Social Structure Of The Aztecs

The Aztecs were a group of people from northern Mexico who migrated south to settle along the shores of Lake Texcoco around the year 1300. Here, they constructed two major cities, Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. From here, the Aztecs would continue to migrate, capturing nearby city states and other smaller empires in order to expand their own. The Aztecs tied religion into their military objectives, believing that war was an article of religious faith. This sense of religious right and duty was evident in their rapid growth through the capture of nearby empires. Through war, nobles and commoners as well, could be raised to a more righteous position in society and also acquire wealth. The Aztec system of gods, goddesses, and beings that had

In the beginning, there was little social distinction and all were poor. By the sixteenth century, a diverse social structure had formed with a warrior aristocracy had the greatest power. The Aztecs also had an emperor, who selected generals, judges, and the governors of provinces based upon their reputations in war. The governors controlled all aspects of their provinces, which included duties such as maintaining general order and settling disputes or legal cases. These governors were considered nobles and distinguished this by wearing jewelry and embroidered cloaks. Below these nobles was the warrior class. This included soldiers and imperial officials. Soldiers were trained from age six and went into fought in their first campaign around the age of eighteen. If a young soldier captured one enemy for sacrifice, he became known as an iyac, or warrior. If the soldier killed or captured four enemies in his following campaigns, he became a tequiua, also known as a noble. If the soldier failed to do this, he would become known as a maceualtin, or a commoner. The maceualtin made up the majority of the Aztec population, and were considered a normal working class. Below them was the tlalmaitl, who were landless workers or serfs, and had agreed to work for warriors if they were put under their protection. The lowest of all classes were the slaves, who were often captured or kidnapped peoples. Women also had an important role in society, however their role was restricted to the domestic household. The women carried the sacred and exclusive art of weaving, and was expected to keep the household