#pre colonization

[jade-quetzalpapalotl]

this intro is a work in progress -

this blog is dedicated to the ancient civilizations of latin america and what I am currently researching about. All independently, on my own time. I have no history degree or working towards any history degree.

I am just a woman who is fascinated by the many diverse ancient civilizations of Latin America and want to keep a record or more so an archive of the information I am learning from such a vast and expansive area from modern day Northern Meixco to Southern Argentina. From the Tepehuán to the Selk'nam.

This will be a long road of research, however I am currently learning about preclassic- early classic period of the Maya.

However, I will more than likely be sharing information of whichever culture I am currently learning about.

This may not come to surprise from other people who have found my blog through @frostedmagnolias but my grandmother is Wichí from the Salta province in current day Argentina. Anyways, I hope this blog will entice others on the many indigenous cultures of Latin America ♡

[dawatyanproject]

Third Gender and the Mughal Court

Image: “Babur meeting a princess.” AD 1598 - National Museum, New Delhi

If you pay attention to this historic painting, members of the khwajasara community can be seen near the tent entrance. They are in service of the princess. There are ample new insights on the often overlooked and erased lived experiences and roles of khwajasaras, within Mughal banquet and court discourse.

Khwajasaras did not only manage the affairs of the harems, as several European historians and scholars have noted, but they also held highly significant positions within the Mughal courts and participated in political, public and cultural spheres.

“Foregrounding this largely unexplored aspect of Mughal history and, in that process, exploring the under-studied aspect of services provided by the ‘third gender’ seems important to develop a complete picture not only of the Mughal private life but also its public, political and cultural dimensions. The administrative and political role played by the khwajasaras has been underplayed or ignored in most writings on the Mughal state. For example, K.S Lal, Gavin Hambly and others, while acknowledging the multifaceted role played by khwajasaras, exclusively highlight their involvement in the harem. It is because of this narrow historical characterization that today the only space associated with the image of a Medieval Indian khwajasara is that of a Mughal harem. A perusal of the contemporary sources reflect that khwajasaras used to perform administrative, religious and managerial duties. Sometimes, the nature of the duty was similar to the ones usually undertaken by important nobles.” ~Scholar Lubna Irfan: ‘Third Gender’ and ‘Service’ in Mughal Court and Harem (Aligarh Muslim University)

[sp-ac-ep-re-si-de-nt]

“North and South America were hardly an empty wilderness when Europeans arrived. The hemisphere contained cities, roads, irrigation systems, extensive trade networks, and large structures such as the pyramid temples, whose beauty still inspire wonder.” - A quote from my textbook that people need to read, and then read again because I’m tired of people justifying genocide and looting by white colonizers because “they weren’t using the land”.

Also if you text your town and state to 1 [phone], it’ll tell you whose stolen land you live on.

[chelsydagger]

092718 05:03 For a long time I've been searching for something that has felt as if it has been gone from me for a long time - it lead me to the practices I try to honour every day. It allowed me to reach into myself and find my spiritual guide - I have since felt more connected and drawn to the earth. There's an energy I feel all around me that I feel incredibly more aware of - i can feel the slightest change in my body when I feel something may go in a direction I did not wish for it to go. I feel as if there is so much more than this still, I feel like I need to find somewhere, someone who can teach me more about where I came from. I have this intense urge to learn more about my people - before Spanish colonization the Philippines was a thriving, beautiful country rich in culture, traditions and practices. I found spiritualism on my own - something had called to me - drew me towards myself, I feel there is a life I knew once before. I want to know more about the indigenous tribes that exist today in the Philippines, I want to trace back my family tree and learn about my ancestry. I want to find which tribe my families once belonged to.