Aztec Presentation Summary

Aztec Presentation Summary

This presentation will focus on Aztec society, law and culture, and will also examine the decline of the Aztec empire. The Aztecs were an extremely hierarchical society with a well-developed administrative system. It is particularly worthwhile to examine how Aztec society functioned as it may assist us in understanding their subsequent decline and conquest by the Spanish Empire.

The Aztec empire was comprised of a series of city-states known as ‘altepetl’. Each city-state was ruled by a supreme leader, or ‘tlatoani’. The supreme leader would be assisted by a supreme judge and administrator, the ‘cihuacoatl’. The supreme leader of the capital (Tenochitlan) served as the Emperor (‘Huey Tlatoani’) of the entire Aztec

empire. The Emperor’s role was as the ultimate owner of all land in his city state. They would receive tribute, oversee markets and temple activities, act as head of the military and resolve judicial disputes with advice from the cihucoatl. The cihuacoatl was the Emperor’s second in command, and was responsible for handling the financial affairs of the city-state. Emperors and their nobles were selected from the highest class, and they would often hold distinguished positions in political and military offices.

Commoners owed both services and taxes to their regional supreme leader in addition to the Emperor.

Most commoners were urban artisans or farmers who lived in communities or neighbourhoods with their own established temples, schools and leaders. (SOURCE) The richest among the commoner class were the professional merchants (‘pochetca’), whose ability to generate personal wealth allowed them to purchase sacrificial victims, which in turn gave them some upward social mobility. Below the commoner class was the ‘mayque’, or serfs, who were tied to the land and provided labour to the king. Many of the individuals who belonged to this class were once free commoners who were relegated to this class through conquest or poverty. At the bottom of the social hierarchy, however, were the ‘tlacotin’, called slaves by the Spanish. These individuals were often relegated to this status because of some crime. Individuals who constantly transgressed would be sold as sacrificial

victims.

The Aztec judicial system was highly organised, and had a focus on maintaining social order and creating respect for government institutions.

Judges were bound by existing law to some extent, but still had the discretion to do what was reasonable under the circumstances. Many Aztec legal records were destroyed by the Spanish as they were believed to be heretical. The main source of information about Aztec law comes from codices authored by Spanish priests.

The Aztec empire was seemingly unshakable until 1519, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico under the leadership of Hernan Cortez. Cortez and his small armed force (initially five hundred men) would pose a new and unexpected threat to the Aztec empire. This threat was compounded as Cortez inadvertently landed on the shores of the Aztec empire on the very day that Aztec diviners prophesised the return of Quetzacoatl, the hero-king of the Toltecs. Cortex was initially misidentified as Quezacoatl by the local people, which greatly enhanced the speed of his

conquest.

The Tlaxcalans initially resisted the Spanish, but soon came to the realisation that the aggressive newcomers could be used agains their Aztec enemies. Accompanied by the Tlaxcalan and their other Indian allies, Cortex entered Tenochitlan in early November, where they were received by Motecezuma (the reigning emperor) and housed for six months. This amenity did eventually break when the King was mysteriously killed during fighting that broke out in 1520, precipitated by the Spanish desecration of the main temple in the city. At that point, the weaknesses in the Empire became apparent, and the former allies of Tenochtitlan fell away, leaving the Empire vulnerable. The Spanish were finally victorious in August 1521. The Viceroyalty of New Spain was founded in the place of the Aztec Empire that same year.

While many issues contributed to the decline of the Aztec empire, one of the most significant issues was that the empire had been assembled ‘through intimidation, alliance and conquest.’ (SOURCE) A large number of individuals under Aztec rule were not willing participants in the state, and the practise of demanding tribute from the conquered states only added to the enmity between the supposed allies. The role of disease can also not be overlooked, as the disorder associated with the several mass outbreaks from 1520 to 1548 certainly benefited the Spanish.

The similarities between the Spanish administrative system and the Aztec system allowed the first wave of Spanish colonisers to maintain order immediately following the conquest. The second wave of colonisers began the process of cultural subjugation that defines the conquest and decline of the Aztec empire.