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

"Ancient America." The Aztecs. History wiz, n.d. Web. 20 Mar 2012.

http://www.historywiz.com/anc-america.html  "Ancient Aztec Government." The Calpulli. N.p.,

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n.d. Web. 20 Mar 2012. http://www.ancientsites.com/aw/Thread/276452

"Aztec government." Aztec government. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar 2012.

http://mayaincaaztec.com/azgo.html

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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

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  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.