| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| Polity | The Seshat Polity ID |
| Year(s) | The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE] |
| Tag | [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown] |
| Verified | A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data. |
| Variable | Definition |
|---|---|
| settlement_hierarchy_from | The lower range of settlement hierarchy for a polity. |
| settlement_hierarchy_to | The upper range of settlement hierarchy for a polity. |
| # | Polity | Year(s) | Settlement Hierarchy from | Settlement Hierarchy to | Description | Edit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 |
(Maravi Empire) |
Full Year Range of Maravi Empire is assumed. [1622, 1870] |
3 |
5 |
levels. "In March 1616, Bocarro began a journey from Tete to Kilwa. He passed through the Maravi kingdom where he visited Kalonga Muzura, who will be discussed in detail in the next chapter. At the time, Muzura was not at Mankhamba, but at a settlement he had established along the Wankurumadzi River in the Mwanza-Neno area Bocarro described settlements of some of Muzura’s tributary chiefs, such as Bunga, as large villages. When he arrived at Muzura’s settlement, however, he described it as a town. As demonstrated below, this town was established not only later than Mankhamba, but it was also secondary to Mankhamba in terms of political influence. Mankhamba was the capital of the Maravi state. It was also a major trading centre and was at a crossroads for long-distance trade. Maravi leaders distributed imported goods from there and exports, particularly elephant ivory, originated from this location too. Bocarro did not reach Mankhamba, but considering that people had settled there continuously for more than two centuries before the founding of the town in Mwanza-Neno, Mankhamba was most likely the larger of the two." [Juwayeyi 2020] On the likely existence of a secondary capital: "There is a simpler explanation for all this, and it is that the large size of the empire during the early seventeenth century made it necessary for Kalonga Muzura to operate from two centres. Mankhamba was simply too far away from the Zambezi River Valley trade route. The new centre cut the travel time to Tete in half. It did not, however, diminish Mankhamba’s status, which remained Muzura’s seat of government where he was so powerful that at least some of the Portuguese who were familiar with the area and its politics felt that the lake might as well have been named after him." [Juwayeyi 2020] QUOTE ABOUT RITUAL SHRINES 1. Capital (Mankhamba) 2. Secondary capital3. Ritual centers4. Large villages5. Small villages [implied by "large villages"] |
|
| 142 |
(Nawabs of Bengal) |
Full Year Range of Nawabs of Bengal is assumed. [1717, 1757] |
None |
None |
levels. (1) Royal Capital cityMurshidabad (2) Provincial Capital CityMajor cities such as Dhaka, the previous capital, became a provincial capital. [Ray_Sreemani 2020] (3) TownTowns were often emporiums of trade as well as political centres. What distinguished them from villages, according to Majumdar, was that while they may also have had some agricultural activity, they served a “wide variety of functions, commercial, industrial, political, judicial and military.” But the greatest distinction was the luxury and wealth of the towns and it’s citizens, which the Ramacharita describes as “a city of rows of palaces” and as possessing ‘an immense mass of gems’.” [Majumdar 1943] “the archaeological record indicates that urban centres came up as early as the fifth century bce. During the following centuries large towns would develop along major rivers rather than on the exposed sea coast.” [van_Schendel 2009] (4) VillageMajumdar writes that since the beginning of historical record for Bengal, there have been well-established villages, in which the fields, meadows and woodlands have been organised to serve the population’s needs. They varied in size but people tended to live in compact groups within them They would all generally include livestock. The villages also contained “pits and canals (garta and nala) which might have served the purpose of drainage, barren tracts (ushara), tanks, reservoirs and temples, besides cattle-tracks and ordinary roads and paths.” [Majumdar 1943] (5) Hamlet [Furui 2020] |
|
| 147 |
(Late Formative Yoruba) |
Full Year Range of Late Formative Yoruba is assumed. [650, 1049] |
2 |
2 |
None | |
| 150 |
(Kingdom of Bohemia - Luxembourgian and Jagiellonian Dynasty) |
Full Year Range of Kingdom of Bohemia - Luxembourgian and Jagiellonian Dynasty is assumed. [1310, 1526] |
5 |
5 |
None |