SLAVES

The lowest social class consisted of slaves. People could become slaves as punishment for committing crimes. Stealing and selling stolen goods were punished by slavery. So was kidnapping children with the idea of selling the children as slaves. Some cities were required to provide a specific number of slaves each year as part of their tribute. They went hunting for those slaves from cultures beyond the Aztec Empire.

Some slaves were former enemies who had been captured during a war. Most captured men would consider slavery far better than the other alternative they faced—sacrifice. Prisoners of war could only become slaves or sacrifices.

Most people volunteered to enter slavery. To the Aztecs, free people were entitled to live their lives as they saw fit. If they chose to sell themselves into slavery, that was fine. By doing so, they would always have food, clothing, and shelter.

Finally, some people became slaves through debt. A family might enter into a business arrangement with someone who was wealthy. The parents could sell one of their sons to the official or noble in return for land, food, or a home. This was a common practice when food was in short supply. During such a crisis, it was better to sell a child into slavery than to watch that child starve to death.

The life of an Aztec slave was not as difficult as it has been for slaves in other cultures and at other times. Aztec slaves were always fed, housed, and clothed, and male slaves did not have to serve in the military. Since the Aztecs went to war regularly, military service was dangerous. Slaves did not have to pay taxes. This was a real advantage in a society that taxed everything.

On the other hand, slaves were not considered citizens. They were property, like any other object. Slaves worked for a master, usually a man. They might do farm work, serve in a household, or be a porter

Tlatelolco Market

The largest market was in Tlatelolco. A shopper could find everything from lengths of rough cloth to golden necklaces, simple clay pots to ornately carved wooden chests, and corn to exotic foods such as spirulina—a type of algae from the surface of ponds— and beetles.

In addition to traders, the marketplace was also a place for artisans and craftspeople to sell the goods they made. this was the place where skilled weavers or dyers offered their goods for sale. the Aztecs had many skilled craftspeople, including leather workers, stone workers, brick makers, gold and silversmiths, feather artists, and potters.

The market offered services, as well. customers could get a haircut, hire a porter who would carry items for them, or grab a bite to eat in a cafe. The merchants and craftspeople, however, were the main focus, and they had to follow strict rules.

At the Tlatelolco market, each business day began and ended with the beating of a drum. All the sellers of a particular item were restricted to certain areas of the market. Everyone had to use the same standard measurements for selling items by length or volume. The merchants also could not change the prices of goods, because these were set in advance. if government officials caught merchants trying to cheat a buyer, the merchants were punished.

Slave Traders

Slave traders were among the most respected pochteca in Aztec society. They were called tlaltlanime, which means "washers of slaves." This name refers to the fact that slaves had to be bathed before they were sacrificed.

The slave traders were the wealthiest of all traders. They were honored because some of the slaves they provided played such an important role in religious ceremonies.

For a trader. Female slaves spun thread, wove cloth, mended clothes, and cooked food. These were the same tasks expected of a commoner’s wife.

Several things made Aztec slavery different from slavery in some other cultures. Slaves could learn and work in skilled trades, and many slaves held positions of importance in a household. A slave could be a scribe, who wrote official documents, or an accountant, who kept financial records. Slaves were allowed to own property, buy and sell goods, and save money.

Slaves were allowed to marry and raise children. They could marry other slaves, or they could marry free men or women. Marriage to a slave did not mean giving up one’s freedom, and slaves could eventually become free. Children born of slaves were not slaves. They were considered free, and being the child of a slave was not embarrassing. In fact, the great tlatoani Itzcoatl had a mother who was a slave.

Generally, new slaves were traded in a slave market. The slaves were brought to market with wooden collars around their necks. They were tied to a long pole to prevent escape. While it was easy to buy new slaves, slave owners could not easily sell any of their current slaves. The law allowed the sale only of slaves who were violent or lazy. Such a slave could be bought and sold for work three times. After that, the next purchase usually was for the festival of Panquetzaliztli, held at harvest time—this festival required the sacrifice of slaves. No one wanted to sacrifice a hard-working, valuable slave. Instead, many bought lazy slaves specifically for the sacrifice.

The buying and selling of slaves was a bustling, profitable business. An average slave cost about 20 cotton cloaks. A talented or skilled slave, such as a singer or a scribe, might cost as much as 40 cotton cloaks. Two commoners could live for an entire year on what it would cost to buy a singer or a scribe.

Most slaves were not Aztec. They were brought to the empire as captives. However, all slaves had an opportunity to gain freedom. A slave who was being sold in the market could try running away when he or she was put up for sale. If the slave reached the ruler’s palace before being caught by his or her owner or the owner’s son, the slave became free. No one else in the city was allowed to help the slaveholder by stopping the runaway slave. To interfere in the chase was a crime, and the person who committed this crime was punished by being made a slave.

THE CALPULU

In Aztec society, every person regardless of social status belonged to a calpulli. As the people moved into the cities, calpulli evolved into districts or neighborhoods. Each calpulli had its own leader, council, temple, and schools. Each had its own calpulli council and was responsible for choosing council leaders to keep the district running smoothly. The districts were political divisions, much like voting districts in today’s counties, cities, or towns. When the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlan, the city had 80 calpulli.

In rural areas, the calpulli owned land as a group. The farmers worked the land together and used water owned by the calpulli members. The calpulli paid tribute as a group, and everyone worked to ensure an excellent harvest. That harvest paid the tribute, fed the people, and provided surplus crops that the calpulli members could trade at the market.