Natalia Salinas
Period: 6
December 4, 2009
Prompt 3
The postclassical period was resembled by structural design and artwork in order
to reinforce the positions of the elite societies, especially among the common portions of
the population. According to the documents provided, all emphasize the political,
economic, social, and religious affairs of the ruling elite by using works of art and
architecture; the visuals portray the authority, power, and influence of leaders among
the common people, the manifestation of wealth around the empire, the attraction of the
low classes to serve for the society’s needs, and the devotion and concentration toward
religious leaders in order to gain power and popularity from other societies.
The use of artwork served to instruct the population about the power and
administration of the rulers. Documents #2, #4, #5, #7, and #8 demonstrate reference to
the effective lords and their powerful reigns they built. According to documents #4, #5,
and #7, they discuss the potentiality rulers had among their empires to receive loyalty
and veneration from their subordinates. These documents reveal that political leaders
had the tools to build an empire, so the population could devote and admire their effort.
Documents #2 and #8 reflect the phrase of political superiors that took their societies to
a higher level and they demonstrate it to their people in many different ways. As we can
see, the documents represent the governmental and monetary developments of strong
realms that impacted and influenced other territories. These documents influence the
speaker’s point of view by promoting leaders to the civilizations in order to be aid in
political and economic issues.
During the postclassical period, religion played an important role in the ruling elite,
since it influence in the empire’s policies toward the community and the visitants.
Documents #1, #3, #6, and #9 show religious leaders that impacted large societies and
their rulers. According to documents #1 and #3, we can see that religious monuments or
works of art were build to be devoted by their followers and attract new people to the
faiths. The documents explain that these structures demonstrate reference to the ruling
elite, because rulers use the faith’s values to take under their jurisdiction foreigners and
new believers. Documents #6 and #9 also represent that religion had involved sufficient
followers to constitute powerful and consolidating kingdoms. Religion made it possible
to build new legacies that affected residents and foreigners, by adapting them to the
laws. The speaker’s point of view was that religion cause positive and negative effects
toward the population, since it pleased emperors to conduct their reigns based on their
laws, however, it incommode some followers and visitors.
While these documents seem to discuss about the political authority and religious
influence of large empires toward the low classes of the population, it would be helpful
to add a letter from a foreigner to the leader of every kingdom explaining the
advantages and disadvantages that brings these affairs to the illiterate people. The
need of a letter is to see the point of view of other people that were impressed of the
dynamic and influential legacies that established the empires. It can also be helpful by
interpreting the attitudes toward the high class, and the treatment the illiterate, foreign,
and conquered people receive from them. On the other hand, is also to see the
admiration they had toward the ruling elite by establishing structure and organize
societies.
To summarize, these visual documents demonstrate the potentiality of the ruling
elites that portrayed their possessions of authority and wealth, the ability to command
vast numbers of people to built an organized civilization, and how religion influence in
political and social affairs. In other words, the documents symbolize the identity and
power of governmental and religious rulers to be devoted by the population. Finally, the
use of an additional document, such as a letter from a foreigner can describe the
people’s reactions and impressions.