Aztec periodReputable sourceWell documented
Aztec Society: Nobles, Commoners, and Slaves
On the timeline · around Aztec period ·
What happened
Aztec society was sharply stratified between nobles (pipiltin) and commoners (macehualtin), with an enslaved class below. Children were schooled by the state — commoners at the telpochcalli, nobles at the elite calmecac — an unusually organized system of universal education.
Why it matters
This rigid but ordered hierarchy, with compulsory schooling and paths for advancement through war, underpinned the discipline and strength of the Aztec state.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Aztec Society · Reputable source