The Mexica state was supported by an elaborate tribute system that channeled wealth from the subject provinces to the imperial center. The tribute system was one of the defining features of the Mexica state, and it allowed the imperial government to maintain a large standing army, a substantial bureaucracy, and an elaborate religious establishment. The tribute was collected by the calpixqui, the tribute collectors, who were stationed in the subject provinces and who reported directly to the central government. The tribute lists, recorded in the Codex Mendoza and other sources, show the wide range of goods that the subject provinces were required to deliver, and they provide a remarkable record of the wealth and the reach of the Mexica empire.
The Tribute Lists
The tribute lists, preserved in the Codex Mendoza and other sources, are some of the most important documents of Mexica civilization. The tribute lists show the goods that each of the thirty-eight provinces of the empire was required to deliver, and they provide a detailed record of the wealth and the reach of the Mexica state. The lists were typically organized in a grid format, with the provinces listed in the rows and the goods listed in the columns. The amounts owed by each province were recorded using the Mexica mathematical system, and the lists were used by the calpixqui to verify the collections.
The tribute lists show a remarkable range of goods, and they reflect the rich natural and cultural resources of central Mexico. The most important goods included food, cloth, featherwork, cacao, cotton, turquoise, jaguar skins, eagle skins, rubber, copal incense. What each province owed was revised over time, in step with the political and economic situation of the empire.
The Sources of Tribute
The tribute came from a wide range of sources, and the tribute lists reflect the geographical and cultural diversity of the Mexica empire. The richest provinces, such as the Gulf Coast provinces, paid a heavy tribute in cacao, cotton, and other tropical products. The poorer provinces, such as the highland provinces, paid a lighter tribute in food and other local products. The provinces of the southern Valley of Mexico paid a heavy tribute in chinampa products, including maize, beans, and flowers.
The most important single category of tribute was food, and the tribute lists include a wide range of food items, including maize, beans, chia, amaranth, chayote, tomatoes, and chili peppers. The food was used to feed the urban population of Tenochtitlan, and it was distributed through the Tlatelolco market and through the public granaries. The second most important category was cloth, and the tribute lists include a wide range of textiles, including cotton and maguey fiber cloth.
The tribute also included a wide range of luxury items, and these were the most prestigious items in the Mexica economy. The most important luxury items included featherwork, gold, silver, copper, jade, turquoise, jaguar skins, and eagle skins. The luxury items were used to reward the nobility and the priesthood, and they shaped the political and religious life of the empire.
The Collection of Tribute
The tribute was collected by the calpixqui, the tribute collectors, who were stationed in the subject provinces for periods of several years. The calpixqui were drawn from the Mexica nobility, and they were appointed by the Tlatoani. The calpixqui had wide authority in the province, and they were responsible for the collection of the tribute, the supervision of the local rulers, and the maintenance of order.
The tribute was collected on a regular basis, typically twice or four times a year, and it was transported to Tenochtitlan by the calpixqui and their assistants. The transportation of the tribute was a major undertaking, and it required the use of porters, canoes, and causeways. The most valuable tribute, including the featherwork, the gold, and the jade, was transported by the calpixqui themselves, who were accompanied by a military escort.
The Mexica had a sophisticated system of accounting, and the tribute was carefully recorded in the codices. The tribute lists, preserved in the Codex Mendoza and other sources, were used by the central government to verify the collections, and the calpixqui were subject to severe penalties if they were found to be corrupt. The Mexica also had a system of inspectors, who would visit the provinces on a regular basis to verify the accounts and to ensure that the tribute was being collected properly.
The Uses of Tribute
The tribute was used to support the imperial court, the priesthood, the military, and the bureaucracy. The imperial court consumed a large share of the tribute, including food, clothing, and luxury items. The court was the center of the Mexica political and cultural life, and the Tlatoani and the royal family required a wide range of goods to maintain the splendor of their position.
The priesthood received a share for the maintenance of the temples and the performance of the rituals. The temples were the religious centers of the Mexica state, and they required a wide range of goods for the offerings, the sacrifices, and the festivals. The priesthood was also responsible for the education of the young in the calmecac, and the tribute was used to support the priests who performed this important function.
The military received a share for the support of the soldiers and the conduct of the wars. The military was a major expense, and the Mexica needed a large standing army to maintain the empire. The tribute was also used to reward the successful warriors, and the most successful warriors were given gifts of land, of slaves, and of luxury items.
The bureaucracy received a share for the payment of the officials and the maintenance of the state. The Mexica had a large and complex bureaucracy, with officials responsible for the various aspects of government. The tribute was used to pay the officials, to maintain the public buildings, and to support the public works, including the causeways, the Templo Mayor, and the aqueducts.
The Distribution of Tribute
The tribute was distributed according to a complex system that reflected the political and religious organization of the Mexica state. The largest share of the tribute went to the Tlatoani and the royal family, who used it to maintain the imperial court and to support the political and religious life of the state. The second largest share went to the priesthood, who used it to maintain the temples and to perform the rituals. The third largest share went to the military, who used it to support the soldiers and to conduct the wars. The fourth largest share went to the bureaucracy, who used it to pay the officials and to maintain the state.
The tribute was also redistributed to the nobility and to the major temples, as part of the political and religious life of the empire. The redistribution shaped the Mexica political system, and it was used to reward the loyal nobles, to maintain the support of the major temples, and to bind the subject peoples to the imperial center. The redistribution was also a major source of patronage, and the Mexica rulers used it to maintain the loyalty of their supporters.
The Survival of the Tribute System
The tribute system survived the Spanish conquest in modified form, and the Spanish used the existing Mexica institutions to govern the indigenous population. The Spanish required the indigenous population to pay tribute, and they used the calpixqui system to collect it. The Spanish also used the indigenous ruling families to govern the local population, and they allowed the indigenous nobles to retain some of their privileges.
The tribute system was gradually replaced by the Spanish colonial system, but many of its elements survived for centuries. The indigenous communities of Mexico continued to pay tribute in various forms, and the redistribution of wealth through the political and religious system shaped the Mexican colonial and post-colonial life. The persistence of the tribute tradition in modified form ranks among the great survivals of Mexican culture.
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See also:
- How often did tribute payments occur? — the timing
- What goods were collected as tribute? — the variety
- How was tribute recorded and tracked? — the accounting
- Provincial Administration and Tributary States — the provincial government
- The Tlatelolco Market and Marketplace Economy — the local commerce
- Aztec Economy, Agriculture, and Trade — the broader context