B: Worldviews in Conflict 8. For the good of the People p. 170 Flashcards
What are the two main classes in Aztec society?
nobles and commoners
You were born into a class but were able to work your way to a higher level within that class with your own efforts
Both classes had their own subdivisions with some people having more wealth and power than others within the same level.
How did the Aztecs organize their society?
Emperor
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Nobility Priests
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Merchants Artisans Soldiers
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Fishers Farmers Women
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Slaves
Emperor
The leader came from the nobles, but once he assumed office, he was in a class by himself. His role was not hereditary; a council of nobles decided who would be the next leader by a vote.
Has the title Huey Tlatoani which means “great speaker”
Treated as if he is a god with every possible privilege and luxury.
Responsibilities of chief priest, commander-in-chief, and head of state (asking priests and nobles for advice but he was in total control)
The emperor and members of council were all men
Nobility and priests
Only about 10-15 percent of the population belonged to the nobility, but they held most of the political power and wealth. Priests came from the ranks of the nobles. Noblemen worked as scribes, government officials, and teachers.
Commoners
Anyone who was not a noble belonged to the commoner class.
Merchants, Artisans, Soldiers, Farmers, Fishers, Women, Slaves
What were the calpolli?
Aztec society was organized into units called calpolli (call-POLE-lee). Members of a calpolli lived in the same neighborhood and worshipped at the same temple. Some were based on the work that people did, such as a group of goldsmiths, or feather workers. Others were grouped based on family ties.
Calpolli owned the land where its members lived and farmed. Each elected a captain and a council. The council would then assign land and houses to its residents and collected taxes. The council would maintain the building exteriors and clean the streets.
Merchant calpolli
The richest calpolli in Tenochtitlan
Farmers
gave up a share of their produce in taxes
grew crops, hunted, and fished
donated a certain amount of hours towards projects for the state
Artisans
mask makers, goldsmiths, feather workers (birds were hunted and placed in captivity by Aztecs who would use the feathers to decorate shields, fans, headdresses, and tunics)
In Aztec society, how could you identify the person’s hierarchy?
- clothing worn
- jewelry
- size of house
- location of house
How could you move up in Aztec society?
- achieve success on the battlefield
- goal was to capture prisoners that they could sacrifice to honour the gods
What was the main goal of Aztec education?
To create loyal citizens to strengthen the state.
They wanted citizens who would contribute to the community.
All schooling was free and every child went to school
calmecac was the school for nobles often attached to a temple, where students studied codices and had religious training
telpochcalli was the school for commoners where they learned history, religion, and citizenship and leaned to play flutes and drums and dance; boys also did hard physical labour digging ditches and carrying firewood; students were taught about their family trade at home in addition
glyphs
a system of pictures instead of letters
only nobles learned how to read and write
commoners received all their instruction by the spoken word, rather than reading
At what age did boys become warriors?
15
At what age did most girls marry and move in with their husband?
16
