Editing Aztec warfare (section)

===Stratification and ranks===
Broadly, Aztec army ranks were similar to the modern Western rankings of “General” and "Major”, as were the groupings of warriors into categories such as “enlisted men” or “officers”. However, while parallels can be drawn between the organization of Aztec and Western military systems, as each developed from similar functional necessities, the differences between the two are far greater than the similarities. The members of the Aztec army had loyalties to many different people and institutions, and ranking was not based solely on the position one held in a centralized military hierarchy. Thus, the classification of ranks and statuses cannot be defined in the same manner as that of the modern Western military.<ref>Hassig, R. 1988, 27.</ref>
The commoners composed the bulk of the army; the lowest were porters (''[[tlamemeh]]'' {{IPA|nah|t͡ɬaˈmemeʔ|}}) who carried weapons and supplies, next came the youths (identified by the top knot hairstyle they wore) of the ''telpochcalli'' led by their sergeants (the ''tēlpochyahqueh'' {{IPA|nah|teːɬpot͡ʃˈjaʔkeʔ|}} "youth leaders"). Next were the commoners ''yaoquizqueh''. And finally, there were commoners who had taken captives, the so-called ''tlamanih.'' {{IPA|nah|t͡ɬaˈmaniʔ|}} "captors".

Ranking above these came the nobles of the "warrior societies". These were ranked according to the number of captives they had taken in previous battles; the number of captives determined which of the different suits of honor (called ''tlahuiztli'' {{IPA|nah|t͡ɬaˈwist͡ɬi|}}) they were allowed to wear, and allowed them certain rights like being able to wear, jewelry, alter their hairstyles, wear warpaint, carry flowers onto the battlefield, pierce, and tattoo themselves. These tlahuiztli became gradually more spectacular as the ranks progressed, allowing the most excellent warriors who had taken many captives to stand out on the battlefield. The higher ranked warriors were also called "Pipiltin".

[[Image:Codex Mendoza folio 64r.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| This page from the [[Codex Mendoza]] shows the gradual improvements to equipment and ''tlahuiztli'' as a warrior progresses through the ranks from "commoner" to "porter" to "warrior" to "captor", and later as a noble progressing in the warrior societies from the "two-captive" to "Butterfly" to "[[Jaguar warrior]]" ("[[Eagle warrior]]" not included) to "Otomitl" to "Shorn One" and finally as "[[Tlacateccatl]]". The Butterfly Warrior, Otomitl, and Shorn One figures wear the pamitl.]]