Social Hierarchy
Name two levels of social hierarchy from Aztec Society
Emperor -> Nobility and Priests -> Merchants, Artisans and Soldiers -> Farmers, Fishers, Women -> Slaves
The Aztecs based all of their higher education on the ability to read and write using a system of pictures called _____
Glyphs
If a noble caused a slave to die, what would happen to them?
They could be executed
Define "courage"
Aztecs were expected to show courage and deal with hardships without complaining, because it made the army strong.
What was the capital city of the Aztecs?
What was one of the things the emperor HAD to know
How to be a skilled warrior, know military strategy and how to lead others
All instruction to commoners was ____; students needed to learn their lessons through ________ because they did not learn to read and write
spoken; rote memorization
The laws often judged the ____ more harshly because they were expected to set a good example.
Nobles
Define "self-sacrifice"
The group was considered more important than the individual. Every Aztec had to be willing to sacrifice possessions, comfort, and even life, for the good of society.
How were calpolli (society units) made?
Some were based on the work that people did, some were groups of people who had close family ties
What was the “calpulli”?
Units which society was organized into
At school, all boys trained as warriors to defend the Aztec state - at what age did they take on an active role in battle?
15
The main way to move up in Aztec society was by achieving success on the battlefield. A warrior who took ____ enemies prisoner immediately became eligible for membership in a higher status.
4
Define "modesty"
No one, not even the greatest warrior, was to boast about personal achievements or do anything else to stand out from the crowd.
What were three common ways of indicating your position in Aztec society?
Your clothing, jewellery and by the size/location of your house.
Which non-noble Aztec group held privileges comparable to the lower
The pochteca (long-distance merchants)
Education was important to the Aztecs, everyone went to school for free. What two types of schools were there?
The school for nobles: calmecac
The school for commoners: tellpochcalli
What did the Aztecs believe about their gods?
That they controlled every aspect of their world, they would look to the gods for signs on how to live
Define "obedience"
Everyone had to obey superiors without question, because this helped preserve the social order.
There are two main ways the Aztecs expanded, name both AND give a brief description
Expanded through trade: They formed allies through trade / merchants could act as spies
Expanded through war: They believed in conquering all the people in the universe to become lords and kings of every place / conquered groups had to pay tributes
How could commoners occasionally move up socially to become nobles?
Through distinguished military service—they were called yāōtequihuah.
Name two common careers/roles for women in Aztec society.
Doctors and healers in the army, priestesses, matchmakers for young people, midwives, home-educators for children
When children were born, the umbilical cord of boys was buried in the battle field and the umbilical cord of girls was buried beneath the fireplace to dedicate them to the household. What does this tell you about their roles?
Boys were dedicated to warfare, and their role in society was expected to be brave warriors and protectors of the empire.
Girls were dedicated to the household, and their role was seen as caretakers, responsible for domestic life and family duties.
Define "clean-living"
People had to keep themselves healthy and avoid over-indulging in food and drink. The Aztecs harshly punished what they considered evil behaviour.
What are two things the Aztecs believed about slavery
It was not shameful, it was a case of bad-luck, they didn't think it to be permanent, slaves could keep their property, children born to slaves were free