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2/12/17 Journey of a Princess When the Aztecs settled at "The Place of the Prickly Pear Cactus", they tried very hard to get along with their neighbors as their main god had instructed them to do. They did not go to war. They did not capture people to feed to their many gods. Instead, they used their own people. It was an honor to be sacrificed. Everyone knew that. In a spirit of goodwill, the Aztec emperor sent a messenger to a nearby tribe. The chief of the tribe had been a bit standoffish so far. The emperor was hoping that his message might help to make a new friend. The emperor's message was an invitation. He invited the chief's daughter to journey to the Aztec capital to meet his son. When the princess arrived at Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital city, she brought with her many servants and attendants, along with a gorgeous wedding dress and presents most enjoyable evening with the emperor and his handsome son. for her new family. She spent a A few days later, when her father arrived in the city of Tenochtitlan, he fully expected to attend a wedding. Imagine his surprise when he learned that his daughter had been sacrificed with great ceremony, along with her many attendants and slaves. It was the highest honor the Aztecs could pay. Lesson 2 Aztec Emperors Rise To Power While the Spanish were struggling to unify their kingdoms, the Aztec were establishing an empire. Aztec Emperors Rise To Power • Acamapichtli • Leader of the Aztec – 1376 – Son of an Aztec nobleman and a Culhua princess Broken hearted, the chief hurried home to his people. That very day, he sent his army to wage war on the horrible Aztecs. The Aztecs won. They went on to conquer tribe after tribe in the valley. Each conquered tribe had to pay tribute to the Aztecs in the form of food, clothing, jewels, and of course, captives to feed the hungry gods. That made the Aztecs very happy and very rich. Truly, the Aztecs were not worried that their main god might be angry with them for going to war a little sooner than originally planned. After all, they had tr ied to get along. And just as soon as they had conquered all the people in the valley, they would live in peace with their neighbors, exactly as their god had told them to do. Surely there could be no confusion about that. Aztec Emperors Rise To Power • Societies who could claim a direct lineage to the earlier civilization of the Toltec were the most respected and held the greatest power in the Valley of Mexico. • Aztec emperors increased their power by creating alliances with other powerful rulers Acamapichtli – Culhua were considered direct descendants of the Toltec – Chose a daughter of a Culhua royal so all emperors could be considered descendants of the Toltec 1 2/12/17 Conquering New Societies Aztec Emperors Rise To Power • During the next 50 years, the Aztec gained power and respect in the Valley. • Life in Aztec society developed around a culture of war • The goals of battle were two fold: • In 1428, Itzcoatl, formed a Triple Alliance. • Within 4 years, most of the region was under the control of the Alliance except for the powerful Tlaxcalan. • The Aztec remained in constant conflict with the Tlaxcalan republic. Conquering New Societies 1. To seek an honorable defeat for the enemy and then make them pay tribute and provide labour to the empire 2. To gain soldiers for the human sacrifice to the god Huitzilopochtli Conquering New Societies • Military strategy was to conquer weaker societies that were around stronger ones. • The Aztec maintained power with a strong military and their alliances with conquered citystates • Then they attacked the weaker altepetl. • The empire eventually included over 50 citystates • The Aztec did not try to reorganize the societies they defeated – The defeated ruler continued to carry out local laws and people continued to follow their own customs and beliefs Aztec Government Aztec Government- Emperor • Aztecs had one king/emperor who ruled over all – chosen by a council of nobles and priests • Nobles served as judges, officials, and governors • Wore elaborate gold jewelry 2 2/12/17 Aztec Societal Classes Political Structure • Society was carefully divided in to three classes Emperor 1. Nobility 2. Commoners 3. slaves. The Chief of Internal Affairs Tlatoque Tecutin 1. Nobility • The nobility enjoyed certain privileges as they were nobles by birth. • Priests, warriors and artisans who earned their rank were also considered to be a part of this class. 1. Nobility • In Aztec society, warriors, priests, as well as nobility were highest of the noble class and were often revered for their powers. Priests 1. Nobility • The very highest social strata were made up of a special family called as the pipiltin. • These were the hereditary nobility and often had special posts in the government, the army as well as the priesthood 2. Commoners • The second class was of the commoners who carried out the daily work of the society. • It was made up the farmers and traders of the state. • They were eligible to own land collectively as a family or as a clan but could not own the land individually. 3 2/12/17 2. Commoners • Commoners could collectively own an area of land for their lifetime. • The poorest of commoners was considered as the tenant farmers. 3. Slaves • Slaves were on the lowest step of the Aztec society. • They had no rights. • But slaves did have an opportunity to buy back their freedom with the required money. • The tenant farmer cultivated the land in return for a part of the harvest; however, they did not own their own land. 3. Slaves • Aztec slaves were usually people captured from other tribes. • If an Aztec slave had a child, their child was also a slave The Role Of Law In The Aztec Society • The Aztec society was pretty orderly with strict laws to enforce the discipline. • If the law was broken punishments were given in the form of fines and fees and heavier crimes were punished with harsh discipline or even death 4