History: Limhi’s mention of “tribute” as the mechanism of transferring goods to the Lamanite overlord follows the general model of Mesoamerican political conflicts. Military actions and political alliances created dependencies between villages and the more powerful cities. The tribute exacted flowed into the city, increasing its wealth. The Codex Mendoza is a document created around twenty years after the Spanish conquest, between 1541 and 1553, at the request of the Spanish king and created with the assistance of native scribes. Among other things, it records the tributes paid to Tenochtitlan (the site of modern Mexico City), the capital of the Mexica (Aztecs).
The Codex Mendoza lists the tribute from various cities. The items required varied slightly from city to city, likely based on the resources available. Common were blankets and military uniforms. In addition, other natural resources were required such as corn, amaranth, beans salt, maguey syrup, and even wooden beams. Some were required to provide luxury items such as jade, copper, or gold. For the Limhites, clearly, their series of lost battles had forced the economy to a subsistence level that contrasted with the luxury goods King Noah could manufacture. The need to turn over half of their production to their Lamanite masters would have reduced even further the margin upon which nonessentials could be produced.
The level of tribute exacted may have been punitive, rather than a standard amount, especially since not paying the tribute was a capital crime. In other words, this oppressive level of tribute, backed up by military might, was designed to keep Limhi’s people in such subjection that another uprising was not possible.