580 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



entire disposal of the State as represented by its head. In 

 both the civil and military organizations, the centres and sub- 

 centres of control are numerous. Names, very generally 

 given by the king and replacing surnames, change &quot;with 

 every rank of the holder ;&quot; and so detailed is the regimenta 

 tion that &quot;the dignities seem interminable.&quot; There are 

 numerous sumptuary laws : and, according to Waitz, no one 

 wears any other clothing or weapons than what the king gives 

 Kim or allows him. Under penalty of slavery or death, &quot; no 

 man must alter the construction of his house, sit upon a chair, 

 or be carried on a hammock, or drink out of a glass,&quot; without 

 permission of the king. 



The ancient Peruvian empire, gradually established by the 

 conquering Yncas, may next be instanced. Here the ruler, 

 divinely descended, sacred, absolute, was the centre of a 

 system which minutely controlled all life. His headship was 

 at once military, political, ecclesiastical, judicial; and the 

 entire nation was composed of those who, in the capacity of 

 soldiers, labourers, and officials, were slaves to him and his 

 deified ancestors. Military service was obligatory on all 

 taxable Indians who were capable ; and those of them who 

 had served their prescribed terms, formed into reserves, had 

 then to work under State-superintendence. The army having 

 heads over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred, five hundred, a 

 thousand, ten thousand, had, besides these, its superior com 

 manders of Ynca blood. The community at large was subject 

 to a parallel regimentation : the inhabitants registered in 

 groups, being under the control of officers over tens, fifties, 

 hundreds, and so on. And through these successive grades 

 of centres, reports ascended to the Ynca-governors of great 

 divisions, passing on from them to the Ynca; while his orders 

 descended &quot; from rank to rank till they reached the lowest.&quot; 

 There was an ecclesiastical organization similarly elaborate, 

 having, for example, five classes of diviners ; and there was 

 an organization of spies to examine and report upon the 

 doings of the other officers. Everything was under public 



