The Mexica economy was not confined to the Valley of Mexico, and the Mexica state was the center of a network of trade routes that extended across much of Mesoamerica. The principal agents of this long-distance trade were the pochteca, a class of professional merchants who lived in Tenochtitlan and who traveled throughout Mesoamerica on trading expeditions. The pochteca were organized into a hierarchy of ranks, and they enjoyed a special legal status that allowed them to travel freely through enemy territory. They were also the eyes and ears of the Mexica state, and they provided valuable intelligence about the political and economic situation of the regions they visited.
The Pochteca, the Long-Distance Merchants
The pochteca were a class of professional merchants who lived in Tenochtitlan and who traveled throughout Mesoamerica on trading expeditions. The pochteca were organized into a hierarchy of ranks, with the senior pochteca being among the most respected figures in Mexica society. The pochteca enjoyed a special legal status that allowed them to travel freely through enemy territory, and they were granted certain privileges, including the right to wear certain ornaments and to be attended by servants.
The pochteca were organized into a guild under the patronage of Yacatecuhtli, the god of merchants and travelers. They maintained their own temples in Tenochtitlan, where they performed elaborate rituals to honor the patron deity of the long road. The guild was also responsible for training new merchants, and it held a monopoly on the long-distance trade.
Beyond their commercial role, the pochteca served as informal envoys of the Mexica state. Required to report to the central government on their return, they provided detailed information about the goods, the prices, the rulers, and the military situation of the regions they had visited. Their familiarity with foreign courts made them natural choices as diplomatic envoys, and senior pochteca often conducted the most sensitive negotiations on behalf of the Mexica.
The Trade Routes
The Mexica trade routes extended from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Huastec region in the north to the Pacific coast of modern Guatemala. The principal trade routes were the following:
- The route to the Pacific coast, which extended from Tenochtitlan through the Valley of Oaxaca to the Pacific coast of modern Guerrero. This route was used to trade for cacao, copper, gold, and other tropical products.
- The route to the Gulf of Mexico, which extended from Tenochtitlan through the Huastec region to the Gulf of Mexico. This route was used to trade for rubber, cotton, cacao, and other tropical products.
- The route to the highlands of Guatemala, which extended from Tenochtitlan through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to the highlands of modern Guatemala. This route was used to trade for obsidian, jade, quetzal feathers, and other precious materials.
- The route to the Tarascan frontier, which extended from Tenochtitlan to the western frontier of the empire. This route was used to trade for copper, gold, and other metals.
The trade routes were used by the pochteca on regular expeditions, and the merchants would travel in caravans of dozens or even hundreds of people, including porters, guards, and other assistants. The merchants would carry their goods on their backs or on the backs of porters, and they would travel at a steady pace, stopping at regular intervals to rest and to trade.
The Goods Traded
The Mexica trade involved a wide range of goods, and the diversity of the goods was one of the keys to the importance of the long-distance trade. The most important goods included gold, silver, copper, cacao, cotton, feathers, jaguar skins, eagle skins, rubber, obsidian, jade, turquoise. The goods came from across Mesoamerica, and they reflected the rich natural and cultural resources of the region.
The trade was an important source of wealth for the Mexica state, and it allowed the imperial government to acquire goods that were not available within the empire. The most important of these goods included cacao, which was used as a form of money; cotton, which was used for clothing; featherwork, which was used for the religious regalia; and gold, silver, and jade, which were used for the jewelry and the religious objects.
The trade was also a major source of diplomatic and political influence, and the Mexica used the long-distance trade to establish relationships with foreign powers. The pochteca served as the principal envoys of the Mexica state, and they often negotiated treaties and alliances with the foreign powers they visited. The trade was also a source of intelligence, and the pochteca provided valuable information about the political and economic situation of the regions they visited.
The Limits of the Trade
The Mexica trade was limited by several factors, including the political fragmentation of Mesoamerica, the hostility of some of the neighboring states, and the physical challenges of long-distance travel. The Mexica had to negotiate with each of the peoples they traded with, and they often had to pay tribute to the local rulers to be allowed to trade. The Mexica also had to deal with the hostility of some of the neighboring states, particularly the Tarascans and the Tlaxcalans, who were not part of the empire and who sometimes attacked the Mexica merchants.
The physical challenges of long-distance travel were also significant. The merchants had to travel on foot, on the backs of porters, or in canoes, and they had to cross mountains, rivers, and jungles. The merchants also had to deal with the dangers of robbery, of wild animals, and of disease. The merchants were often away from home for months or even years, and they had to rely on the support of the local rulers and the local merchants for their safety and for their supplies.
Despite these challenges, the Mexica trade was remarkably successful, and the Mexica state was the center of one of the most extensive trading networks in the pre-Columbian Americas. The trade was an important source of wealth and of political influence, and it shaped the Mexica system of imperial government. The trade also had a major impact on the cultures of the peoples with whom the Mexica traded, and it contributed to the cultural exchange and the cultural integration of Mesoamerica.
The Legacy of the Trade
The Mexica trade networks had a major impact on the development of Mesoamerican civilization, and the trade routes that the Mexica developed continued to be used for centuries after the Spanish conquest. The Spanish used the existing Mexica trade routes to integrate Mexico into the global economy, and the goods that the Mexica had traded, including cacao, cotton, and feathers, continued to be important items in the colonial and post-colonial trade.
The legacy of the pochteca is also important, and the tradition of the long-distance merchant shapes the Mexican commercial culture. The modern Mexican merchant, with his or her knowledge of the markets, his or her skill in negotiation, and his or her willingness to travel to distant places, is a direct descendant of the pochteca. Today the pochteca are recognized as one of the most important social groups in Mexica society, and the study of the pochteca is a central part of the modern understanding of Mexica civilization.
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See also:
- Who were the pochteca merchants? — the long-distance merchants
- How far did Aztec trade networks reach? — the geographic extent
- What goods were traded across Mesoamerica? — the variety of goods
- The Tlatelolco Market and Marketplace Economy — the local market
- The Tribute System and Imperial Wealth — the tribute system
- Aztec Economy, Agriculture, and Trade — the broader context