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==Organization== [[Image:Codex Mendoza folio 67r bottom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Aztec warriors as depicted in the [[Codex Mendoza]]]] The Aztec army was organized into two groups. The commoners were organized into "wards" (''[[calpulli|calpōlli]]'') {{IPA|nah|kaɬˈpoːlːi|}} that were under the leadership of ''tiachcahuan'' {{IPA|nah|tiat͡ʃˈkawaːn|}} ("leaders") and ''calpoleque'' {{IPA|nah|kalpoːleʔkeʔ|}} ("calpulli owners"). The nobles were organized into professional warrior societies. Apart from the ''Tlatoani'', the war leaders of the Aztecs were the High General, the ''[[Tlacochcalcatl]]'' {{IPA|nah|t͡ɬakot͡ʃˈkaɬkat͡ɬ|}} ("The man from the house of darts") and the General the ''[[Tlacateccatl|Tlācateccatl]]'' {{IPA|nah|t͡ɬaːkaˈtek.kat͡ɬ|}} ("Cutter of men"). The Tlacochcalcatl and Tlacateccatl also had to name successors prior to any battle so that if they died they could be immediately replaced. Priests also took part in warfare, carrying the effigies of deities into battle alongside the armies. The army also had boys about the age of twelve along with them serving as porters and messengers; this was mainly for training measures. The adjacent image shows the Tlacateccatl and the Tlacochcalcatl and two other officers (probably priests) known as ''[[Huitznahuatl]]'' and ''[[Ticocyahuacatl]]'', all dressed in their ''tlahuiztli'' suits. Calpulli were an extremely important part of Aztec warfare. Calpulli acted as a large house for your neighbors and local community in the Aztec culture. Calpulli were controlled by certain high ranking families and helped plan out the territory functions, coordinate farming strategies and food production plans, as well as collecting taxes for the empire. Calpulli were extremely important in warfare. Family and pride were extremely important aspects of Aztec culture, so it was very important to fight for your calpulli and fly your banner with pride. Calpulli operated schools for young men to transform into warriors. Having a strong Calpulli was essential as it helped protect you from other calpulli and showed your pride. [[File:Cerbatana Tlacalhuazcuahuitl Bodley p38.jpg|thumb|Blowpipe or Tlacalhuazcuahuitl]] ===Training=== The formal education of the Aztecs was to train and teach young boys how to function in their society, particularly as warriors. The Aztecs had a relatively small standing army. Only the elite soldiers, part of the warrior societies (such as the Jaguar Knights), and the soldiers stationed at the few Aztec fortifications were full-time. Nevertheless, every boy was trained to become a warrior with the exception of nobles. Trades such as farming and artisan skills were not taught at the two formal schools. All boys who were between the ages of ten and twenty years old would attend one of the two schools: the Telpochcalli or the neighborhood school for commoners, and the Calmecac which was the exclusive school for nobles. At the Telpochcalli, students would learn the art of warfare, and would become warriors. At the Calmecac students would be trained to become military leaders, priests, government officials, etc. The sons of commoners were trained in the ''[[Tēlpochcalli]]'' {{IPA|nah|teːɬpot͡ʃˈkalːi|}} "house of youth". Once a boy reached the age of ten, a section of hair on the back of his head was grown long to indicate that he had not yet taken captives in war. At age fifteen, the father of the boy handed the responsibility of training to the telpochcalli, who would then train the boy to become a warrior. The telpochcalli was accountable for the training of approximately 419 to 559 youths between the ages of fifteen and twenty years old.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hassig |first=Ross |title=Chapter 3 Aztec Warfare Imperial Expansion and Political Control: in Military Training |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |year=1995}}</ref> While the boys were in training, they were given basic duties, such as cleaning the house and making fires. The youth were tested to determine how fit they would be for battle by accompanying their leaders on campaigns as shield-bearers. War captains and veteran warriors had the role of training the boys how to handle their weapons. This generally included showing them how to hold a shield, how to hold a sword, how to shoot arrows from a bow and how to throw darts with an atlatl.<ref>Hassig, R. 1988, 32–33.</ref> Boys in training were only considered real men when they captured their first warrior.<ref>Clendinnen, I. 1991, 78.</ref> [[File:Arma curva mixteca Vindobonensis 48-III.jpg|thumb|Mixtec curved weapon or curved Tepoztli]] Sons of the nobles were trained at the ''[[calmecac]]'' {{IPA|nah|kalˈmekak|}} ("lineage house") and received sophisticated training in warfare from the most experienced warriors in the army, as well as in general courtly subjects such as [[astronomy]], [[tonalpohualli|calendrics]], [[rhetorics]], [[poetry]] and [[Aztec religion|religion]]. The ''calmecac'' were attached to temples as a dedication to patron gods. For example, the calmecac in the main ceremonial complex of Tenochtitlan was dedicated to the god [[Quetzalcoatl]]. Although there is uncertainty about the exact ages that boys entered into the calmecac, according to evidence that recorded the king's sons entering at the age of five and sons of other nobles entering between the ages of six and thirteen, it seems that youth began their training here at a younger age than those in the telpochcalli did.<ref>Hassig, R. 1988, 34–35.</ref> When formal training in handling weapons began at age fifteen, youth would begin to accompany the seasoned warriors on campaigns so that they could become accustomed to military life and lose the fear of battle. At age twenty, those who wanted to become warriors officially went to war. The parents of the youth sought out veteran warriors, bringing them foods and gifts with the objective of securing a warrior to be the sponsor of their child. Ideally, the sponsor would watch over the youth and teach him how to take captives. However, the degree to which the warrior looked after and helped the noble's child depended greatly on the amount of payment received from the parents. Thus, sons of high nobility tended to succeed more often in war than those of lower nobility.<ref>Hassig, R. 1988, 35–36.</ref> [[File:Codex Mendoza folio 65r.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A page from the Codex Mendoza depicting an Aztec warrior priest and Aztec priest rising through the ranks of their orders.]] ===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.]] ===Warrior societies=== Commoners excelling in warfare could be promoted to the noble class and could enter some of the warrior societies (at least the Eagles and Jaguars). Sons of nobles trained at the Calmecac, however, were expected to enter into one of the societies as they progressed through the ranks. Warriors could shift from one society and into another when they became sufficiently proficient; exactly how this happened is uncertain. Each society had different styles of dress and equipment as well as styles of body paint and adornments. ====Tlamanih==== The Tlamanih were commoners who had taken one captive.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKrause |first=Stanford |title=Wealth and poverty: Aztec standard of living |publisher=Cambridge Stanford Books}}</ref> ====Cuextecatl==== Two captive warriors, recognizable by their red and black tlahuiztli and conical hats. This rank was introduced after the military campaign against the [[Huastec civilization|Huastec]] led by [[Tlahtoāni]] [[Ahuitzotl]]. ====Papalotl==== Papalotl (lit. butterfly) were warriors who had taken three captives; this rank wore "butterfly" like banners on their backs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKrause |first=Stanford |title=Wealth and poverty: Aztec standard of living |publisher=Cambridge Stanford Books.}}</ref> ====Eagle and Jaguar warriors==== {{Main|Eagle warrior}}{{Main|Jaguar warrior}} Aztec warriors were called a cuāuhocēlōtl {{IPA|nah|kʷaːwo'seːloːt͡ɬ|}}. The word cuāuhocēlōtl derives from the Eagle warrior cuāuhtli {{IPA|nah|kʷaːwt͡ɬi|}} and the Jaguar Warrior ocēlōtl {{IPA|nah|o'seːloːt͡ɬ|}}. Those Aztec warriors who demonstrated the most bravery and who fought well became either jaguar or eagle warriors. Of all of the Aztec warriors, they were the most feared. Both the jaguar and eagle Aztec warriors wore distinguishing helmets and uniforms. The jaguars were identifiable by the jaguar skins they wore over their entire body, with only their faces showing from within the jaguar head. The eagle Aztec warriors, on the other hand, wore feathered helmets including an open beak. ====Otomies==== {{main|Otomi (military)}} The Otomies (''Otōntin'') {{IPA|nah|oˈtoːntin|}}) were another warrior society who took their name from the [[Otomi people]] who were renowned for their fierce fighting. In the historical sources, it is often difficult to discern whether the word ''otomitl'' "Otomi" refers to members of the Aztec warrior society or members of the ethnic group who also often joined the Aztec armies as mercenaries or allies. A celebrated member of this warrior sect was [[Tzilacatzin]]. ====The Shorn Ones==== The "Shorn Ones" (''Cuachicqueh'' {{IPA|nah|kʷaˈt͡ʃikkeʔ|}}, plural. ''Cuachic'', singular) was the most prestigious warrior society – their heads were shaved apart from a long braid over the left ear. Their bald heads and faces were painted one-half blue and another half red or yellow. They served as imperial shock troops and took on special tasks as well as battlefield assistance roles when needed. Over six captives and dozens of other heroic deeds were required for this rank. They apparently turned down captaincies in order to remain constant battlefield combatants. Recognizable by their yellow tlahuiztli, they had sworn not to take a step backward during a battle on pain of death at the hands of their comrades.<ref>Hassig, R. 1988, pp. 45–46.</ref>
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