The Pochteca
Social Status within the Society and Pochteca Themselves
The professional merchants or Pochteca had formed influential guilds in at least twelve of the Basin of Mexico Cities by the sixteenth century. These guilds provided their member’s with exclusive residence, membership rights like specific laws, codes, a system of internal rank, and an advantageous relationship with the Aztec State (Berdan 2005). The strongest guild was located in Tlatelolco, which was where the major Aztec market was located after being conquered by Tenochtitlan in 1473 (Berdan 2005). This was true because this market had the closest ties to the state being Tenochtitlan and it was the closest city to the capital. Entrance into a merchant guild was apparently through hereditary right after the creation of the guild. With membership restricted along these lines, the merchants could closely guard the secrets of their trade and their wealth. The guilds were apparently very closely-knit groups. Not all merchants were equal in rank. At the top of the hierarchy were the principal merchants, the “fathers” and “mothers” (Berdan 2005). They played a prominent role in the feasts rituals and were responsible for appointing guild members to positions, for dispensing justice, for directing guild activities in general, and for providing a link between the guild and the state. Next in line, were the slave bathers and slave dealers, which were the wealthiest of the merchants (Berdan 2005). After that, the disguised and spying merchants, who were state agents in foreign lands. Next, were the ordinary Pochteca. These were followed by the merchant youths, which had yet to prove themselves by daring ventures into hostile lands and clever dealings in the market place (Berdan 2005). Just like in normal Aztec society within the guild there was upward social mobility. The ways to move up were through successful trips and generosity towards others. In this system merchants exchanged wealth for rank and position in the guild. This exchange of wealth for positions undoubtedly allowed the merchant even more wealth to follow. The merchants, of all groups in Aztec society were the only ones allowed to create and enforce their own laws and codes (Berdan 2005). In addition, merchants could also extend their authority to the marketplace, where they sat in judgement daily over the proceedings of the market of Tlatelolco, enforcing fair prices and ensuring proper conduct (Berdan 2005). In the story section there is a story talking about how the Pochteca monitored the market place and dealt with people who didn’t follow their standards. See story number three. The elder Pochteca were very powerful individuals in Aztec Society. Many had very close relationships with emperor. The Pochteca were a very organized social class within the Aztec Empire.
Caption: Image of a Pochteca choosing a route taken from the
the
codex Telleriano Remensis.