Men, Women and Family

 

The ancient Aztec society was considered predominantly male dominated, but women had plenty of power and respect as well. They were able to run businesses out of their homes and the elder women were held in high respect. Women who died while giving birth were respected as warriors.  The man usually had one primary wife with whom he would perform the ceremonies with, and he usually had many other wives as well. The man was obligated to treat all the wives and children equally. The child from the first wife would become the successor of the family. Wealthy Aztecs usually had larger families, the poor had few to one wife and smaller families. 

A woman could: Own property, ask for justice, obtain divorce for cruelty, could marry again after divorce, but not after death. Women could be divorced for: Not being able to have children, adultery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Classes

 

The Aztec society was divided into two main social casts: the noble and the common. Amongst the common people there were also slaves, who could buy their freedom. A slave’s children were not considered slaves. Education was mandatory for all people of all social classes in Aztec society. Both girls and boys attended school together till a certain age. After this, they were split according to their social class and what skills they would need in the future. When they children grew to around 14-16 years old, they would marry and begin work.

 

The noble class had a variety of jobs available to them and were generally more wealthy than the rest of the population. Jobs were often positions of leadership, and they were often allowed to indulge in art. Amongst the common people there were farmers, merchants and athletes. These were all popular and profitable occupations.  The Aztec people were given most rights, although crimes like stealing and such could be punished harshly. They were able to run their own businesses and express their opinions to an extent.