The historical transformation of indigenous and colonial institutions of Central Mexico: monetary and production systems

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on June 7, 2013Dissertation advisor: Randall WrayVitaIncludes bibliographic references (pages 190-203)Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dept. of Economics and Social Science Consortium. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2013Based on a critical analysis of the mainstream development discourse, the subaltern's history, and hybrid theoretical models, this dissertation is focused on studying the transformation of the Pre-Hispanic state and the institutionalized social relationships of money in Central Mexico. This work emphasizes the need to recreate historical specific models to reconceptualize institutional development in former colonies. Chartalism, the state theory of money, assists in the creation of a more comprehensive theory to study monetary history in Central Mexico. I argue that in order to create an alternative historiography, it is mandatory to shed light on the institutional structure of the Mexican subaltern—the Mexicas. This study begins by analyzing the nature of the Mexica's political and monetary institutions. This analysis is followed by the study of the monetary and production systems that emerged out of the interaction between the Mexicas and the Spanish immigrant population during the early and the late colonial periods. The study focuses on the transformation of Nahuas interrelated institutions—state and money—once the Spanish institutions were introduced. A parallel objective of this dissertation is to study two major kinds of institutions— institutions of social reproduction and institutions of economic exploitation —found in constant interaction throughout the history of Mexico. The institutions of social reproduction have allowed the maintenance of non-capitalist social arrangements in the form of peasantindigenous communities that have coexisted through self-sufficiency and/or a partial incorporation into the capitalist economy. The institutions of exploitation are represented by the ancient tributary systems and the colonial taxation systems that have attempted to control peasant-indigenous communities to a political institution. From this interaction, a particular monetary system has been generated during the colonial times. Influenced by cultural patterns and ideologies, political and monetary systems have taken different shapes throughout historical periods in Central Mexico how this study shows.Theoretical framework: The non-linear analysis of monetary history of Central Mexico -- Methodology: Hybrid models and subaltern studies -- The Triple Alliance's institutional model: a subaltern historical context -- Did the Nahuas have money? The construction of myths -- New Spain's institutional structure: Transition or disruption -- New Spain's taxation systems: Did colonial money replace Nahuas' sense of reciprocity -- The nature of the colonial state and monetary systems in Central Mexico -- Appendix A. Map of Central Mexico's major altepetls -- Appendix B. Terms for fractions of primary units in the indigenous measuring system -- Appendix C. Cabildos in Central Mexico by the eighteen centur