aztec citizen
Aztec Citizenship
Aztec society was focused on producing citizens who would contribute to the common good of the community, which was an important part in their education.
The ideal Aztec citizen would have the following virtues: courage, self-sacrifice, modesty, clean living, and obedience.
The Aztec people had their rights protected by a system of written laws. This legal system served to remind people of their responsibilities as citizens to be honest and obedient. All citizens had to obey the laws including the nobles, who were expected to set an example for the rest of society. Since the nobles were expected to set an example, they were treated more harshly.
The Aztec legal system has both a high court and a lower court. If someone was not satisfied with a ruling from the lower court they could appeal to the higher court and eventually to the emperor himself. Just like our current court system, the Aztec courts based their decisions on the evidence that was presented to them. Once the judges reached their decisions, they handed down a sentence. For lesser crimes, the guilty person was fined or sentenced to slavery. Since the Aztecs did not have prisons, punishments for serious crimes were often death.
The Aztecs realized that the slaves performed very important work, and for this reason they had laws to protect their rights. Nobles could not beat slaves without being punished (sometimes by execution). Slaves could also win their freedom if they could escape and run to the emperor’s palace.
Aztecs did not think that it was shameful to be a slave, for them it was more a matter of bad luck. They also did not consider slavery a permanent condition. Slaves could keep their property, including their own slaves, until they paid their debts and took their place in society again. Children born of slaves were considered free.
Aztec society was focused on producing citizens who would contribute to the common good of the community, which was an important part in their education.
The ideal Aztec citizen would have the following virtues: courage, self-sacrifice, modesty, clean living, and obedience.
The Aztec people had their rights protected by a system of written laws. This legal system served to remind people of their responsibilities as citizens to be honest and obedient. All citizens had to obey the laws including the nobles, who were expected to set an example for the rest of society. Since the nobles were expected to set an example, they were treated more harshly.
The Aztec legal system has both a high court and a lower court. If someone was not satisfied with a ruling from the lower court they could appeal to the higher court and eventually to the emperor himself. Just like our current court system, the Aztec courts based their decisions on the evidence that was presented to them. Once the judges reached their decisions, they handed down a sentence. For lesser crimes, the guilty person was fined or sentenced to slavery. Since the Aztecs did not have prisons, punishments for serious crimes were often death.
The Aztecs realized that the slaves performed very important work, and for this reason they had laws to protect their rights. Nobles could not beat slaves without being punished (sometimes by execution). Slaves could also win their freedom if they could escape and run to the emperor’s palace.
Aztecs did not think that it was shameful to be a slave, for them it was more a matter of bad luck. They also did not consider slavery a permanent condition. Slaves could keep their property, including their own slaves, until they paid their debts and took their place in society again. Children born of slaves were considered free.