Download Aztec Life Student - Ms. Kirstie Jensch`s Social Class

2/12/17
Aztec Emperors Rise To Power
While the Spanish
were struggling to
unify their kingdoms,
the Aztec were
establishing an
______________.
Lesson 2
Aztec Emperors Rise To Power
• Societies who could claim
a _________ lineage to
the earlier civilization of
the Toltec were the most
______________and held
the greatest power in the
Valley of Mexico.
• Aztec emperors increased
their power by creating
_____________ with
other powerful rulers
Acamapichtli
– Culhua were
considered _________
descendants of the
Toltec
– Chose a daughter of a
Culhua royal so all
emperors could be
considered
descendants of the
Toltec
Aztec Emperors Rise To Power
• Acamapichtli
• Leader of the Aztec
– 1376
– Son of an Aztec
nobleman and a
Culhua princess
Aztec Emperors Rise To Power
• During the next ______ years, the Aztec gained
power and respect in the Valley.
• In 1428, Itzcoatl, formed a _________________.
• Within 4 years, most of the region was under the
control of the Alliance except for the powerful
__________________.
• The Aztec remained in constant _________ with
the Tlaxcalan republic.
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Conquering New Societies
•
Life in Aztec society developed around a
culture of _________
•
The goals of battle were two fold:
1. To seek an __________________ for the
enemy and then make them pay
_________ and provide labour to the
empire
2. To gain soldiers for the human
_________ to the god Huitzilopochtli
Conquering New Societies
• The Aztec maintained power with a strong
_________and their alliances with conquered
city-states
• The empire eventually included over 50 citystates
• The Aztec did not try to reorganize the societies
they defeated
Conquering New Societies
• Military strategy was to conquer _________
societies that were around stronger ones.
• Then they
attacked the
weaker altepetl.
Aztec Government
• Aztecs had ______king/emperor who ruled
over all – chosen by a ____________ of
nobles and priests
• _________ served as judges, officials, and
governors
• Wore elaborate gold jewelry
– The defeated _________continued to carry out local
laws and people continued to follow their _________
customs and beliefs
Aztec Government- Emperor
Political Structure
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Aztec Societal Classes
• Society was carefully divided in to three
classes
1.
2.
3.
1. Nobility
• The nobility enjoyed
certain
____________ as
they were
nobles by _________.
• Priests, warriors and
artisans
who _________ their
rank were
also considered to be
a part of this class.
1. Nobility
• The very highest
social strata were
made up of a special
family called as the
_________.
• These were the
_________________
nobility and often had
special posts in the
government, the army
as well as the
priesthood
2. Commoners
1. Nobility
In Aztec society,
warriors, priests, as
well as nobility were
_________of the
noble class and were
often revered for
their _________.
2. Commoners
• The second class was of the
commoners who carried out the
_______ _______of the society.
• Commoners could
__________________own an
area of land for their lifetime.
• It was made up the farmers and
traders of the state.
• The poorest of commoners
was considered as the
_________farmers.
• They were eligible to own land
collectively as a _________or as
a clan but could not own the
land __________________.
• The tenant farmer cultivated
the land in return for a part of
the harvest; however, they
did _____own their own land.
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3. Slaves
• Slaves were on the _____________step of
the Aztec society.
• They had no _________.
• But slaves did have an opportunity to buy
back their freedom with the required
_________.
3. Slaves
• Aztec slaves were
usually people
_______________
from other tribes.
• If an Aztec slave
had a child, their
child was also a
_________
The Role Of Law In The Aztec
Society
• The Aztec society was pretty
orderly with _________laws
to enforce the discipline.
• If the law was broken
punishments were given in
the form of _______and
fees and heavier crimes
were punished with
_________ discipline or
even death
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