The Pochteca
Conclusion
The Pochteca were the long distant traders or merchants of the Aztec civilization. The brought in not only exotic and luxurious goods to the empire, but also, knowledge of an external world. The Pochteca traveled great distanceson foot with no "real" road system. The Pochteca could only bring back what he could store on his back or in his brain. They were some of the wealthiest people in Aztec society and well respected. They were the only class that could police themselves and create their own laws. The Pochteca in my opinion were more powerful than the nobles because they had knowledge of this external world outside the kingdom and they could accumulate just as much wealth. Some Pochteca were born of noble status, but many were not trying to reach a new rank in Aztec society. This was a very important part of Aztec society being able to move up in social class. This social upward mobility made being a Pochteca a great honor for the commoner to become. The Pochteca were pivotal players in the Aztec
consolidation of economic and political power in Late Post classic central Mexico (Kristan-Graham 1993).
Caption: Pochteca trading taken from codex Maliabechiano.
