Aztecs

1. Aztecs The Social System

2. Law & Order • Crimes: • Wearing clothes or jewellery of another social class • Drunkenness • Adultery • Spreading lies • Main punishments: • death (stoning, drowned or skinned) • mutilation (eg lips cut out) • Work as slave Copy this slide!

3. The King • The ruler of the Aztecs. Elected by nobles. Always a man. Usually related to the previous king. • Immensely powerful. Treated as a god. Must bow in the King’s presence and look at the floor. Could not look directly at King. Must not turn back on King. King is carried and walks on cloaks. • Incredibly wealthy. Lives in palace. Largest room seats 3,000 people. • Only Aztec allowed to wear turquoise. Image from p.333

4. Snake-woman • King’s adviser. In charge of day to day running of government. • Always a man. • Paid no tax. Was provided with house and income. Image from p.333

5. Pilli • Nobles • Wealthy Aztecs • Only Aztecs allowed to live in two storey houses • Priests and priestesses • Were specifically chosen nobles. • Wore dark clothes. Painted skin black. Had long, matted hair. Never washed or slept. • Tortured themselves, eg. Cut ears each day to offer blood to gods. • Priests lived together and could not marry. • Also worked as scribes. Image from p.333 • Warriors • Of great importance because Aztecs relied on tributes coming from conquered people and needed captives for human sacrifice. • Shameful to try and save oneself. Better to die fighting. • All boys train for warfare but few become warriors.

6. Warriors • each town required to provide 400 men for military service. • At 12 boys learned to fight, and had to carry belongings of older warriors • 17-22 they had to fight for their tribe. If no prisoners taken, their head would be shaved. • Once they had killed 3 prisoners they were full warriors. • The warriors captured prisoners for sacrifice.

7. Pochteka The army and merchants who collected tributes from local governments. They were also spies who waged war on tribes showing resistance.

8. Calpulli • Groups of families living in a particular district. • Each clan had a certain amount of land and the responsibility to maintain own temple, choose own leader and collect taxes. • Responsible for encouraging good behaviour of members. • Members were merchants, farmers and landless peasants. (Capulli, Macehualli, Mayeques) Image from p.333

9. Macehualli • City-dwellers • Could rise to great warrior status by capturing four or more enemy warriors Image from p.333

10. Mayeques • Serfs who worked the farms • Could sell themselves into slavery Image from p.333

11. Slaves • Usually bought. • Children sold to slavery to save them from starvation. Aztecs sold themselves into slavery to pay off debts. • Had some rights. Could save money, buy houses, land or slaves and marry free Aztecs. • Slaves could not be treated brutally. Could not be sacrificed unless they belonged to at least 3 owners who had to sell them because of bad behaviour. • Children of slaves born free. Image from p.333