There were merchants, who would travel and trade. There were farmers, who were very efficient. There were also various classes of common people. They would hold high positions in government or in the military. The higher level of nobility, usually hereditary to some extent, were the pilli (singular pipiltin). They would also have some wealth, and unlike the common people they were allowed to enjoy works of art. They would have positions of leadership and influence, as mentioned above. The noble class had a variety of vocations open to them. Read more about the Aztec society family! Some polygamy was practised, though there was still a 'primary' wife.

Marriages were arranged and again strongly tied to religious belief. Boys might join the military or begin their trade. Girls would marry, or stay in the temple and work. In their mid-teens, adult life would begin. Just who could go where is a matter of some debate today. It may also be that vocation was chosen based on the religious 'sign' children were born under.

It seems that there was some freedom to choose a type of education, and perhaps some children were promoted who showed promise in a specific field. Next came the telpochcalli, where children were taught more about Aztec culture and religion, the trades, and skills particular to gender. These children would be educated as priests, teachers, doctors, and leaders of society. First the calmecac, which was mainly for children of nobles. Though children started off with similar education, it was eventually split into two main branches. Boys learned other trades, and were also taught fighting skills and leadership skills. Learn more about this and other 'Aztec Inventions' here. Note: Mandatory education was historically rare in the rest of the world. In this way women had a lot of power in society, though it was behind the scenes. Girls were taught how to run a home, cook, and care for a family, but they were also taught things like crafts and ways to economically run the home. In the end, people in the Aztec society were generally well educated, though boys received a wider education than girls. The Mexica people of the Aztec empire had compulsory education for everyone, regardless of gender or class. There were ways for a slave to gain freedom, such as purchasing it. Slavery was not hereditary - the children of a slave were free. There were also slaves, which were generally well-treated. Each of these was further broken up into groups of people that had quite different lives. First the nobility or pilli, then the common people or macehualli. There were two main social classes in Aztec culture. Let's take a look at the different social classes and how they lived. Hundreds, even thousands of years of tradition influenced the way people lived in the society. Aztec culture was a rich combination of the cultures of the peoples that made up the Aztec empire, including the Mexicas.

Mayan ways of life