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Chapter 3
The Military Life Cycle |
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Conquest and warfare in the Aztec Empire were tied directly to the army and its organization. This organization is not clearly understood: however, the interpretations of many modern writers often conflict.
1 Unfortunately, there is no extant account of the complete ranking system and organization of the Aztec army. Thus, any description of the army system must necessarily be a reconstruction. |
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There were army ranks similar to the modern "general," "major," and so forth, and there were likewise general groupings of warriors much like our ''enlisted men'' and "officers."2 However, the members of the Aztec army had many different and cross-cutting loyaltiesto the city, the calpolli (ward), the king, the calpolli headman, and so forthand their rank did not depend merely on their position in a monolithic, centralized military hierarchy. Thus, an exact classification of ranks and statuses, in the modern Western military sense, is falsely precise and distorts the way the Aztecs conceived of their military system. There are parallels between the Aztec and Western systems, born of similar organizational and operational necessities, but these similarities should not blind us to the differences. |
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The historical development of the Aztec military system creates another problem in interpretation. The writings of the conquistadors and other chroniclers offer the impression that the Aztec military system as encountered by the first Spaniards reflected an unchanging norm. In fact, Aztec developments were not always simply an elaboration on common Mesoamerican themes. Both the political and military organizations of other central Mexican polities varied considerably.3 Furthermore, the Aztec military system had been evolving rapidly. The army created new offices and it promulgated |
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