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Tecalli
In ancient Mexico, a teccalli was a noble household or lineage. The Nahuatl word ''teccalli'' is a combination of ''teuctli'', meaning lord, and ''calli'', meaning house. It directly translates to "lord-house" and it can be found in the house compounds of ''altepetls''. The ruler ''tlatoani'' and other nobles ''pipiltin'' would inhabit this house and have commoners ''macehualtin The mācēhualtin ( IPA: , singular ''mācēhualli'' ) were the commoner social class in Aztec society. The Aztec social class of the ''mācēhualtin'' were rural farmers, forming the majority of the commoners in the Aztec Empire. The ''mācēhu ...'' work on the land. Background In altepetl structure, the differentiation between ''teccalli'' and ''calli'' allows for the understanding of the division between commoners and nobles. Although certain city-states may have organized themselves differently, the western ones fully integrated the ''teccalli'' into their housing compound, while the eastern one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Teocalli
A ''teocalli'' (Nahuatl: "God-house") is a Mesoamerican pyramid surmounted by a temple. The pyramid is terraced, and some of the most important religious rituals in Pre-Columbian Mexico took place in the temple at the top of the pyramid. The famous, although no longer extant, Aztec ''Huey Teocalli'' ("Great Temple," Spanish, Templo Mayor) was located next to what is now Mexico City's main square, the Zócalo. A famous 1848 painting by Emanuel Leutze depicts '' The Storming of Teocalli by Cortez and his Troops'', which Leutze painted four years before his classic '' Washington Crossing the Delaware''. One of the Cuban poet José María Heredia's best-known poems is titled ''En el teocalli de Cholula''. In contemporary culture The term is also used in a modern context by Chicano people involved in the Native American Church. Chicano chapters of the Native American Church refer to the organization as a "teocalli." See also *Great Pyramid of Cholula *Cholula (Mesoamerican site) *Ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Altepetl
The ( , plural ''altepeme'' or ''altepemeh'') was the local, ethnically-based political entity, usually translated into English as "city-state", of pre-Columbian Nahuatl-speaking societiesSmith 1997 p. 37 in the Americas. The ''altepetl'' was constituted of smaller units known as ''calpolli'' and was typically led by a single dynastic ruler known as a ''tlatoani'', although examples of shared rule between up to five rulers are known. Each ''altepetl'' had its own jurisdiction, origin story, and served as the center of Indigenous identity. Residents referred to themselves by the name of their ''altepetl'' rather than, for instance, as "Mexicas". ''"Altepetl"'' was a polyvalent term rooting the social and political order in the creative powers of a ''sacred mountain'' that contained the ancestors, seeds and life-giving forces of the community. The word is a combination of the Nahuatl words (meaning "water") and (meaning "mountain"). A characteristic Nahua mode was to imagine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tlatoani
''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl-speaking peoples in the Valley of Mexico during the Postclassic Period. The title of ' (, "great ruler, emperor") was used by the rulers of the Aztec Empire, an alliance between the ''āltepēmeh'' of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan. Each ''āltepētl'' had its own ''tlahtoāni'' who would concurrently function as its ruler, high priest and commander-in-chief. The ''tlahtoāni'' wielded ultimate authority over all land within the ''āltepētl'', overseeing tribute collection, market activities, temple affairs, and the resolution of judicial disputes. Typically a dynastic ruler hailing from the royal lineage, the ''tlahtoāni'' served for life. However, in certain instances, a council of nobles, elders, and priests could elect a ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pipiltin
The Pipiltin (sg. ''pilli'') were the noble social class in the Mexica Empire. They are the lowest nobles in the civilization's social structure and above the commoners who achieved noble status due to an outstanding deed in war. These people were members of the hereditary nobility and occupied positions in the government as ambassadors and ministers, the army and the priesthood. Pipiltin often headed their own noble houses, called tecalli, with their own lands and dependent labourers. The subclasses within the ''Pipiltin'' were: tlahtohcapilli (a tlahtoani's son), tecpilli or teucpilli (a teuctli's son), tlazohpilli (son of a legitimate wife), and calpanpilli (son of a concubine). Children of the ''Pipiltin'' were given extensive education in preparation for the role they would play in their adult life. They were sent to the '' calmecac'', which was the center for higher learning, to study the ancient wisdom as well as "elegant forms of speech, ancient hymns, poems and histo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macehualtin
The mācēhualtin ( IPA: , singular ''mācēhualli'' ) were the commoner social class in Aztec society. The Aztec social class of the ''mācēhualtin'' were rural farmers, forming the majority of the commoners in the Aztec Empire. The ''mācēhualtin'' worked lands that belonged to the social unit of the calpolli called chinampas, with each family maintaining rights to the land so long as it did not lie fallow for more than two years. Within these lands, the rural ''mācēhualtin'' constructed small dams and terraces to increase their agricultural yield. Crops common to Mexican agriculture were grown on these plots, including maize, beans and squash. These projects were probably organized by the local communities and were not state led. From their produce and productivity, the corn were required to pay tribute to the Aztec nobility. During the reign of Moctezuma II (1502–1520), they were banned from serving in the royal palaces, as this monarch widened the divide between ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tlacotin
Slavery in the Aztec Empire and surrounding Mexica societies was widespread, with slaves known by the Nahuatl word, ''tlacotli.'' Slaves did not inherit their status; people were enslaved as a form of punishment, after being captured in war, or voluntarily to pay off debts. Within Mexica society, slaves constituted an important class. Description Slavery was not a station one was born into, but a state entered into as a form of punishment, out of financial desperation, or as a captive. The practice consisted of two systems: * Slavery, in the strictest sense of the term * indentured servitude. Aztecs as slave owners Slave owners were required to provide food, water, and shelter for their slaves. Women slave owners exerted much in the way of choice, regarding slaves. For example, if a woman was widowed, it was not uncommon for her to either remarry one of her husband's slaves or make one of his slaves her steward. The richest merchants in Mexica society were slave traders. Not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
