Eight - Matrimony

Summary

If we are to understand the inner articulations of power in the Classic Maya polity, and how they extended outward to interact with others, we must address the familial bonds through which these were realised and reproduced. We need, in short, to examine how ties both within and between Classic Maya polities were established through marriage and their resulting progeny. Superficially narrow in focus, this topic actually engages broad issues of kinship, legitimacy, succession, and power relations – forming a bridge between the preceding chapters that focus on the individual polity and those to come that concentrate on how they engaged with others. Every dynastic group seeks to maintain itself and, wherever possible, enhance its fortunes by manipulating its reproduction. This involves overt planning and negotiation in the expectation of, among other things, forging alliances, generating heirs, and securing resources.