The Tarascans and agriculture

The Tarascans and agriculture

The P’urhépecha, formerly known as Tarascans, are an indigenous people of Mexico, living primarily in the state of Michoacán. The self-name P’urhépecha is now preferred because it is more respectful of their cultural identity.

History –
Even before the Spanish conquest, they had established a centralized kingdom with its capital in Tzintzuntzán, on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro. Previously, the most important ceremonial center was Ihuatzio.
Their king, known as cazonci, ruled over a large population with strong political and religious power. Typical architectural structures were yácatas, semicircular or rectangular pyramidal platforms that served as temples and tombs for the rulers.
Their religion centered on the worship of solar and warrior deities, such as Curicaueri, god of fire and the sun, and other deities associated with the natural elements. The rulers were buried with elaborate ceremonies in crypts beneath the temples.
When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the Tarascans were not conquered by the Aztecs but instead quickly fell under European rule. The last independent ruler, Tangaxoan II, was executed by Nuño de Guzmán. Despite this, many linguistic and cultural traditions have survived to this day.
16th-century archaeological and chronicle sources estimate the population of their kingdom (the Tarascan state or Purépecha) to be around 400,000–600,000 people shortly before the Spanish conquest (1519–1530).
Some higher estimates put the population at up to one million, but more conservative studies tend to place it under half a million.
As in much of Mesoamerica, after the arrival of the Spanish, the population plummeted due to epidemics, exploitation, and warfare: in less than a century, it was reduced to a fraction (perhaps 10–15% of its original number).
Today, the descendants of the Tarascans are the Purépecha, recognized as one of the main indigenous peoples of Mexico.
According to modern censuses (INEGI 2020), approximately 141,000 people claim to speak the Purépecha language, while the population of Purépecha ethnic origin (including those who no longer speak the language) is estimated at around 200,000–250,000 individuals, concentrated mainly in the state of Michoacán (region of Lake Pátzcuaro, Sierra and Cañada de los Once Pueblos).
In summary:
– 16th century (conquest): ~400,000–600,000 (some estimate up to 1,000,000).
– Today: ~200,000–250,000 people of Purépecha identity, of whom ~141,000 are active speakers of the language.

Agriculture –
The economy of the Tarascan kingdom was largely agricultural, although complemented by crafts, fishing, and trade. The Michoacán region, characterized by lakes and fertile volcanic soils, allowed for good agricultural productivity.
The population cultivated both the lakeside areas (with systems similar to the Aztec chinampas, although less developed) and the hillsides, using terraces and irrigated fields. Agriculture was closely linked to religion: many holidays were dedicated to thanksgiving for the harvest.

Agricultural Tools and Crops –
Agricultural tools were quite simple:
– the coa (a type of pointed stick used to dig holes in the earth and plant seeds);
– wooden hoes tipped with obsidian or stone;
– wooden and obsidian tools for cutting and clearing fields.
The mountainous terrain of Michoacán, with its lakes, required ingenious agricultural solutions. The Tarascans did not have an intensive system like the Aztec chinampas of the Valley of Mexico, but they developed techniques suited to their environment:
Terraces: on hills and slopes, they built dry stone walls that supported horizontal platforms, preventing soil erosion and retaining moisture. This allowed them to grow corn and beans even in mountainous areas.
Raised fields (camellones): Near lakes (such as Pátzcuaro and Cuitzeo), they erected earthen platforms surrounded by canals that provided natural irrigation and fertilized the soil with accumulated silt.
Watercourse exploitation: They built small-scale canals to divert water from streams and use it in the fields. Some systems included basins to collect rainwater for use during the dry season.
Mixed agriculture: They combined different crops on the same plot (e.g., corn with beans and squash), so that the plants supported each other: the corn served as support for the climbing beans, while the squash shaded the ground, reducing evaporation.
Near lakes and streams, they also practiced fishing and the gathering of aquatic plants, supplementing their agricultural diet.
The main crops were corn, beans, squash, and chili, along with cotton, tobacco, amaranth, local fruits (such as the capulín, similar to a cherry), and medicinal plants.
Furthermore, the harvesting of algae and aquatic insects from the lakes (such as the ahuautle, also called “Aztec caviar”) was an important food resource.

Guido Bissanti