The Aztec Society and DIY Guide to Social Climbing

Once upon a time, in the tangled web of reeds that adorned a humble islet in the vast lakes of the valley of Mexico. There lived a people with a penchant for prophecy and a knack for adapting faster than a chameleon in a color wheel store. These were the Aztecs, or as they preferred to call themselves, the Mexicas.

It's 1325, and the Aztecs, after a prolonged pilgrimage, have finally decided to unpack their metaphorical bags on a little island called Tenochtitlan. Now, before you start imagining them sunbathing and sipping coconut water, let me burst your bubble. The island belonged to the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco, a neighborhood not exactly known for its friendly potluck dinners.

In the true spirit of survival, the Aztecs did what any sensible people would do – they pledged allegiance, paid tribute, and threw in some mercenary services for good measure. But you know what they say, when life gives you lemons, build a temple. And build they did, a modest one for Huitzilopochtli, the god who was apparently their celestial real estate agent.

The god, through the chief-priests – who, let's face it, were probably the original interior decorators – delivered a prophecy: “Listen, establish yourselves, make partition, found calpullis and lordships in the four corners of the world.” Sure, Huitzilopochtli, because nothing says 'world domination' like marshy reeds and mosquito bites.

And so, the Aztecs got down to business, dividing the island into four neighborhoods that would make even the most intricate jigsaw puzzle blush. The calpullis, those socio-religious-military-political supergroups, settled in these new-fangled quarters, like neighbors who've accidentally synchronized their lawn mowing schedules.

The Aztecs were still the loyal sidekicks of Azcapotzalco, fighting in his battles and contributing more than their fair share to his war chest. The Aztec socio-political organization was still pretty tribal, with limited resources and a knack for self-subsistence, sprinkled with a generous helping of Azcapotzalco-enforced tribute.

However, as fate would have it, Tenochtitlan was about to have its Cinderella moment. The old chieftains took a back seat, and a group of Aztec visionaries set their sights on Culhuacan, an ancient lordship that had managed to keep its political cool despite being subject to Azcapotzalco's rule.

In a plot twist that would make any Netflix series jealous, the Aztecs demanded a nobleman named Acamapichtli to be their first big shot ruler. Culhuacan, after what, we assume, was a lot of heated debates and possibly some ceremonial eye-rolling, agreed. The people of Culhuacan were basically saying, “Sure, let Acamapichtli be the boss. He's got connections with Tloque Nahuaque and a hotline to Yohualli Ehécatl. What could go wrong?”

And thus, from the 1370s onwards, Tenochtitlan had its first king – a lord with Toltec blood, a political hybrid that was the equivalent of introducing a royal flush in a poker game full of tribal cards. With marriage alliances, social stratification, and the emergence of the pipiltin (nobles), the Aztecs transformed from reed-dwelling warriors to a society with a taste for social hierarchies.

In this vibrant transformation, the macehualtin, the common folks, held onto the ancient calpullis structures like a stubborn uncle refusing to upgrade from his flip phone. And so, the stage was set for an epic saga of conquests, cultures clashing, and a civilization that would leave a mark on history bigger than the footprint of a giant sloth in wet cement.

And that, dear readers, is how the Aztecs went from living in reed huts to designing royal thrones. Talk about an upgrade.

Key Points

Socio-political organization

• The Aztecs were a nomadic people who eventually settled on a small island in the Valley of Mexico.
• Upon settlement, they became vassals of the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco and were required to pay tribute and participate in their wars.
• Aztec society was organized into calpullis, which were kinship-based groups that performed various social, economic, religious, and military functions.
• Calpullis were led by priests, chiefs, and a custodian of the community's goods.
• The Aztecs were ruled by supreme chief-priests until the establishment of Tenochtitlan.

Economy

• The Aztecs were primarily a subsistence-level agricultural society.
• They were also involved in trade and craft production.
• The Aztecs were required to pay tribute to the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco.

Following the death of Tenochtli:

• The Aztecs adopted a more centralized political system under the leadership of a king or tlatoani.
• A new social class of nobles, the pipiltin, emerged.
• The common people, the macehualtin, continued to live under the traditional calpulli system.