When we think of formations in "early" war, we tend to think of the Romans; large groups of soldiers moving together in big square groups or as an advancing line a few soldiers deep. I was wondering if the Aztecs did something similar to this or if they departed from this idea. I've heard that they tended to use looser groups, but I've also heard of depictions showing them moving together quickly and closely to overwhelm an enemy. Is one of these more true than the other or does the truth lie somewhere inbetween.
Minor follow-up: Do we know of any notable specific military leaders from Aztec History?
I understand that this may be one of those things we may not have a ton of info on.
The Aztecs were a highly militaristic society. Military was important in Aztec culture because it supplied captives to be sacrificed to the gods in the form of prisoners, it allowed the Aztecs to conquer new lands and it functioned as a driving force of the Aztec economy.
Training of Aztec warriors began at an early age, acting as a servant to other soldiers and though they would become a man at the age of seventeen, they were not truly a soldier, or Tlamani, until they had captured a prisoner. After capturing four prisoners they could become and Eagle warrior (a shock soldier who fought in the main assault primarily) and a Jaguar warrior (a scout). Capturing prisoners of war was extremely important to the Aztecs as it supplied them with captives to sacrifice to their gods, a commodity which they were in constant need of as some sources claim Aztec human sacrifices range from one to ten thousand a year. Due to this Aztec battles historically had very low casualty rates, however almost all prisoners would be killed eventually. Aztecs revered all warriors regardless of their origin however and thus would treat their captives like one of their own until the day of their execution.
The Aztec empire expanded their influence primarily through the violent subjugation of neighbouring peoples. The Aztec course of battle began with Jaguar warriors scouting and then Eagle warriors leading an initial charge under the cover of arrows while the Jaguars flanked the opposing force to the rear. This tactic would destroy enemy morale quickly, accomplishing the Aztec goal of taking prisoners but also leave many enemy warriors alive to fight for the Aztecs now that they had been subjugated and paid tribute to the Huey Tlatoano (Emperor), reparation the Aztecs for any losses suffered. These tactics allowed the Aztecs to quickly and efficiently expand their influence throughout the Valley of Mexico. Against the steel, muskets and cavalry of the Spanish (commodities the Aztecs lacked) however, these tactics fell short, though the fall to the Spanish was greatly aided by the revolt of subjugated people and allies as well as the spread of deadly smallpox brought in the Columbian Exchange.
The military also fueled their economy in a multitude of ways. First of all, conquered lands would open up new markets for Aztec trade such as cocoa beans for items such as jade, commonly used in Aztec religious rituals and not found in the initial areas surrounding Tenochtitlan. Aztec traders would have an advantage due to pre-established regional merchants in this situation due to the tribute that conquered people recently had to pay. Domestically the military created jobs in the harvesting of wood for clubs, cotton for light armour allowing for quick movement, and the mining of obsidian which was sharpened and placed on clubs to make viciously sharp swords which gave Aztec warriors a battlefield advantage, as metalworking such as bronze and iron was not available due to the lack of materials.
The Aztec military played an integral part in their society as it allowed them to quench their lust for human sacrifice, expand their borders to spread Aztec culture and allow it to flourish and boost their economy via jobs, trade and reparations. The Aztecs were a proud warrior society which was defeated unlike how it had defeated its enemies: through disease and betrayal. Bibliography
“Aztec Warriors.” Ancient Military. 2010.
http://www.ancientmilitary.com/aztec-warriors.htm.
“Aztec Warriors.” Aztec History. 2006, Accessed June 9 2014.
http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-warriors.html.
David, Saul. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Warfare. New York: DK Publishing, 2012.
Dineen, Jacqueline. Worlds of the Past: The Aztecs. New York: New Discovery Books. 1992.
Freeman, Robert “Aztec Battle Tactics” Humanities 360. 2011, Accessed June 9 2014. http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/aztec-battle-tactics-10755/.
Kathleen, Kuiper. Pre-columbian America. New York NY: Britannica Educational Publishing, 2011.
As for notable leaders, Aztec military leaders also tended to be political leaders such as Tlacaelel I (1397 – 1487), architect of the Triple Alliance (not the one from WWI, but rather the name of what is more commonly known as the Aztec Empire) as well as his co-ruler Moctezuma I (c. 1398–1469). The is also Itzcoatl (died 1440), uncle to Tlacaelel, who helped lead the Aztec to Independence from the Tepanecs. Finnally the last Aztec Emperor, Moctezume II (c. 1466 – 29 June 1520), who died fighting the Spanish.
If you have anymore questions, I would be happy to answer!
/u/golfman11 I also have a follow up question.
Generally, How similar were the subjugated and conquered tribes to the Aztecs? Would they speak the same language, have the same religious rituals, etc?