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new requirements for holding existing offices. My discussion of the system reflects the situation in the last years of the Aztec Empire; changes in this system are discussed in chapters 915. |
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Along with commerce and the priesthood, a distinguished military career was the most widely accessible of the three major avenues for social advancement in Aztec society. Social advancement was usually attained through feats of military prowess, which were generally measured by the number of captives taken in battle. This does not mean that slaying the enemy was not importantit wasbut success that led to advancement lay in taking the enemy captive. Furthermore, some enemies were regarded as notoriously more difficult to capture than others, so achieving rank depended on the quality as well as the quantity of one's captives.
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Historical accounts place the greatest emphasis on the elite warriors, but most of the army was composed of commoners without military distinctionyaoquizqueh (sing. yaoquizqui). It was possible to rise from this status by virtue of one's deeds and ability, but social class did influence one's military career, despite the emphasis on advancement by merit. To appreciate what the system of achievements and class distinction entailed requires some consideration of both the context of Aztec social classes and the individual's military life cycle. |
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Military ranking was intimately tied to the overall social structure of Aztec society, and social ranking was intimately tied to political offices, the latter defining rights and requiring the holder to have specified a status.5 At the apex of Aztec society were the ruling nobles who were subdivided into several categories. The tlahtoani was the ruler of a province or townthe king. A tlahtoani who was subordinate to a higher tlahtoani was called a teuctlahtoh (pl. teuctlahtohqueh). The occupants of these positions were nobles who received their offices through some form of hereditary succession, although the process was not uniform throughout central Mexico. The tlahtohqueh were supported by tribute from commoners and subject |
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