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Who worked in the Aztec government?
The Cihuacoatl was in charge of running the government on a day to day basis. He had thousands of officials and civil servants who worked under him and kept the government and the empire running smoothly. There was also the Council of Four.
How did the Aztecs maintain political power?
The Aztecs built alliances, or partnerships, to build their empire. The Aztecs made the people they conquered pay tribute, or give them cotton, gold, or food. The Aztecs controlled a huge trade network. Markets drew buyers and sellers from all over the Aztec Empire.
What was the Aztec social structure?
The Aztecs followed a strict social hierarchy in which individuals were identified as nobles (pipiltin), commoners (macehualtin), serfs, or slaves. The noble class consisted of government and military leaders, high level priests, and lords (tecuhtli).
Was the Aztec Empire a theocracy?
Both the Aztec and Inca emperors, heirs of long traditions of theocratic rule, retained the trappings of priest-king and divine ruler although their realms were at the “secular” end of the continuum of sociopolitical development.
Who was the leader of the Aztecs?
Itzcoatl, named leader of the Aztec/Mexica people in 1427, negotiated what has become known as the Triple Alliance—a powerful political union of the city-states of Mexico-Tenochtitlán, Tetzcoco and Tlacopán.
What made the Aztecs so powerful?
The Aztec was a strong state due to its military power, its religion, and its tribute system. They developed their own calendar of 18 months of 20 days each, built large cities and huge pyramids and temples, and developed a farming system called chinampas that they used to grow crops on shallow lake beds.
How were boys and girls treated differently Aztec?
As such, Aztec men and women had very different roles. In general, men were expected to do more laborious work while women were expected to work in the household and care for the family. For example, women were tasked with caring for young children, preparing meals and repairing clothing.
How did Aztecs get married?
Aztec family law generally followed customary law. Men got married between the ages of 20-22, and women generally got married at 15 to 18 years of age. Parents and relatives decided when and who their children would marry, and sometimes used marriage brokers.
What are 10 facts about the Aztecs?
10 Interesting Facts About the AztecsTo be brutally honest, the Aztecs were a rather psychopathic lot. ... They were also lovers of sports and the arts. ... The Aztecs developed a complex form of slavery. ... They introduced compulsory schooling. ... The Aztecs were probably brought undone by disease, not conflict.More items...•
Did the Aztecs have a democracy?
The Aztec government was a monarchy. Every major city within the Aztec Empire was ruled by an executive leader called the tlatoani.
What type of laws did the Aztecs have?
Aztec laws were based on royal decrees and on customs that had been passed down from generation to generation. These laws were also interpreted and applied by Aztec judges in the various court systems.
How many leaders did the Aztecs have?
As stated above, the Aztec civilization existed from 1325 when the city of Tenochtitlan was founded until 1521 when the Aztec were conquered by Spanish conquistadors under the leadership of Hernán Cortes. During that period of time, the Aztec were ruled by 11 different huey tlatoani.
How did the Aztecs maintain their political and social power during the height of their empire?
In general though, the Aztec were subjects of the more powerful Tepanec and Aztec leaders were only allowed to remain in power by paying tribute to the Tepanec. Also, during this time period, Aztec rulers increased the power of their society by forming strong alliances with other societies around Lake Texcoco.
How did the Aztecs build complex governments?
The Ancient Aztec government is not ruled by one person or one family. It is ruled by a group of families called the Calpulli. They would have one leader, and then have other leaders that would direct smaller councils. These councils were called City Councils, and they held the most power out of the Aztec Society.
How was the Aztec Empire just like Europe politically?
The Aztec state was very hierarchical, with an emperor at the top and a group of unruly nobles beneath him, just like Europe! And in addition, there was a class of powerful priests whose job it was to keep order in the cosmos.
Which statement best describes the political structure of the ancient Aztecs?
Which statement best describes the political structure of the ancient Aztecs? The Aztec civilization was ruled by an emperor and had about four hundred tribute states.
What was the governance of the Aztec Empire?
Governance of the Aztec Empire. Loading... The Aztec Empire had a hierarchical government with power and responsibility running from the top down. The empire’s rule was indirect over its provinces. That is, as long as the province or territory paid the tribute it owed the empire in full and on time, the empire left the local leaders alone.
What did the council of the emperor do?
The council advised the emperor in his decisions. The empire required a host of other government offices, which were filled by a city’s noble families. Each city had a court system with Special Courts, Appellate Courts and a Supreme Court. The city’s merchant class, the pochteca, had their own court to consider matters of trade.
What was the foundation of the empire's hierarchical structure?
The foundation of the empire’s hierarchical structure was the family. A group of interrelated families then formed a calpulli, a sort of neighborhood or guild. The calpullis organized local schools and shrines and took care of the group as a whole.
Why was the Aztec Empire informal?
The informal nature of the Aztec empire can be seen in the fact that generally local rulers were restored to their positions once their city-state was conquered and the Aztecs did not interfere in local affairs as long as they received a tribute .#N#A form of government in the ancient time was often referred to as an empire, in fact most areas within the empire were organized as city-states (known as an altepetl, in the language of the Aztecs). Each city-state was controlled by the leader. Each Calpulli would have a leader and they would form a councils, councils held a lot of power in the ancient Aztec government.#N#Calpulli is the basic unit if ancient Egypt. The leader would be responsible for basic needs of the group. The Calpulli made sure taxes were collected from people. Since Aztec emperor didn’t rule every city state directly, Local government would stay in place but would be forced to pay various amounts of tribute to the triple alliance.#N#The emperor was required to be from a royal family. Emperor was believed to be the representative of god. Once the emperor was selected, he served his city state for life. New emperor was elected by a high council of four nobles who were related to the pervious ruler (brother or son). Requirements for a new emperor:#N#· Required to be over the age of 30#N#· Educated at one of the elite schools#N#· Experienced warrior and military leader#N#As the empire started to grow, a noble family controlled each city. The noble family was supposed to assist the emperor but really each noble family ran things in their own city the way they wanted. The Aztecs emperor ruled over all the people. The emperor lived in capital city of Tenochtitlan. The emperor oversaw markets and temples, led arms and resolved legal disputes.
What was the role of the Calpulli in the Aztec government?
Each Calpulli would have a leader and they would form a councils, councils held a lot of power in the ancient Aztec government. Calpulli is the basic unit if ancient Egypt. The leader would be responsible for basic needs of the group. The Calpulli made sure taxes were collected from people.
What was the form of government in the ancient world?
A form of government in the ancient time was often referred to as an empire, in fact most areas within the empire were organized as city-states (known as an altepetl, in the language of the Aztecs). Each city-state was controlled by the leader.
What are the requirements to become an emperor?
Requirements for a new emperor: · Required to be over the age of 30. · Educated at one of the elite schools. · Experienced warrior and military leader. As the empire started to grow, a noble family controlled each city.
What was the Aztec government like?
The Aztec government was similar to a monarchy where an Emperor or King was the primary ruler. They called their ruler the Huey Tlatoani. The Huey Tlatoani was the ultimate power in the land. They felt that he was appointed by the gods and had the divine right to rule.
What were the laws of the Aztecs?
Law. The Aztecs had a fairly sophisticated code of law. There were numerous laws including laws against stealing, murder, drunkenness, and property damage. A system of courts and judges determined guilt and punishments. They had different levels of courts all the way up to a supreme court.
How many people were in Tenochtitlan?
At its peak under Montezuma II, Tenochtitlan is thought to have had a population of 200,000 people. Interesting Facts about Aztec Government. Huey Tlatoani meant "Great Speaker". The leader of other lesser cities was called the Tlatoani of that city.
What was the Aztec Empire made of?
The Aztec Empire was made up of city-states. At the center of each city-state was a large city that ruled the area. For the most part, the Aztec Emperor did not interfere with the ruling of the city-states. What he required was that each city-state paid him a tribute.
Who were the Aztec emperors?
Aztec Emperors. Here are a few of the more famous Aztec Emperors or Huey Tlatoani: Acamapichtli - The first emperor of the Aztecs, he ruled for 19 years starting in 1375. Itzcoatl - The fourth emperor of the Aztecs, he conquered the Tepanecs and founded the Triple Alliance.
Who was the ninth emperor of the Aztecs?
Montezuma II - The ninth emperor of the Aztecs, Montezuma II was the leader when Cortez and the Spanish arrived. He had expanded the empire to its greatest size, but was killed by the Spanish. Other Officials. The second in command of the Aztec government was the Cihuacoatl. The Cihuacoatl was in charge of running the government on a day ...
What were the other important officials in the government?
Other important officials in the government included the priests who oversaw the religious aspects of the city, the judges who ran the court system, and the military leaders. Law.