Mapping political space and local knowledge: power and boundaries in a Hñahñu (Otomí) territory in Valle del Mezquital, Mexico, 1521–1574

This paper examines historical changes in the spatiality of political power through the analysis of four communities of Mexico's Mezquital Valley during the late Postclassic (900–1521) and early colonial (1521–1574) periods. Recent research has suggested that the spatiality of ancient states is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of historical geography Vol. 60; pp. 64 - 76
Main Authors:	León Villalobos, José María, Ojeda Trejo, Enrique, Vázquez García, Verónica, McCall, Michael Keith, Arévalo Galarza, Gustavo, Ortiz Olguín, Miguel
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2018
Subjects:	Ancient polities Boundaries Mapping local knowledge Mezquital Valley Otomíes Mapping local knowledge Ancient polities Boundaries Otomíes Mezquital Valley
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Summary:	This paper examines historical changes in the spatiality of political power through the analysis of four communities of Mexico's Mezquital Valley during the late Postclassic (900–1521) and early colonial (1521–1574) periods. Recent research has suggested that the spatiality of ancient states is better understood by using networks and bounded-territory models rather than the dominant model of the modern nation-state. We find that tributary relationships and political entities of the Aztec imperial forces are better captured through a theoretical perspective that defines political entities as networks, while Hñahñu (Otomí) territoriality, usually defined by watershed divides, is more accurately illustrated using a model based on territory and boundaries. Post-conquest systems of spatial representation brought by the Spaniards were oriented towards idealized geometric forms and concrete borders. However, the study reveals that such systems were not fully implemented because colonial institutions were designed using pre-existing forms of political organization. Methodologically, the historical knowledge of a group of local experts was essential for reconstructing the changing spatial patterns of the region. •Demonstrates that precolonial institutions were both territorial and relational.•Encomiendas were laid out on the landscape as idealized geometric forms.•Provides a methodological framework for including local knowledge into historical reconstructions.
ISSN:	0305-7488 1095-8614
DOI:	10.1016/j.jhg.2018.01.003