Exam 7: South America: the Inca and Their Predecessors

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The mit'a system was a labor draft system employed by the Inca Empire, as well as by preceding cultures in the Andean region of South America. Under this system, a portion of the population was required to work on various state and religious projects for a certain number of days each year. This labor could include agriculture, construction of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, mining, and military service. In return, the workers were provided with food, shelter, and protection by the state. The mit'a system was an essential part of the Inca economy and administration, as it allowed the state to mobilize labor for large-scale projects without maintaining a standing workforce year-round. It was a form of tribute to the state, but instead of paying with goods or money, people paid with their labor. Regarding the antecedents of the mit'a system in earlier South American polities, it is clear that the Incas were not the first to implement such a system. The concept of organized communal labor, known as "minka" in Quechua, has deep roots in Andean societies. Pre-Inca civilizations, such as the Wari (Huari) and the Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco), also utilized forms of labor organization that likely influenced the development of the mit'a system. These societies had complex social and economic structures that required the coordination of labor for agricultural and construction purposes, suggesting that the Incas inherited and formalized these existing practices into the mit'a system. Moreover, the mit'a system was not unique to the Andes and has parallels in other ancient civilizations around the world, where corvée labor was a common method for rulers to mobilize the workforce needed for large public works. In summary, the mit'a system was a labor draft mechanism integral to the Inca Empire, which allowed the state to commandeer labor for public works and other state needs. This system had antecedents in earlier South American polities, where communal labor was organized for the benefit of the community or the state, and it was a practice that evolved over time within the complex social and economic frameworks of Andean civilizations.