Book contents
- Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
- Cambridge Latin American Studies
- Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Caste War Violence – Prospect and State of the Art
- Part I Violence and War
- Part II Violence in Yucatán Before and Beyond the Caste War, 1821–1901
- Part III The Caste War and Violence: An Overview
- Part IV Violence and the Government Forces
- Part V Violence and the Kruso’b
- 13 The Social Composition of the Rebel Movement
- 14 Of Loot and Lumber: the Kruso’b Economy
- 15 Kruso’b Politics and Religion
- 16 Violence among the Kruso’b
- 17 Kruso’b Violence against Outsiders
- Part VI Intricacies of Caste War Violence
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
- Other Books in the Series (continued from page ii)
15 - Kruso’b Politics and Religion
from Part V - Violence and the Kruso’b
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 August 2019
- Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
- Cambridge Latin American Studies
- Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Caste War Violence – Prospect and State of the Art
- Part I Violence and War
- Part II Violence in Yucatán Before and Beyond the Caste War, 1821–1901
- Part III The Caste War and Violence: An Overview
- Part IV Violence and the Government Forces
- Part V Violence and the Kruso’b
- 13 The Social Composition of the Rebel Movement
- 14 Of Loot and Lumber: the Kruso’b Economy
- 15 Kruso’b Politics and Religion
- 16 Violence among the Kruso’b
- 17 Kruso’b Violence against Outsiders
- Part VI Intricacies of Caste War Violence
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
- Other Books in the Series (continued from page ii)
Summary
Kruso’b military organization was less formalized and hierarchical than that of the Federal Mexican Army or of Yucatecan militia units, but a certain amount of discipline was called for during combat and on raiding expeditions. In addition, fundamental norms had to be guaranteed to maintain order in kruso’b settlements or to settle personal disputes. The threat or use of force was key in achieving these aims, and the kruso’b political system as a form of strongman rule (caudillaje) made violence a recurrent part of the system. Follower loyalty depended much on lucrative raids. Since the success of such ventures could never be guaranteed, numerous leaders set about gaining additional revenue with the promise of more reliable returns. The wealth generated by these activities allowed them to draw on their own resources to prefinance raids or weather periods of scarcity when looting was impossible. Hence, farming or commercial activities such as the sale of rum would have rendered the authority structure more stable. The accumulation of wealth, however, was a double-edged sword. Kruso’b were not only suspicious of taxation but also of individual wealth (unlike that for the cult).
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- Violence and the Caste War of Yucatán , pp. 159 - 191Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019