Final answer:
Maya elites controlled peasants through tribute demands, control of trade, and warfare. They used religious ceremonies to legitimize their power and maintain authority by accumulating wealth from trade and asserting dominance via strategic alliances and conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Maya elites exercised control over the peasants primarily through tribute demands, control of trade routes, and warfare. Peasants were required to pay tribute in various forms, including labor, to the ruling elites who employed religious rituals and ceremonies to legitimize their power. Long-distance trade also played a crucial role in the power dynamics, as the elites who controlled the trade routes could access valuable resources like gold, turquoise, obsidian, and other everyday items. The wealth accumulated from these endeavors allowed the Maya aristocracy to maintain their status and authority over the peasants. Additionally, warfare and strategic alliances helped the elites to manage the balance of power among the city-states.
Ritual sacrifices and ceremonies were depicted on reliefs showing the fate of defeated kings, which served as a stark reminder of the power wielded by victorious rulers. The Maya society also had a welfare system in place, where a portion of the crops produced by peasants was set aside for those unable to work, suggesting a structured social management system overseen by the elites.
Despite the fall of several large Mayan cities in the tenth century and changes in political landscapes, the Mayan people and their descendants remain a testament to the enduring legacy of their culture, language, and heritage, as demonstrated by the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico, which combines libertarian socialism with traditional Maya beliefs. This highlights the ongoing influence of Mayan social structures on regional identity and autonomy.