Download The Civilizations of Ancient Mesoamerica:

The Civilizations of Ancient Mesoamerica:
The Aztecs
Class System
Focus How did a class system help the
Aztecs to be a successful civilization?
The Aztec empire was a rich
combination of cultures of many
different groups, including the Mexicas.
Hundreds, even thousands of years of
tradition influenced the way people lived
in society.
Emperor
Gov. Officials
Nobles
Merchants
Commoners
Slaves
Social classes in Aztec culture.
The emperor was the most
powerful person of the Aztec empire, and he ruled the capital Tenochtitlan.
Just below the emperor, were the Tecuhtli, or rulers of other city-states. They
were very wealthy and lived in large palaces within their cities. Below the
Tecuhtli were the pipiltin, or the noble class. They were high ranking
positions in the priesthood, army, and the government. Only the noble class
could wear certain types of clothes and jewelry such as feathers and gold.
The Pochteca were a special class of Aztec merchants that were treated
like the noble class. They had important jobs to society, such as traveling
long distances to bring back luxury goods. Below the Pochteca, were the
Macehualtin. These were the common people in Aztec society, such as
farmers, warriors, and craftsmen.
At the bottom of the Aztec society were the slaves. In Aztec society,
children of slaves were not slaves. Aztec people became slaves by selling
themselves into slavery to pay for debts or as punishment for crimes. The
slaves had certain rights. They were not to be mistreated by their owners,
they could buy their freedom, and they could not be sold by their masters
unless they agreed.
Growing Up Aztec
Focus Why was education mandatory, and how did it help the Aztecs to be a
successful civilization?
The Mexica people of the Aztec empire had required education for
everyone, regardless of gender or class. In the end, people in the Aztec
society were generally well educated, though boys received a wider
education than girls.
Girls were taught how to run a home, cook, and care for a family, but
they were also taught things like crafts and ways to financially run the home.
In this way, women had a lot of power in society, though it was behind the
scenes. Boys learned other trades, and were also taught fighting skills and
leadership skills.
(Note: Mandatory education was historically rare in the rest of the world.)
Though children started off with similar education, it was eventually
split into two main branches. First was the calmedcac, which was mainly for
children of nobles. These children would be educated as leaders of society.
Next came the telpochcalli, where children were taught more about Aztec
culture and religion, the trades, and skills particular to gender.
In their mid-teens, adult life would begin. Girls would marry, or stay in
the temple and work. Boys might join the military or begin their trade.
Marriages were arranged and again strongly tied to religious belief.
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Adult Aztec Culture
Focus How did a variety of jobs help the Aztec civilization to run smoothly?
The noble class had a variety of jobs, such as positions of leadership
and influence. They would also have some wealth, and unlike the common
people, they were allowed to enjoy works of art.
There were also various classes of common people. There were
farmers, merchants, and artisans of various kinds. These people had a fair
amount of freedom to be independent and wear stylish clothes.
Another occupation of status was to be an athlete. Aztec culture had
its own version of Ulama, a game played in Mesoamerica. The game was very
popular and the players were celebrities.
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