8.1: The Aztec Social Hierarchy

Student Notes

How did the structure of the Aztec society tell us what was important to the Aztec people?

     At birth, a persons class was determined.  Depending on how well a person worked, they could move to a higher level.  

The Role of the Emperor

     The emperor had the title Huey Tlatoani (way tlah-toe-AH-nee), which means "Great speaker."  The Aztecs understood the emperor was human, but he was treated like a god.  To show the respect, the Aztecs obeyed him without question and pampered him with luxuries, provided him with an enormous palace with his own zoo and beautiful gardens.  When not in his palace, servants carried him on a platform draped in ocelot skin, and swept the streets ahead.  

Duties of the Emperor

     As commander of the army, the emperor had to be a skilled warrior and had to be knowledgeable in military strategy.  Being the head of the state, the emperor was in charge of making important decisions, seeking advice from his priests and nobles, but the final decision had to be made by him.  

Family Clans

Societies in the Aztec culture were organized into calpolli (call-POLE-lee).  Each member of a calpolli lived in the same neighborhood and attended the same temple.  Each calpolli owned their land where the members lived and elected captains and a council.  The task of the elected were to collect taxes and assign houses and land.  The taxes were used to maintain the neighbourhood, and painting and scrubbing the buildings.  This form of electing local leaders helped the commoners gain some form of political control.

Merchants (the richest calpolli)

These were the men who traveled the lands to find prized goods and they acted as spies for the Empire. Upon returning with their goods, they sold the items to the markets and the merchants paid taxes to help enrich the Aztec state.

Farmers

Skilled hunters and fishers, who also had the task of growing crop and feeding the people of Tenochtitlan.  To add to their income, the farmers sold what they caught at market.  To help cover the cost of taxes, the farmers gave up a portion of their produce to pay the tax.   

Artisans 

Some of the most respected artisans were the mask makers, goldsmiths, and feather workers.  The Tenochtitlan people were constantly looking for more beautiful works of art and the finer things in life.  

Feather workers created beautiful items that were highly valued.  Raising tropical birds in captivity, the feather workers made fans, headdresses and tunics.  Many times feathers were used to decorate shields.  The most prized feather was that of the quetzal bird, which lived in the tropical rainforest.  The quetzal feathers were considered sacred and were associated with the god Quetzalcoatl (kets-ahl-COH-ahtl), the "feathered serpent." Many feathers were collected as part of the tribute, when they captured another group. 

Signs of Status

When walking on the street of a busy city, are you able to identify who is rich? 

A person who is a judge?  Teacher?  Business person?

The Aztecs were able to distinguish a persons rank by the clothing they wore, the quality of the cloth and patterns on the fabric.  The size of the house was also a determinant of your position in society.  The First Nations culture considered such displays as selfish.

Moving up in Society

The quickest way to move up the social ladder in the Aztec nation was by bringing prisoners for sacrificial purposes.  If a warrior brought four enemies as prisoners,  they were immediately moved up to a higher social standing.  Commoners were able to rise to nobility with this structure.

8.2: Aztec Education