known by the title ‘ahaw’ or lord ruler and in the classic period by the name k’uhul ajaw or the divine lord.The political authority remained with the king instead of the city-states. The king elected the high priest, who would lead the hierarchy. The king appointed the rest of the officials of the government body known as batab. The batab had designations such as town councilors, tax collectors, military leaders, police, and other local leaders.Origin Of Mayan GovernmentThe origin of the government in the Maya city-state can be traced back to the pre-classic period of the Mayan civilization. The foundations of the government were laid around 400-3000 BC, but it was clearly defined and properly functional from 250-900 AD. The city-states developed during this time and were at continuous war with each other. The ruling classes of the Mayan civilization became much more educated during this time to strengthen their grip on politics.Like ancient Greece, the city-states were connected through the belief in the same gods. The Maya Civilization also had a common written language and a common culture like the ancient Greeks. They considered every Maya life to be a single person like the ancient Greeks. Yet, each city-state had a single ruler and his family known as the noble family.The job of ruling a kingdom in the Mayan civilization was restricted in a family because they believed that each noble family member was a direct descendant of the Hero Twins and the rule originated from them. The Maya cities justified the king’s authority by claiming he had religious power and the king ruled by his divine right.Administration Body Of The Mayan GovernmentAs the Mayan civilization increased in magnitude, the governing bodies became complex. The Mayan city-states had a government body of their own, and these bodies had independent administration. The admin body of the Mayan cities looked after law and order of each state. Efficient leaders ran the Maya administration.The king of the Maya civilization was at the top position in the hierarchy table. The Maya people considered them king and his family divine beings and obeyed his order. Only the noble family members ruled the city-states, and each state had such a family. He mainly ran the government and selected the council body. The king’s council leaders also belonged to the noble class and helped him run the state efficiently. The Maya also believed that kings had direct connections to the gods and communicated with gods.The next position in the hierarchy table goes to the priests of the Maya culture. Religion was an essential part of Maya. Accordingly, the importance of priests in the states grew. Even the kings came to the priests for advice and to know about the future. They were firm believers of gods and religion. Therefore, the priests were very influential on the way the ruler ruled.In Mayan history, we also see evidence of women rulers. The women rose to power, particularly in the seventh and eighth century AD, and during this time, several women became ruling queens.Politics: Mayan GovernmentThe aristocrats enjoyed power and filled the important positions of the government. Followingly, other classes were placed in the hierarchy table. Politics became complex as the number of city-states grew. The commoners were prohibited from seeing the face of the rulers; the servants would hold a cloth in front of the face so that the commoners could not see them.The common people had to pay taxes to run the city-states smoothly and support the king and nobles. Men were sometimes offered to be warriors if the king felt the need. Law was strict in the Mayan civilization. There were strict laws for anyone who was found guilty based on strong evidence; however, if the victim of the crime wanted to forgive the accused, the punishment of the accused was reduced.People who were found guilty of crimes such as arsons, murder, and acts against gods were given death sentences. There was no prison in Maya; instead, punishments included death, fines, and slavery. Sometimes the head of the accused was shaved as a form of punishment as this was a sign of shame in their culture. A noble also could not escape from the Maya law. If a noble was found guilty, he was also punished, and sometimes the punishment would be more severe than the commoners. The commoners could not talk to the king directly.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Mayan government facts, then why not take a look at Chilean government facts or Australian Government Facts.
The Mayan civilization was one of the most developed civilizations of history.
