Intermediate Elites Research Articles

Local circulation of elites punctuated by transregional mobility enabled steppe political consolidation in the Xiongnu nomadic state.

The Xiongnu polity (ca. 200 BC- 150 AD) emerged out of indigenous community-centered socio-political structures to forge a powerful state that commanded the Mongolian steppe and beyond. Underpinned by a highly mobile pastoralist population, accustomed to seasonally rhythmic moves and embedded in an equestrian culture that facilitated rapid transport over long-distances, it remains unclear precisely how the movement of commoners, local aristocrats and regional elites abetted the formation and organization of Xiongnu state structures. Here, we evaluate Xiongnu movement and dietary intake through multi-stable isotopic analyses of tooth enamel from directly dated Xiongnu intermediate elites recovered from the mortuary center of Baga Gazaryn Chuluu-a prominent granite outcrop set in the Gobi Desert. Carbon isotope (δ13C) analysis indicates millet was consumed by some individuals, but whether or not this C4 cultivar contributed to the diets of most elites remains ambiguous in this C3/C4 desert-steppe environment. The effectiveness of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) to establish mobility appears much reduced in steppe environments, where geospatially sensitive information appears disrupted by extraordinary seasonality in meteoric water oxygen isotopes, pronounced oxygen isotopic variation in potential drinking water sources, and culturally mediated drinking practices. Most revealing, strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) indicate circulation of local elites around this central place and beyond, a mobility format that helped leaders cement their own position through political consolidation of spatially dispersed mobile pastoralist communities. The consistent presence at Baga Gazaryn Chuluu of extra-local intermediate elites also points toward the importance of transregional mobility in binding together the Xiongnu polity over the vast distances of the eastern steppe.

Evaluation of agronomic and grain yield of elite hybrids maize in south-western Nigeria

The poor grain yield of maize obtained among Nigeria small holder farmers has been an issue leading to the continuous development of maize genotypes with the aim of improving yield in the farmers’ in order to improve the household income. Evaluation of the agronomic and grain yield of some of th4 elite hybrids maize was conducted with the aim to determine their performance in order to ascertain their suitability for the south-western agro-ecology of Nigeria. Three elites hybrid maize genotypes groups made up of 30 entries of early white and yellow maize (Elite 1), 36 entries of early white maize, 36 entries of late/intermediate maturing (Elite 3) and 24 entries of open pollinated (OPV) were evaluated at the teaching and research farm of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in two late cropping seasons of 2019 to 2020. The treatments were laid out in a randomized incomplete block design (lattice design) with three replications in each season. Data were obtained on agronomic (plant height, ear height, stem lodge, root lodge plant aspect, ear aspect and husk cover), grain yield and yield components (ear length, ear girth, number of kernel rows per ear and number of kernels per row). It was noted that 6 entries from early maturing white and yellow elites (Elite 1), two from early maturing white elites (Elite 2), one from late/ intermediate elites (Elite 3) and one from the open pollinated varieties (OPV) genotypes showed superior agronomic character while one of Elite 1 and 9 of Elite 2 genotypes showed most superior yield character across seasons. Genotypes EWH114(E1), EWH110(E1), EYTWH-9(E2) were observed to be stable and showed superior performance in agronomic character and grain yield. These genotypes are to be advocated for growth and grain yield.

Classic Maya Settlement Systems Reveal Differential Land Use Patterns in the Upper Belize River Valley

Land use practices have had important implications for structuring household inequalities and broader political systems in the past. Our contribution examines settlement patterns in relation to political structure, household wealth, ecological productivity and agricultural techniques. Combining settlement pattern data with high–precision soils data, we examine the extent to which different trajectories of polity formation impact the settlement location and land use practices of intermediate elites and commoners. The Classic Maya (CE 250/300–900) polities of Baking Pot and Lower Dover in the Upper Belize River Valley serve as enlightening case studies because despite being situated near one another, the two centers emerged along very different trajectories. Whereas the polity of Baking Pot arose slowly, in tandem with surrounding demography, the neighboring polity of Lower Dover arose rapidly in the Late Classic period (CE 600–900) in an area which was already home to established local populations. Our analysis shows that while Baking Pot had substantial settlement clustering around its epicenter, populations at Lower Dover aggregated around secondary and tertiary centers farther away from the polity core. Analyses also demonstrate that most commoner and intermediate elite residences were situated on the most productive agricultural lands in the region, though some intermediate elite households were situated on hilltops or in border zones with marginal soil productivity for political and tactical reasons. Commoner households were situated on a range of productivity zones reflecting diverse land–use practices which had implications for household wealth. Our case study illustrates the importance of integrating land use practices into our reconstructions of ancient political hierarchies, especially in terms of understanding political strategies and household wealth.

‘Nobody Goes to Another Monastery with their Own Charter’: The EU’s Promotion of ‘European Values’ as Perceived in Central Asia

As a major external actor, the European Union prioritises its normative agenda while interacting with Central Asia. This article scrutinises how the very notion of ‘European values’ and the promotion of these values by the European Union are perceived by intermediate elites in Kazakhstan. The article argues that Kazakh opinion-makers distinguish between ‘European’ political values and cultural values. Based on how these two dimensions are interpreted, three categories of perceivers are identified and discussed in detail: ‘opponents’, ‘moderate supporters’ and ‘ardent supporters’ of the EU normative policies. The article also discusses some of the factors shaping those perceptions.

FIRST STEPS–DENTITION, KINSHIP, SOCIAL GROUPS, AND STATUS IN THE UPPER BELIZE RIVER VALLEY: SMALL SAMPLE INSIGHTS INTO CLASSIC MAYA SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL WESTERN BELIZE

AbstractNonmetric (morphological) and metric analyses of dental traits and dentition are an established and effective, but still much underutilized, means of determining biological relationships among the individuals comprising a population over several generations. Combining such dental analyses, a social organizational typology adapted from social psychology, and small sample statistics, this study hazards a trial examination of the evidence for biological affinity within and between three archaeologically perceived social groups represented in the Classic-period Belize Valley community of Buenavista del Cayo. The groups comprise traditional high elite and commoner categories, and a putative middle level of intermediate elites. Findings suggest a dichotomous kinship structure of elites and non-elites, but one within which there had emerged an emically and archaeologically distinct “middle” status group of intermediate elites or subelites that remained affined by blood to the subordinate non-elite commoners and peasantry. The study differs from previous examinations of ancient Maya social organization in employing a truly integrated bioarchaeological approach to the topic rather than what have generally been intrinsically insular archaeological or osteometric approaches.

Modeling variability in Classic Maya intermediate elite political strategies through multivariate analysis of settlement patterns

Intermediate elites played pivotal roles in the political dynamics of ancient complex societies across the world. In the Classic period (CE 250–900/1000) Maya lowlands, intermediate elites acted as mediators between apical rulers and lower status commoners. These individuals and the political strategies they employed, however, have rarely taken center stage in reconstructions of Classic Maya politics. In this paper, we evaluate the role of intermediate elites who occupied the middle level of the settlement hierarchy of the Belize River Valley of west-central Belize. Multivariate statistical analyses of architectural variables (n = 24) across 35 sites identified five hierarchically arranged groups of settlement types. Groups 2 and 3 are associated with intermediate elites, with Group 2 being large specialized centers with ballcourts, causeways, terminus groups and multiple plazas. In contrast, Group 3 were smaller residential and ceremonial centers focused around a single plaza. Investigation of patterned variability in the middle tier of the settlement hierarchy provides evidence for five political strategies which intermediate elites used to gain and maintain power and authority: (1) ancestor veneration, (2) ceremonial integration of commoners, (3) acting as neighborhood heads, (4) apical elite emulation, and (5) pursuing a ‘frontier’ role. Elucidating the variability in intermediate elite decision-making provides a new avenue for understanding the dynamics of integration and autonomy across the Classic Maya political landscape.

<em>Longhouses</em>, biografía de la casa y complejidad social en el noroeste peninsular en la alta edad media

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar un grupo de construcciones domésticas de cronología altomedieval de notables dimensiones que ha sido identificado en el último decenio en algunos sectores del noroeste de la península ibérica y que han sido definidas como longhouses. Este es un término que ha sido utilizado de forma implícita por parte de varias tradiciones arqueológicas para designar estructuras alargadas que cuentan con dimensiones, funcionalidades y significados sociales muy heterogéneos entre sí. Algunas tradiciones europeas han definido este tipo de estructuras en términos funcionales (casa-establo), formales (plantas alargadas) o tipológicos, mientras que en el centro de Italia se han identificado con residencias de las élites intermedias. Tomando como caso de estudio la llanada de Álava, en este artículo se realiza una caracterización social de los contextos en los que se han hallado este tipo de construcciones y, a continuación, se analiza desde la perspectiva de la biografía cultural de la casa la articulación de las comunidades políticas locales y supralocales de este territorio.

The Heart of the Metropole: Urban Space and Interracial Relationships in ‘Fidelidade’ by Vimala Devi, ‘Um encontro imprevisto’ by Henrique de Senna Fernandes and ‘Nina’ by Orlanda Amarílis

This article looks at the Lisbon-set stories ‘Fidelidade’ by Vimala Devi, ‘Um Encontro Imprevisto’ by Henrique de Senna Fernandes, and ‘Nina’ by Orlanda Amarilis, all of which dramatise a dead-end relationship between a colonised man and a metropolitan woman in the final years of Portuguese colonialism. It analyses how these narratives use the resources of the short story to challenge the colonial discourse of Lusotropicialism, hegemonic in Portugal in the years following the Second World War, and – via the spatial and interpersonal deixis of their ‘intermediate elite’ protagonists – inscribe the experience of colonised subjects on the margins of the imperial capital and reflect on the dynamics of identity affecting their home territories. This article concludes by arguing for a broad comparative practice that can bring a much-needed perspectivism to key issues in postcolonial studies in Portuguese and animate neglected parts of the worldwide Portuguese-language literary archive.

Identifying a technological style in the making of lime plasters at Teopancazco (Teotihuacan, México)

The aim of this article is to focus on the technology of archeological plasters at Teotihuacan (Central Mexico), from the Classic Period (200–650 A.D.), focusing in the study of Teopancazco, a neighborhood center in the city. Petrographic and chemical analyses by OM, SEM-EDS, and LA-ICP-MS were conducted to characterize samples from different constructive phases and sectors of the neighborhood center, to determine the provenance of the raw materials employed in the manufacturing (e.g., volcanic glass shards) and to assess whether a shift occurred in the manufacturing of plasters and in the procurement strategies of raw materials during the different phases. The results of the analyses show that almost no changes occurred in the making of the plaster during more than four centuries and allow us to consider the presence of a technological style in their manufacture, which is characterized by the making of plaster by mixing lime with volcanic glass shards, which in the case of Teopancazco were derived from the Altotonga (Veracruz) magmatic system. The data at our disposal suggest that this style was developed in Teopancazco and later introduced throughout the city of Teotihuacan in the Early Xolalpan phase (A.D. 350), although we still do not know whether the provenance of the raw materials is the same. The wide distribution of this technological tradition could be due to the technological properties of the materials and/or the influence of the intermediate elite who ruled over Teopancazco. The paper confirms that the study of material culture and technology sheds light on broader cultural aspects of ancient societies.

Cooperation and tensions in multiethnic corporate societies using Teotihuacan, Central Mexico, as a case study

In this paper, I address the case of a corporate society in Central Mexico. After volcanic eruptions triggered population displacements in the southern Basin of Mexico during the first and fourth centuries A.D., Teotihuacan became a multiethnic settlement. Groups from different backgrounds settled primarily on the periphery of the metropolis; nevertheless, around the core, intermediate elites actively fostered the movement of sumptuary goods and the arrival of workers from diverse homelands for a range of specialized tasks. Some of these skilled craftsmen acquired status and perhaps economic power as a result of the dynamic competition among neighborhoods to display the most lavish sumptuary goods, as well as to manufacture specific symbols of identity that distinguished one neighborhood from another, such as elaborate garments and headdresses. Cotton attire worn by the Teotihuacan elite may have been one of the goods that granted economic importance to neighborhood centers such as Teopancazco, a compound that displayed strong ties to the Gulf Coast where cotton cloth was made. The ruling elite controlled raw materials that came from afar whereas the intermediate elite may have been more active in providing other sumptuary goods: pigments, cosmetics, slate, greenstone, travertine, and foreign pottery. The contrast between the corporate organization at the base and top of Teotihuacan society and the exclusionary organization of the neighborhoods headed by the highly competitive intermediate elite introduced tensions that set the stage for Teotihuacan's collapse.

Powerful City Networks: More than Connections, Less than Domination and Control

Powerful cities are often distinguished from others by the concentration and mix of resources at their disposal. The right mix, the right people and skills, along with the ability to do something with them marks off the more powerful from the less powerful cities. In that respect, far reaching influence and control are the hallmarks of a powerful city. Often implicit in this view, however, is an understanding of power as something which a city possesses, a capacity for domination and control embedded in the city itself which gives it a ranking above others. This paper sets out an alternative way of thinking about how power ‘works’ for cities that is not based upon hierarchical domination or a zero sum game. The first part outlines a view of power as a means to an end, a medium that enables cities to hold networks together and bridge connections. Following that, the ‘power to’ run the networks, to exercise power with rather than over others, is illustrated through the example of the international division of labour that holds between the London and Frankfurt financial centres. In particular, the key role of intermediate elites as brokers is highlighted. This analysis is developed further in the final section by taking the example of Sydney as a powerful ‘switching point’, but one where intermediaries broker and bridge global networks to gain advantage — not through practices of domination and control, but more subtle modes of power such as manipulation and inducement, which operate at the expense of others. In so doing, the ‘power to’ make things happen folds over into power over others.

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires. Christina M. Elson and R. Allen Covey. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 2006. viii + 303 pp., 56 figures, 13 tables, bibliography, list of contributors, index. $50.00 (cloth).

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires. Christina M. Elson and R. Allen Covey. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 2006. viii + 303 pp., 56 figures, 13 tables, bibliography, list of contributors, index. $50.00 (cloth). - Volume 19 Issue 1

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires. Christina M. Elson , R. Alan Covey

<i>Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires</i>. Christina M. Elson , R. Alan Covey

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires:Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires

Intermediate Elites in Pre-Columbian States and Empires. Christina M. Elson and R. Alan Covey, eds. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2006. 312 pp.

Practice and Political Centralisation: A New Approach to Political Evolution [and Comments and Reply

L'A. s'attache a demontrer la valeur d'une theorie de la pratique dans l'etude ethnologique de l'evolution politique et notamment de la centralisation politique, c'est-a-dire de la concentration du pouvoir. L'A. demontre qu'une approche basee sur la pratique des acteurs est plus plausible que les modeles materialiste, fonctionnel ou evolutioniste. Une etude de cas des populations des iles Niue et Tongatapu a permis de tester cette theorie.

Problems of Social Stratification and the Demarcation of National and Local Elites in British Ceylon

Political developments in Ceylon during the 1950's drew attention to the forward thrust of a social formation in the Sinhala districts which has been described variously as “the rural middle classes,” “the lower middle-class traditionalists,” a “new village leadership” and so on. The political antecedents of this “group” were not traced beyond the 1930's, though several writers recognized that it was part of a social category which existed in British times. In recent articles it has been argued that the political activities of individuals drawn from this social category date back to the late nineteenth century. Be that as it may, it is obviously of value to clarify the lines of differentiation between this middle-level social category and the indigenous elite placed hierarchically above them. The former can be described as a “sub-elite,” a “subordinate elite,” an “intermediate elite,” or a “local elite.” The latter can be described as a “macro-elite,” a “central elite” or a “national elite.” Though convenience dictates the choice of one of these combinations, a reference to the alternatives is necessary because each captures a facet which the other labels do not convey.

Rajputana under British Paramountcy: The Failure of Indirect Rule

Previous articleNext article No AccessRajputana under British Paramountcy: The Failure of Indirect RuleLloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber RudolphLloyd I. Rudolph Search for more articles by this author and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Modern History Volume 38, Number 2Jun., 1966 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/239854 Views: 6Total views on this site Citations: 4Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1966 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:John P. Walden, Claire E. Ebert, Julie A. Hoggarth, Shane M. Montgomery, Jaime J. Awe Modeling variability in Classic Maya intermediate elite political strategies through multivariate analysis of settlement patterns, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 55 (Sep 2019): 101074.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2019.101074Francesca Fuoli Incorporating north-western Afghanistan into the British empire: experiments in indirect rule through the making of an imperial frontier, 1884–87, Afghanistan 1, no.11 (Apr 2018): 4–25.https://doi.org/10.3366/afg.2018.0004Ajay Verghese A Political Scientist Among the Anthropologists, Modern Asian Studies 51, no.44 (Sep 2017): 1223–1228.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X17000701Alf Gunvald Nilsen Subalterns and the State in the Longue Durée : Notes from “The Rebellious Century” in the Bhil Heartland, Journal of Contemporary Asia 45, no.44 (Apr 2015): 574–595.https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2015.1034159