- The hierarchical pyramid
- Noble family
- In the family there was a representative who was called the "governor." This was the one who made most of the political decisions of the city, which were based on the advice of the leaders.
- Religious administrative leaders
- They were high religious or priests who possessed knowledge in theology and science. They also had noble blood and their role was to advise the governor in making political decisions for the people.
- Military
- They were in charge of the expansion of the city of Teotihuacán through the conquest of nearby territories. Likewise, they were the ones who protected the city from any invasion.
- Merchants
- It was a group of people, who began to carry out commercial work to more distant places.
- Some of these places were the Maya lowlands, the Guatemalan highlands, northern Mexico, and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Farmers
- Between 80% and 90% of the city's inhabitants were farmers. They mainly harvested basic products from the family basket and sustained a good part of the economy.
- Craftsmen
- It was a smaller group of inhabitants, who worked mainly pottery. Their tasks were mainly the construction or decoration of the chambers of the leaders.
- Prisoners
- They were soldiers from other lands captured in war and imprisoned in the city. Human sacrifices were also allegedly performed with them.
- Political role of the nobles
- Multiethnic society
The government of the Teotihuacanos, in Mesoamerican times (1st century BC and AD 8th), was characterized by the centralization of political power between religious and military.
The theocratic government, together with the military force, allowed the expansion of the city, making it one of the largest in the region.
The religious system based its political power on polytheism, where there was a belief in multiple gods, each with individual characteristics and powers.
Because of this, the religious made human sacrifices in order to preserve the city of Teotihuacán or better known as the “city of the Gods”.
Society then organized itself in a hierarchical pyramid, where political dominance suggested social cohesion. Agriculture formed an economy and the development of foreign trade allowed a prosperous time and a considerable expansion of the city.
The hierarchical pyramid
Noble family
In the family there was a representative who was called the "governor." This was the one who made most of the political decisions of the city, which were based on the advice of the leaders.
Religious administrative leaders
They were high religious or priests who possessed knowledge in theology and science. They also had noble blood and their role was to advise the governor in making political decisions for the people.
Military
They were in charge of the expansion of the city of Teotihuacán through the conquest of nearby territories. Likewise, they were the ones who protected the city from any invasion.
Merchants
It was a group of people, who began to carry out commercial work to more distant places.
Some of these places were the Maya lowlands, the Guatemalan highlands, northern Mexico, and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Farmers
Between 80% and 90% of the city's inhabitants were farmers. They mainly harvested basic products from the family basket and sustained a good part of the economy.
Craftsmen
It was a smaller group of inhabitants, who worked mainly pottery. Their tasks were mainly the construction or decoration of the chambers of the leaders.
Prisoners
They were soldiers from other lands captured in war and imprisoned in the city. Human sacrifices were also allegedly performed with them.
Political role of the nobles
The governor and religious administrative leaders were in charge of managing the city and social control. For this they designed a tax system based on commercial and agricultural activities.
Political leaders used rituals of authority (physical and symbolic conquests) to show their power.
Likewise, they demonstrated their mandate and sought the prosperity of the city through human sacrifices to the gods.
These were held in commemoration of the expansion of the administrative buildings (pyramids). In the sacrifices these people were beheaded, beaten or had their hearts removed.
Multiethnic society
It is believed that another of the main aspects for the Teotihuacan civilization to have so much influence and power was multiculturalism, since the city received people from other territories, who contributed economically and culturally to its development.