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perceived to be, the more it must rely on force rather than on power. |
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While both territorial (i.e., Clausewitzian) and hegemonic systems use force and power to dominate and control, the territorial system emphasizes the former, whereas the hegemonic system emphasizes the latter, with markedly different consequences for control, extraction, integration, and expansion. The object of a territorial empire is to conquer and directly control an area, using the minimum force necessary to conquer and then to administer it. The object of a hegemonic empire is to conquer and indirectly control an area, but economy of force does not have the same meaning. Since no imperial troops remain in the conquered areas, overwhelming force and extraordinary measures may be used in the initial conquest to intimidate the local leadership into continued compliance after the conquering army leaves. Thus what may appear as excessive force from the perspective of territorial objectives is not excessive from the perspective of hegemonic objectives. Territorial conquest may require less force than hegemonic conquest, but territorial control requires a constant level of force in the area thereafter, whereas hegemonic control does not. |
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The salient features of the Aztec Empire were (1) achieving po litical expansion without direct territorial control, (2) maintaining internal security by exercising influence over a limited range of the subordinate states' activities (usually political and economic matters), and (3) achieving the latter by generally retaining rather than replacing local officials. Because the Aztecs' imperial concerns were limited, they maintained the empire with great economy of force by relying on local resources for local security and order. The Aztec army did not have to maintain a presence but was mobilized only for further conquests or to deal with rebellions and other major disruptions. For lesser matters the threat of its return was sufficient to ensure compliance by the subordinates. |
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In Mesoamerica the basic political unit was the city and its dependencies, legitimately governed by the local ruler (tlahtoani, pl. tlahtohqueh) and his successors. Such polities were generally small, usually having a radius of about ten kilometers (6.2 miles). Though larger political organizations occasionally arose, there were few |
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