Transcript FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE_3x

FOR THE
GOOD OF THE
PEOPLE
•Aztec Social
hierarchy
•Aztec
education
•Contributing
to society
THE AZTEC SOCIAL
HIERARCHY
• Traditionally, a person status in
society was dictated by the class
they were born into
• In Aztec society there were two main
classes, nobles and commoners
• Most first nations societies prior to
the arrival of the Europeans were
hierarchical
• A hierarchy is a social system where
status is ranked and power is
concentrated in the higher ranks
• At the top of the Aztec hierarchy was
Huey Tlattonai, which means the
Great Speaker
THE AZTEC SOCIAL
HIERARCHY
EMPEROR
NOBILITY
AND
PRIESTS
MERCHANTS ,
ARTISANS,
SOLDIERS
FISHERS AND FARMERS
AND WOMEN
SLAVES
THE AZTEC SOCIAL
HEIRARCHY
EMPEROR
•The leader came from nobles but became
his own class. Role was not inherited.
Council of nobles voted for the Emperor.
NOBLES
•are 10-15% of population but held most of
the power. Priests came from the nobles.
COMMONERS
•anyone not a noble.
•Generally determined by birth, but people could
work up into other classes
•There were different amounts of wealth and
power between different groups in the same
level
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k4XTL6OeT0
ROLE OF THE EMPEROR
•
•
•
•
•
Treated like a god
People obeyed without question
Given all luxuries possible
Lived in a palace
Carried through the streets by
servants
• Huge responsibilities as chief
priest and commander in chief of
Aztec army
FAMILY CLANS
• Society organized into units called
calpolli
• Lived in the same neighbourhood and
worshipped at the same temple
• Some based on occupations others
based on family
• Calpolli owned the land were members
lived
– Had an elected captain and council
– Assigned land and houses
– Collected taxes
– Kept neighbourhoods clean
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
gypaIBBvB_8
MERCHANTS AND
FARMERS
MERCHANTS
– Richest calpolli
– Went on expeditions, acted as spies,
brought back goods
– Paid taxes for the benefit of the state
– Detailed knowledge of geography and
foreign cities made them valuable
advisors during wartime
FARMERS
– Grew crops
– Skilled hunters and fishers
– Sold goods in market
– Gave share of produce in taxes
ARTISANS
• Artisans are skilled craftworkers
– Mask makers, goldsmiths, feather workers
were some examples of Aztec artisans
• Feather work was only worn by nobility as it
was the most valued item in Aztec society
• The most prized feathers were of the quetzal
bird
• they were associated with the god ,
Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent
• Aztecs collected feathers as part of tribute
they collected from people they ruled
• Tribute were items of value from conquered
people
THE TLATELOCIO MARKET
• It was the largest market of the Aztec empire
• Cortes wrote that he believed it could hold
up to 60,000 people at a time
• Historians believed up to 25,000 people
visited per day
• Goods on display included fabric, clothing,
pottery, jewellery and food
• Cacao beans were so valuable they were a
form of currency
• The market had its own police force and
vendors who cheated their customers were
sold into slavery
WHAT YOU COULD BUY AT
THE TLATELOLCO MARKET
ITEM
PRICE
Cotton cloak
Dugout canoe
100 cacao beans
One cotton cloak or
100 cacao beans
A load of red dye
Two cotton cloaks
A slave
30 cotton cloaks
A slave who could sing 40 cotton cloaks
and dance
The market was a great source of pride it was
the first place the Aztecs showed the Spanish
upon their arrival in Tenochtitlan
STATUS AND THE AZTECS
• Clothing, jewellery, size and location of
house all indicated status
• Success on the battlefield can mean
advancement
– Warrior taking four enemies prisoner
immediately eligible for high social status
• Aztecs attitude towards wealth was a
contrast to most first nations for whom
displays of wealth were considered selfish
• What are modern examples of status
symbols?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_iYY5-kFiE
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPypEYf
V2s8
AZTEC EDUCATION
• The Aztecs pampered their children until age
three after which they were expected to be
hardworking and obedient
• Goal was said to be to create citizens with a
stone heart and a stone face
• Aztec children were educated at home until
they started school
• It is estimated they started school from ages
10-15
• All schooling was free and every child went to
school
• There were two types of school
– The calmecac for nobles
– The telpochcalli for commoners
THE CALMECAC
• Located in their neighbourhoods and usually
part of a temple
• Studied religion, reading, writing, math,
music, law and the calendar
• Only nobles were educated to read and write
• Writing was a series of glyphs
– Pictures or symbols used in writing
• Number system was a base 20 using both
fingers and toes to count
• All boys trained as warriors
• At age 15 boys became warriors and took an
active role in battle
THE CALMECAC
WHAT THEY STUDIED
WHAT THEY TRAINED TO
BE
ASTRONOMY
Generals in the army
MATHEMATICS
Judges
READING
Priests
WRITING
Scribes
MUSIC
High Government officials
LAW
Diplomats
THE CALENDAR
Teachers
When an Aztec boy was born his umbilical
cord was buried in the battlefield. When a girl
was born her umbilical was buried beneath the
fireplace in the family home. What do you
think is the symbolic significance of each
placement?
TELPOCHCALLI
EDUCATION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEBL2vy0gk&feature=related
• Received oral (not written) instruction in
history, religion, citizenship, and music
• Specific instruction in flutes, drums and the
sacred dances
• Boys did lots of physical labour at school
• Families trained their children for their family
trade
• Girls were educated regardless of social rank
• However at age 16 most girls got married
and moved in with their husbands
• Women also had opportunities as army
doctors, healers, priestesses, matchmakers
and midwives
AZTEC CITIZENSHIP
• Students were taught to be good citizens
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpzS6hg7-Lg
VIRTUES OF IDEAL
AZTEC CITIZENS
HOW YOU DEMONSTRATED THE VIRTUE
COURAGE
Show courage despite hardships without complaining
SELF- SACRFICE
The group was more important than the individual. Every
Aztec had to be willing to sacrifice possessions, comfort
for the good of society
MODESTY
No one was to boast about personal achievements, or do
anything else to stand out from the crowd
CLEAN LIVING
People had to keep themselves healthy and avoid
overindulging in food and drink
OBEDIENCE
Everyone had to obey their superiors without question, this
helped preserve this social order
LAWS AND LAWMAKING
• System of written laws protected the rights
of the people
• Nobles were often judged more severely than
commoners as they were to set a good
example
• Small crimes-punishment fines or slavery
• The Aztecs did not have prisons so
punishment for serious crimes, like theft was
death
• There was some protection for slaves under
Aztec law
• Slavery was not considered a permanent or
shameful condition
SLAVE LAWS
• Itzcoatl was the 4th Aztec emperor even
though he was born the son of a slave
woman
• Were protected because they were valuable
– If a noble beat a slave to death, the noble
could be executed
– If a slave could escape to the Emperor
while being sold, they won their freedom
– Slaves could maintain their property while
they paid off their debts
– Slaves could become free when they
cleared their debts
– Children born to slaves were free