Pre-Hispanic Political Organization of the Northern Yucatan Maya in the Views of the Late 16th Century European Colonists

Abstract

The article examines the notions of late sixteenth-century European colonists about the political organization of the Maya in the pre-Hispanic period. The author draws on Relaciones histórico-geográficas de la gobernación de Yucatán, an important source for the study of the issue, to explore the ways in which the Europeans viewed both the territorial and administrative organization and the political hierarchies among the Maya. He discusses the regularities and inconsistencies that may be observed in the use of Maya and Spanish terms. A significant aspect to consider is the disappearance or preservation of elements from the pre-Hispanic political terminologies. The author traces the changes in the meaning of such elements in the context of the colonial society.