aztec politics
huey tlatoani (emperor) elected by a ccouncil of wise men made up of the greatest warriors and wisest priests.
emperor is the representative of the god. he was head of government and highest priest
emperor sentanced the criminals
emperor could be dismissed by the wise men
next emperor was not always a family member
city states
Priests
advised the emperor
decided which days to go to war
explained dreams or omens to the emperor
click to edit
altepetl
- city-state made up of clans.
- own customs and beliefs.
- own origin stories and recorded history.
- their ruler is called tlatoani.
- the mexica had 3 altepetls (great alliance)
economy
tribute to the emperor:could be in the form of
- military service providing protection
- food (cacao beans)- used to buy goods
- natural resources (lumber)
- special crops (cotton)
- featherwork or precious metals -
farming
- irrigation and dike systems were created
- chinampas (floating garden): fertilized with human waste, food grown on chinampas supplied almost half of all the cities
cottage industries - labour force consists of families or individuals working at home with their own equipment Ex: ceramic pottery, blades/tools made from obsidian, paper from inside of bark
- biggest market was in tenochtitlan
- each type of product sold on a seperate street
- based on trade
- selling outside the marketplace was forbidden
- large white cloaks + cocoa beans were currency
pochteca
- long distance merchant
- organized porters (carriers) in caravans all over the empire
- traded goods for raw materials to make clothes + jewelry for the nobility
- called "spying merchants" because they travelled enemy territory + report back to the emperor
- they held high status