Source: Adapted from a modern historical analysis of Mesoamerican political ecology, 2023.
'The development of intensive agricultural techniques, such as terracing in the hilly regions and the construction of raised fields in swampy lowlands, was essential to the growth of Maya city-states. These systems required significant communal labor, which was organized and directed by the ruling elites of individual city-states. The surplus food generated by these methods not only sustained dense urban populations but also funded the administrative, military, and religious institutions that consolidated the authority of the divine lords (*k'uhul ajaw*). However, the decentralized political structure of the Maya world meant that these agricultural systems remained localized and managed at the city-state level, rather than being integrated into a centralized imperial command economy.'
Which of the following best compares the Maya agricultural systems described in the passage with the economic systems of the Inca Empire during the period 1200–1450?
- AThe Maya regulated their agricultural distribution through free-market capitalism, whereas the Inca utilized mercantilist state policies to maximize gold accumulation.
- The Maya relied on localized management by independent city-states, whereas the Inca integrated their agricultural and labor demands into a highly centralized state system.Answer
- CThe Maya organized their agricultural labor through a European-style feudal network of contract-based vassalage, whereas the Inca relied on private landowners.
- DThe agricultural networks of both civilizations were instantly dismantled solely by Spanish military technology during the initial stages of contact.