Aztec Government
By Dina El Naggar
King didn’t hold all the power
Consulted his nobles before making decisions
King had an executive council
Controlled the city and surrounding areas
Expanded the empire by conquering lands
Nobles and priests had a lot of power
Basic unit of government was the calpulli.
City council held the most power
Triple alliance, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan
City council had an executive council
Payed Respect to the king by offering gifts
Harsh punishments for crime
No jails, no torture death was a common
punishment Against the law to be
drunk in public
Nobles were considered leaders
Tenochtitlan dominated the empire
Leader of the city council Huey Tlatcani
Didn’t have absolute power, could be removed from power
Conquered lands forced to pay tribute
Warriors attacked small cities
Expansion of empire helped conquered people.
Conquered people obeyed in fear
War is a constant activity Rulers chosen by council
of noble elders
Manufacturing, trade, agriculture main economic institutions
Traders used as a spy network
Triple alliance is a confederacy
Political, economic, social institutions traits of government
20,000 human sacrifices per year
Each city- state ruled by Tlatoani
City-states, established mode of political organization
Multi-leveled semi- democratic system
Leaders of Tenochtitlan selected by heredity
Serious crimes punished by slavery
Good deeds in battle rewarded well
Huey Tlatoani descendant of gods
The empire’s chief executive, commander-in-chief, chief priest
Tecuhtli highest ranking in aztec government
Oversaw production of fields, judged law-suites
Served as military commander
Formed an empire by commanding tribute
Greedy people Tax collectors-
calpixque Second person in
charge “women snake.”
3 social classes
Four council men divided land
Slaves allowed to buy freedom
Every member part of calpulli
Clans had own government, public services
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Aztec 4 Figure 14. N.d. Photograph. n.p. http://www.google.com.eg/imgres?hl=en&biw=1152&bih=667&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=I5m2NBcp2ClbrM:&imgrefurl=http://www.precolumbianweapons.com/warfare.htm&docid=EZF4vyGZDSNElM&imgurl=http://www.famsi.org/research/pohl/images/aztec4figure14.jpg&w=1542&h=1098&ei=-GVoT4vIKo2dOqL-naQK&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=739&vpy=248&dur=547&hovh=189&hovw=266&tx=111&ty=101&sig=105475202084057376617&page=2&tbnh=140&tbnw=197&start=18&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:18
Aztecs, Incas, Mayas. N.d. Photograph. n.p. http://www.google.com/imgres?start=64&hl=en&biw=1152&bih=667&gbv=2&addh=36&tbm=isch&tbnid=QyM-7Fx9GC84nM:&imgrefurl=http://infospec46.com/maya.html&docid=ugQwozbrqOoVpM&imgurl=http://infospec46.com/aztec.jpe&w=298&h=262&ei=Ks5lT5eyLYSCOorUuYcI&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=0&sig=103918269787454668158&page=4&tbnh=157&tbnw=179&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:64&tx=166&ty=41
Aztec Government. N.d. Photograph. n.p. http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1152&bih=667&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=WCtquz4K7x_ihM:&imgrefurl=http://clccharter.org/sarah1/aztecgovernment.html&docid=0l1e7Zgg7y76vM&imgurl=http://clccharter.org/sarah1/images/aztecs-conquered-by-spanish.jpg&w=366&h=400&ei=B85lT82iK4bpOcaS_IEI&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=109&sig=103918269787454668158&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=117&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&tx=93&ty=42
Aztec Social pyramid. N.d. Photograph. n.p. http://www.google.com.eg/imgres?hl=en&biw=1152&bih=667&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=ZMc2DO31dibIGM:&imgrefurl=http://social-structure-of-aztec.seebyseeing.net/&docid=uqI2tNaf9rStPM&imgurl=http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XiPen29Jx0I/SL4Amlj_aTI/AAAAAAAACMY/xXiUfuMKuw4/2.1A%2525252520Aztec%2525252520Social%2525252520Pyramid.JPG&w=1600&h=1235&ei=-GVoT4vIKo2dOqL-naQK&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=331&vpy=305&dur=2454&hov=197&hovw=256&tx=199&ty=108&sig=105475202084057376617&page=2&tbnh=153&tbnw=198&start=18&ndsp=22&ved=1t
:429,r:12,s:18
Conquest of the Aztecs. N.d. Photograph. n.p.
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1152&bih=667&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=H0nmSBziAgnm6M:&imgrefurl=http://voiceseducation.org/content/conquestaztecs&docid=iL8PxUNXVG6RQM&imgurl=http://visav.phs.uvic.ca/~babul/AstroCourses/P303/Images/quet2.jpg&w=593&h=782&ei=r8hlT4_wBojtObflzOwH&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=187&sig=103918269787454668158&page=3&tbnh=147&tbnw=114&start=42&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:42&tx=43&ty=96
Montezuma. N.d. Photograph. n.p http://www.google.com.eg/imgres?q=nobles+and+priests+from+the+aztecs&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&biw=1600&bih=778&tbm=isch&tbnid=I_ZBYTz5e7gk1M:&imgrefurl=http://thehistorynotes.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html&docid=URpRpz8KpbubDM&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/E3DtAuNmDOY/Tc_HgZUJIlI/AAAAAAAAACU/Yalp9Vyo2Zk/s1600/montezuma.jpg&w=325&h=420&ei=CDBfT5OYuSOsi0ifEH&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=830&vpy=319&dur=2025&hovh=255&hovw=197&tx=139&ty=99&sig=104727407817205017468&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=117&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:30,s:0
Pat garcia. Mexico honours Senador Edward Kennedy with the Aztec Eagle Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Mexico honours Senador Edward Kennedy with the Aztec Eagle | NowPublic Photo Archive. http://www.nowpublic.com/world/mexico-honours-senador-edward-kennedy-aztec-eagle. 2008. Photograph. n.p.