Traditional+and+Contemporary+Political+Organization


 * Protohistoric Political Organization**

The Tarascans are famous for successfully engaging in warfare with the Aztecs and remaining an independent state. It is believed that the Tarascans were to resist the Aztecs due to their superior organization in war and not just brute force in battle (Gorenstein 1985:1). The Tarascan's state was able to grow due to their successful conquests in warfare. After the Tarascans conquered neighboring groups of people they would use two processes to bring them into their state, ethnic assimilation and ethnic segregation. Ethnic assimilation incorporated the use of a Tarascan identity to unify the state, this was done through techniques such as a universal Tarascan language. Assimilation was also done by moving Tarascans from the heartland are to outlying areas. Ethnic segregation took place when Tarascans had full political control over a group of, but allowed them to maintain their identity to discourage revolts (Pollard 1993:101-104). A very structured administrative system was needed to control and unify the Tarascans empire. Tzintzuntzan was the political capital of the empire, which is where the king or "cazonci" administered from. Human sacrifices were made in the capital and even though civil and religious administration were technically separate, there was a lot of overlap and it was the high priest who exercised the power of judge (Warren 1985:16). It is not clear but it is believed that the cazonci would nominate one of his sons to be heir and then a council of nobles would approve the choice (Warren 1985:10). The Tarascan empire was divided into four parts and the cazonci would place officials into each division to act as his administrator. There were also many local positions such as the caciques who were local leaders and the ocánbecha who were in charge of counting people and gathering them for public works (Alcalá 2000:558).


 * Contemporary Tarascan Political Organization**

Today the majority of Tarascan people live in Mexico in their traditional lands. Most Tarascans remain in Michoacán, particularly in the Lake Pátzcuaro area, but the population of Tzintzuntzan is less than one tenth what it was at the height the Tarascan empire and many young people migrate out of the area in hopes of a better life. Tarascan people remain under the Mexican political system, but because most Tarascans live together in their own rural villages they have the own local leaders.