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Mixtec Confederation Politics
In the 1440s, Mixtec (Ñuu Dzaui) polities in the Oaxaca highlands maintained a polycentric political order through dynastic chiefdoms, marriage allia…
Timeline
- 1440–1449Mixtec highlands · OaxacaNumerous dynastic chiefdoms dotted the Oaxaca highlands, each ruled by a yaa tocah, with no single overlord, forming a typical polycentric political landscape.
- c. 1442–1448Oaxaca Valley · OaxacaStronger chiefdoms formed loose alliances through marriage and lord-vassal relations; weaker polities paid tribute in exchange for military protection, and alliances could be reorganized at any time through dynastic succession.
- 1445–1449Northern Oaxaca frontier · OaxacaAztec Triple Alliance expansion reached northern Oaxaca, forcing some Mixtec chiefdoms to pay tribute or ally for self-preservation, prompting highland polities to strengthen internal unity against external hegemony.
Sources
- Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos: Ancient Peoples of Southern Mexico — Arthur A. Joyce (2010)
- The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations — Kent V. Flannery and Joyce Marcus (1983)