Aztec Warrior Culture
-Jason

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            The Aztec, or Mexica, of the century prior to European contact were a warrior culture that dominated central and southern Mexico and parts of Central America.  Every male, whether commoner or noble, was given basic military training.  Warfare was the main economic and religious drive of the empire.  Expansion into new territories and dominating subjugated people was a path for the Triple-Alliance city-states to allow for economic, social, and political mobility for the men of the empire.  The complete destruction of an enemy was not the primary goal for the Mexica: rather the key to warfare was the capture of prisoners.

            The commoners were called to war when the Mexica were conducting large campaigns.  These men were given ranged and easily wielded melee weapons, due to their inexperience in hand-to-hand fighting.  The common soldiers waited until the other, more elite warrior organizations engaged in melee combat first, after which these nonprofessional soldiers would be used to outflank and encircle enemy formations.  If a young commoner decided to devote himself to war, his family would find a veteran warrior to teach their son how to use various weapons.  The apprentice would follow his teacher on campaign and learn what tactics were successful to capture a live enemy.  Assuring their heroic deeds were well-witnessed having many captured prisoners were means by which commoners could enter the more elite formations of the Mexica army.

            The professional elements of the army were the nobles of the Triple-Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.  These elite warriors were divided into several organizations depending on their exploits on the battlefield: the Jaguar Warriors, the Eagle Warriors, and the Shorn Ones.  These warrior societies were made up of the senior and veteran soldiers of the Triple-Alliance.  Membership was dictated by their combat prowess.  Another major element of the Mexica military were foreign mercenaries called Otomies.  All of these warrior societies specialized in melee combat.

            Jaguar Warriors wore jaguar skins over their entire bodies with only their faces showing.    The were also identifiable due to the feathers that covered the tops of their helmets.  Their heads were protected against injury by the skulls of the big cats.  Jaguar Warriors were armed with either war clubs or wooden swords lined with obsidian shards embedded in them.  This was the first of the warrior societies that a Mexica man, could enter by capturing enemy warriors.  Those who joined could quickly rise through the ranks to the more elite formations. 

            The Eagle Warriors were the oldest, most veteran members of the nobility.  These men had survived multiple campaigns and were viewed not only as battlefield leaders but also elders who provided guidance to the kings of their city-states.  They were distinguishable on the battlefield by bird-of-prey stylized helmets they wore.  Cotton armor  and a shield were all that protected most of the Eagle Warrior’s body.  The Eagle Warriors again were armed for melee combat and were the second line of infantry to enter hand-to-hand combat.  While open to all soldiers, it was much more difficult in the Eagle Warrior society for commoners to advance in rank.

            The Shorn Ones were the most prestigious warrior society in Mexica society.  They shaved their heads save for one long braid over their left ear.  Each side of their face was painted a different color to intimidate their enemies.  These were the shock troops of the Mexica army: they fought the enemy elite formations and did not retreat from battle.  A minimum of six captives and multiple verified acts of bravery were required to be even considered to be a potential recruit.  Each Shorn One also turned down command promotions to be a member of this warrior society. 

            Mexica warfare was different than European-style combat: the goal for their warriors was not to annihilate an enemy completely: they wanted prisoners.  The melee weapons were designed primarily to incapacitate opponents, though they were deadly.  One of the most common hand-to-hand weapons was a wooden sword called the Macuahuitl, or “hand-wood.”  It was roughly the dimensions of a modern cricket bat with razor-sharp obsidian chips embedded along its sides.  A Mexica warrior could either slash an enemy solider to kill or injure with the blades, or they could strike their opponent to knock them unconscious.  A shield was used in conjunction for protection.  There was also a larger, two-handed version, that the Spanish saw decapitate horses.

            Spears, maces, clubs, axes, and daggers made up the other melee weapons in the Mexica arsenal.  The weapons used depended on one’s social and economic status: clubs, maces, and spears were the weapons of common soldiers.  Wood, stone, copper, and bone were used to further supplement the heads of these weapons.  The clubs and maces could be used to incapacitate enemies.  The spears could either be flung in volleys or kept for melee combat.  Daggers were mostly used as sacrificial tools used to execute enemy prisoners.

            The ranged weapons of the Mexica included bows, blowpipes, slings, and javelins.  These would be most familiar implements for many of the commoners because they were used for hunting.  The projectiles were used to weaken an enemy formation before melee combat broke out.  Obsidian, bone, flint, stone, and copper were used for arrowheads.  The javelins could either be thrown by hand or with an atlatl to increase the range.  Slings were also incredibly deadly with their clay “bullets” which were generously supplied to their wielders.  The Spanish Conquistadors recorded being inundated by Mexica projectiles in many battles.

            Mexica armor was designed with the above weapons and technologies in mind.  These uniforms were regimented along the lines of a soldier’s military prowess: the greater the rank, the more ostentatious the decoration.  Most of the armor was made up of overlapping cotton garments.  These were soaked in saltwater brine and then dried in the sun, so crystallization took place: this method was effective in stopping obsidian weapons.  Animal hide, leather, feathers, and bones were incorporated into the more elite warriors’ uniforms.  Helmets were designed to imitate the heads of predatory birds, cats, and even monkeys.  This headgear was effective in protecting the warriors from ranged and melee attacks.  Shields were carried by most of the Mexica soldiers for further defense.

            During periods of relative peace, the Triple-Alliance conducted ceremonial wars against their conquered city-states.  These “Flower Wars” were designed to terrify subject peoples and provide a constant supply of prisoners who could be sacrificed to the Mexica gods.  Mexica ambassadors informed the targeted city-state that a Flower War was declared.  The chosen victim assembled an army to engage the Mexica in combat with the understanding that there were to lose both the war and their soldiers.  Those captured warriors would be kept in Tenochtitlan for a year and then sacrificed.  Most would go to the main temples and be ceremonially executed; others would take part in gladiatorial-style battle against Mexica warriors.  These Flower Wars created huge amounts of anger towards the Triple-Alliance. 

            Real wars were also something in which the Triple-Alliance were experts and could call large numbers of warriors to arms.  When a campaign was declared, it would take several weeks for the army to assemble in the Valley of Mexico.  The warrior societies were ready to fight at any time, but most of the army was made up of commoners.  Supplies needed to be gathered, porters assembled, and messages sent to allied city-states to raise their own contingents.  The Mexica army marched, on their well-maintained road networks, meeting their allies along the route.  The size of the Mexica army was considerable: campaigns consisted of 100,000 to 400,000 soldiers are reported in their records. 

            Combat was initiated by ranged attacks, after which the elite warriors entered melee combat.  The Shorn Ones charged first, followed by the Jaguar and Eagle Warriors, with each warrior society waiting its turn to engage the enemy.  The commoner soldiers extended the Mexica lines to encircle the enemy formation and prevent its retreat.  Drums, conch shells, and smoke signals were used to relay orders throughout the battle.  Tactics included standard hand-to-hand combat and feigned retreats to draw enemy units out of formation.  Capturing live prisoners were the primary goal of each Mexica warrior.  Enemy city-states were captured mostly intact allowing them to become new subjects of the Triple-Alliance and their resources to be used to support the empire.  The temple districts of a conquered city were burned to show that they had been conquered both physically and spiritually.

            The expertise and huge numbers of warriors available to the Mexica were no match against the microbes and diseases carried by the Spanish.  The smallpox-ravaged population of the Natives Americans, they could not engage the Conquistadors on an equal footing.  In addition, the Spanish were accustomed to fighting by killing enemy soldiers, not incapacitating them.  The sheer number of Mexica who died from disease outweighed those killed by European steel.  Hundreds of thousands of former subject peoples also aided the Conquistadors in destroying the Triple-Alliance.  Bitter street-by-street fighting saw the end of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan within only a few years of European contact.