The Aztecs have always intrigued me in terms of their history, especially regarding their human sacrifices and social classes. What fascinated me the most was the cosmic mission theory, where these individuals believed that sacrificing another human would bring them spiritual benefits. Essentially, this theory involved feeding humans to the sun to sustain its heat, light, and overall existence.
The Aztecs regarded the sun as the celestial origin of life. They believed that if the sun lost its brightness and became somber, it could only be revived by human hearts, which would bring light and energy back to it. These ceremonies occurred daily or during times of major disasters. The social structure of the Aztecs also held fascination, featuring a specific hierarchy. Their society was divided into Techutli, pochteca, tolteca,macehualtin, and tlatalcotin in descending order. Only those in the Techutli category, composed of prominent generals, were eligible for emperorship.
The Pochteca, the merchant caste, were relied upon by the Aztec empire solely for material needs. The Macehualitn, or commoners, had certain civil rights including land ownership and education for their children. At the lowest rung of the social hierarchy were the Tlatlacotin who were owned as slaves by others. However, they received housing, clothing, and food just like regular citizens. These slaves stood out as they were not subjected to abuse or mistreatment; in fact, they could even earn money and use it to buy land, houses, and other slaves for personal use.
