Describe the importance of ayllu and mit'a in the development of the early Andean civilizations

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
It was the clan, or ayllu, that provided the foundation for Andean achievement. Members of an ayllu held land communally. Ayllu members thought of each other as brothers and sisters and were obligated to aid each other in tasks that required more labor than a single household could provide. These reciprocal obligations provided the model for the organization of labor and the distribution of goods at every level of Andean society. Just as individuals and families were expected to provide labor to kinsmen, ayllus were collectively expected to provide labor and goods to their rulers. With the development of territorial states ruled by hereditary aristocracies and kings after 1000b.c.e., these obligations were organized on a larger scale. The mita was a rotational labor draft that organized members of ayllus to work the fields and care for the llama and alpaca herds owned by religious establishments, the royal court, and the aristocracy. Mita laborers built and maintained roads, bridges, temples, palaces, and large irrigation and drainage projects. They also produced textiles and goods essential to ritual life, such as beer made from maize and coca (dried leaves chewed as a stimulant and now also the source of cocaine).