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Aztec Government
expansion: Around 1400 CE, the Aztec government began conquering neighboring tribes.
The Aztec population had grown. They needed many things to manage their growing
population. They needed new cities to house their population. They needed new lands to feed
their population. They needed new captives to feed their hungry gods. Schools needed to
hands full trying to satisfy all these needs.
Tribute: War was the answer. When the Aztecs conquered a tribe, they demanded tribute in
Aztecs kept for themselves. The last they gave to their gods. Other tribes hated and feared the
The emperor: The Aztecs had an emperor, a king who ruled over all the people. The
emperor lived in the imperial palace in the capital city of Tenochtitlan. The palace was huge.
shops of the most talented craftsman in the Aztec empire.
city-States:
family was supposed to assist the emperor, the truth is that each noble family pretty much ran
things in their own city the way they wanted. Thus the Aztecs, like the Maya, were governed
by city-states.
home rule/crime and Punishment: With their own people, the Aztec rulers were quite
severe. Aztec courts decided on the punishment that those who broke the law would receive.
Drunkenness was the worse crime. The punishment for being drunk was death. Thieves
were put to death. Laws were tough, and they were written down. Codices warned of the
punishment you would receive for breaking the law.
The one-Time Forgiveness Law: The Aztecs had an interesting law. Once, and only once,
you could confess your crime to the priests of Tlazolteotl and you would be forgiven. No
punishment could be given to you. Timing was everything. You could only do this once. and
you had to do it before you were caught. If evidence came to light after you confessed, you
were safe. You had already been excused from punishment for that crime. However, if you
committed any other crime, you would be punished to the full extent of the law. Aztec laws
were very harsh.
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