Classic Maya rule was centred in a royal culture that was displayed in all areas of Classic Maya art. The king was the supreme ruler, and held a semi-divine status that made him the mediator between the mortal realm and that of the gods. From very early times, kings were specifically identified with the
young maize god, whose gift of maize was the basis of Mesoamerican civilization. Maya royal succession was
patrilineal, and royal power only passed to
queens when doing otherwise would result in the extinction of the dynasty. Typically, power would be passed to the eldest son. A young prince would be referred to as a
ch'ok ("youth"), although this word later came to refer to the nobility in general. The heir to the royal throne would be referred to as
b'aah ch'ok ("head youth"). Various points in the young prince's
childhood were marked out by ritual; the most important was a bloodletting ceremony at the age of five or six. Although being of the royal bloodline was of utmost importance, the heir also had to be a successful warleader, as demonstrated by the taking of captives. The enthronement of a new king was a highly elaborate ceremony, involving a series of separate acts that included enthronement upon a
jaguar-skin cushion, human sacrifice, and receiving the symbols of royal power, such as a headband bearing a jade representation of the so-called "
jester god", an elaborate headdress adorned with quetzal feathers, and a sceptre representing the god
K'awiil.
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Maya political administration, based around the royal court, was not bureaucratic in nature. Government was hierarchical, and official posts were sponsored by higher-ranking members of the aristocracy; officials tended to be promoted to higher levels of office during the course of their lives. Officials are referred to as being "owned" by their sponsor, and this relationship continued even after the death of the sponsor.
[130] The Maya royal court was a vibrant and dynamic political institution.
[131] There was not a fixed universal structure for the Maya royal court, instead each polity formed a royal court that was suited to its own individual context.
[132] A number of royal and noble titles have been identified by
epigraphers translating Classic Maya inscriptions.
Ajaw is usually translated as "lord" or "king". In the Early Classic, an
ajaw was the ruler of a city. Later, with increasing social complexity, the
ajaw was a member of the ruling class and a major city could have more than one, each ruling over different districts.
[133] Paramount rulers distinguished themselves from the extended nobility by prefixing the word
k'uhul to their
ajaw title. A
k'uhul ajaw was "divine lord", originally confined to the kings of the most prestigious and ancient royal lines.
[134] Kalomte was a royal title, the exact meaning has yet to be deciphered, but it was held only by the most powerful kings of the strongest dynasties. It indicated an overlord, or
high king, and the title was only in use during the Classic period.
[135] By the Late Classic, the absolute power of the
k'uhul ajaw had weakened, and the political system had diversified to include a wider aristocracy, that by this time may well have expanded disproportionately.
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