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Difficulty: EasyState Building and Social Organization in the Americas

The following passage is adapted from Garcilaso de la Vega’s Royal Commentaries of the Incas, published in 1609:

'The Inca kings established that each town should be divided into sections, and that there should be officials in charge of groups of ten, fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand, so that they could register all the vassals and keep track of their work, tribute, and needs.'

Which of the following aspects of state-building in the Americas is best illustrated by the passage?

  1. The development of a centralized bureaucracy to organize labor and resourcesAnswer
  2. B
    The establishment of a decentralized system of independent feudal lords
  3. C
    The transition to a free-market economy managed by independent merchant guilds
  4. D
    The complete cultural homogenization of conquered peoples to eliminate local customs

Answer

The development of a centralized bureaucracy to organize labor and resources
The passage describes the Inca dividing their population into numerical groups overseen by state-appointed officials to track labor, tribute, and needs. This reflects the development of a highly centralized state bureaucracy designed to coordinate imperial resources and project power.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage to identify the administrative methods described.
The passage describes the Inca dividing their subjects into specific numerical groups (tens, hundreds, etc.) overseen by state officials to monitor their labor, tribute, and welfare.
Understanding the administrative setup in the passage is essential for connecting it to broader historical themes.
2
Compare the passage's findings with the state-building methods of the Inca Empire between 1200 and 1450.
This structured administrative system represents a centralized state bureaucracy used to coordinate labor, such as the mita system, and manage state-directed resource distribution.
This connects the specific historical source to the target learning objective of state building and social organization.

Key Concept

State building and administrative centralization in the Inca Empire
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Topics

State Building and Social Organization in the Americas

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