Aztec Daily Life - Social Pyramid- 6th grade Colorado

Aztec Daily Life - Social Class - 6th grade Colorado

By Melissa Scott

Section 1 - Class Structure

Introduction

​Aztec society was divided into five main social classes. At the top of the class structure were the ruler and his family, followed by a noble class of government officials, priests, and high-ranking warriors. The third and largest class was made up of commoners, citizens who were not of noble rank. Below the commoners were the peasants, who were neither slaves nor citizens. At the bottom of the class structure were the slaves.

Multiple Choice

How might someone become the Aztec emperor?

• by replacing his emperor father when he turned 16

• by inheriting the position from his mother's father

• by seizing the position after his army killed the emperor

• by being chosen by a group of advisers after his uncle died

Section 1 - Class Structure

Introduction Continued

​Each class had its own privileges and responsibilities. However, an Aztec's status was not fixed. Commoners could move up in social class by performing brave deeds in war or by studying to be priests, and nobles could fall in rank if they failed to live up to their responsibilities.

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The Ruler

​The Aztec ruler, or emperor, was considered semidivine. Called tlatoani, or “he who speaks,” the emperor maintained the empire and decided when to wage war.

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The Ruler

The Ruler - Continued

​The position of ruler was not hereditary, as it was in many other societies. When an emperor died, his son did not automatically become ruler. Instead, a group of advisers chose the new ruler from the emperor's family. Each new ruler was expected to acquire new wealth of his own, which was an important motive for constant warfare.

Multiple Choice

Who within Aztec society would this checklist belong to?

Study the sky

Run the school

predict the future

• Commoner

• Government official

• Priest

• Military Leader

Multiple Choice

The Ruler was....

• the best at farming and fishing

• The True Man

• Semi Divne and decided when to wage war

• Conducted religious ceromonies

​Government Officials, Priests, and Military Leaders

​The emperor was supported by a noble class of government officials, priests, and military leaders. Officials in Tenochtitlán counseled the emperor, worked as judges, and governed the city's four districts. Other nobles throughout the large empire ruled cities, collected tribute, or managed the construction of public buildings and roads.

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Government officials, Priests, and ​ military leaders

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The emperor appointed government officials for life. Although noble status was not hereditary, most sons of nobles earned high offices themselves.

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Government officials, priests and military leaders

​Priests conducted all religious rites and served individual gods. Some priests ran the schools that trained boys for government jobs and the priesthood, while others studied the skies and made predictions about the future. Generally, only nobles became priests, but sometimes an Aztec from lower classes was elevated to this position. Girls also had the ability to become priestesses.

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Government officials, priests, military leaders

​Since all Aztec men were trained to be soldiers, commoners could also rise to become military leaders. A common soldier could become a leader by capturing enemies in battle. Military leaders commanded groups of soldiers and took part in war councils.

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Multiple Choice

Government Officials

• Conducted religious rites, served gods, ran schools, studed the sky

• Counseled the Ruler, worked as judges, ruled cities, collected tribute, erected public buildings

• Became priestess

• Built chinampas

Multiple Choice

Military Leaders were in charge of

• Commoners could become military leaders

• Took part in war councils

• commanded groups of soldiers

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

What Social Class could move up by studying to be priests or doing great deeds in war?

• Rulers

• Peasants

• Commoners

• Slaves

Commoners

​The broad class of commoners included several smaller classes. The highest-ranking commoners were professional traders called pochteca. The pochteca led caravans to distant lands to acquire exotic goods. Some also served as spies for the emperor, reporting what type of tribute a city could provide.

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Commoners - continued

​The pochteca worshipped their own god and lived in a separate section of Tenochtitlán. They paid taxes with rare goods and enjoyed many privileges. For example, they could own land and send their children to the nobles' schools.Unlike the nobles, membership in this class was hereditary.

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Commoners - Continued

​Below the pochteca came craftspeople and artisans, such as potters, jewelers, and painters. Some worked in their homes and traded their goods at the market, while others worked in the royal palace and made items especially for the emperor.

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Commoners - Continued

​Most commoners worked as farmers, fishers, laborers, and servants. Instead of owning land, they were loaned plots of land for homes and farms by their calpulli, or ward. All commoners paid tribute to the nobility in the form of crops, labor, or manufactured goods.

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Peasants

​About 30 percent of the Aztec people were peasants. Unlike slaves, people in this class were free, but were considered inferior to commoners. Peasants did not belong to a calpulli and were not loaned land to farm. Instead, they hired out their services to nobles.

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Slaves

​At the bottom of Aztec society were the slaves. Prisoners of war, lawbreakers, or debtors might be forced into slavery. Unlike slaves in many societies, Aztec slaves had a number of rights, which included owning property, goods, and even other slaves. In addition, slaves did not pass their status on to their children, who were born free. In fact, the mother of the emperor Itzcoatl was a slave. Many slaves could be emancipated after working off a debt, upon completing their term of punishment for a crime, or when their masters died.

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