The Mayan government was a hereditary absolute monarchy, with a close union of the spiritual and chronological elements, the hereditary high priest, who was also king of the sacred city of Izamal, was consulted by the monarch on all important matters, with the exception of having the care of ritual and ceremonials. The provincial governors were nobles of the four royal families, and were supreme within their own governments. The rulers of towns and villages formed a lower order of nobility, not of royal blood. The king usually acted on the advice of a council of lords and priests. The lords alone were military commanders, and each lord and inferior official had his support for the products of a certain portion of land which were cultivated in common by the people. They received no salary, and each was responsible for the maintenance of the poor and helpless of his district. The lower priesthood was not hereditary, but was appointed through the high priest. There was also a female priesthood or vestal order, whose head was a princess of royal blood. The plebeians were farmers, artisans, or merchants; they paid taxes and military service, and each had his interest in the common land as well as his individual portion, which descended in the family and could not be alienated. Slaves also existed, the slaves being chiefly prisoners of war and their children, the latter of whom could become freemen by putting a new piece of unoccupied ground under cultivation. Society was organized upon the clan system, with descent in the male line, the chiefs being rather custodians for the tribe than owners, and having no power to alienate the tribal lands. Game, fish, and the salt bogs were free to all, with a certain portion to the lords. Taxes were paid in kind through authorized collectors. On the death of the owner, the property was divided equally among his nearest male heirs. The more important cases were tried by a royal council presided over by the king, and lesser cases by the provincial rulers or local judges, according to their importance, usually with the assistance of a council and with an advocate for the defence. Crimes were punished with death, frequently by throwing over a cliff, enslavement, fines, or rarely, by imprisonment. The code was merciful, and even murder could sometimes be compounded by a fine. Children were subject to parents until they turned an age to marry, which for boys was about 20.
The Aztecs controlled states by installing rulers, constructing marriage alliances and asking for tribute. The Aztecs ruled by indirect means. They had a system of tribute instead of a single system of government. The Aztec empire was informal or hegemonic (political dominance or authority over others) because they did not exert supreme authority over conquered lands, instead it was expected tributes to be paid. Certain dominated territories were not connected with the center. Local rulers were restored to their positions once their city-state was conquered and the Aztecs did not interfere in local affairs as long as the tribute payments were made. Although the Aztec form of government is often referred to as an empire, most areas within the empire were organized as city-states. These were small organizations ruled by a King from a legitimate dynasty. The Early Aztec period was a time of growth and competition among city-states, even after the empire was formed (1428) and began its program of expansion through conquest, the city-states remained the dominant form of organization at the local level. The efficient role of the city-states as a regional political unit was largely responsible for the success of the empire's hegemonic form of control.
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