Aztecs/Mexica

Social Groupings

Calpulli

Clans formed while wandering, Aztecs had seven, shifted from kinship groups to residential

Building block of Aztec society, of which every person belonged

Goverend by councils of family heads, although not all families were equal nor all calpulli of equal status

Nobles were on top of commoners, most were born into the class, controlled priesthood and military leadership

New class of workers (like serfs) formed as nobility broke free from old calpulli and acquired private lands, workers did not control land and worked at will of others, low status (still above slaves), may have been war captives, criminals, or people who sold themselves into bondage to escape hunger

Other groups with scribes, artisans and healers, long distance merchangs formed "own" calpulli with own patron gods, privileges, and internal divisions, sometimes served as spies or agents for Aztec military, but were restricted from entro into or rivalry with nobility

Military

Linked to cult of sacrifice and infused whole society

If individual died while taking prisioners for sacrifice, considered a "flowery death", fitting end to a noble life, ensured eternity in highest heaven (same with women who died in childbirth)

Highly ritualized, with different orders and ranks of soldiers

Political Grouping

During expansion, shifted from loose association of clans to society with levels, controlled by supreme ruler

Was intrusive and militant group, distrusted and disliked

State controlled and regulated markets, controlled use and distribution of goods and redistributed much of tribute received from subodinate peoples, tribute depended on whether or not subjects accepted or resited Aztec rule, more tribute given to nobility than commoners

Conflicts/Expansion

Aztecs were good fighters, useful as mercenaries or allies in conflict

After founding of Tenochtitlan, began creating alliances with other city-states, but mostly dominated them and controlled majority of tributes and lands from them

Location

Did not have access to animals such as horses, cows...

Like other Mesoamericans, did not develop strong immunities to diseases that would arrive from Europe and end up with devastating results

Agriculture

Lands taken were used to grow food (sometimes demanded as tribute), peasant labor used

Built chinampas to irrage agriculture (beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth, placed in cane frames and rooted to lake floor, forming artificial floating islands and allowing water to reach all plants

Pochteca- special merchant class, specialized in long-distance trade in luxury items such as plumes of tropical birds and cacao

Religion

Traditional deities, gods of rain, fire, water, corn... at least 128 major deities, but also had different formsand manifestations

Nezhualcoyotl- king of Texcoco, wrote hymns to "lord of the close vicinity", invisible foce that supported all gods, demonstrates "abstract idea of one central religious figure

Huitzilopochtli- Aztec tribal patron, central figure of cult of warfare and sacrifice in Aztec state

Aspects of religion greatly integrated into everyday life (calendar, sacrifices), but believed world was alreadty destroyed four times and would be destroyed again, so eventionally sacrifices to gods would not be enough to hold back their wrath

Art

Customs

Like most peoples in central valley of Mexico, Aztecs spoke language of Nahuatl

Human sacrifice was central to culture, some land even left unconquered for "flower wars" between sides to obtain captives for sacrifice