SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE TOTONACS: CHARACTERISTICS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The social organization of the Totonacs, when the Spaniards arrived in America, was presided over by a chief and was characterized by a marked difference between classes.

The Totonacs were an important civilization of Mesoamerica, who came to ally with the Spanish to combat the yoke and repression they suffered at the hands of the Aztecs.

Like most of the peoples of the region, political relations were based on kinship. The chief was the one who made the big decisions that influenced the rest of the tribe.

In Totonac culture, marriages were celebrated at an early age, and young people had to offer a dowry for the bride. The new family formed had to live near the house of the husband's family.

Community work was very important for the Totonac civilization, so each adult man had to dedicate one day a week to it, without expecting compensation.

Members of the privileged classes paid others to take their place in this community obligation.

The Totonocas resided in the coastal and mountainous regions of eastern Mexico at the time of the arrival of the Spanish colonizers. At present the descendants live in Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo.

The 5 main classes in the social organization of the Totonacs

1- Caciques

He was the highest authority in the tribe, although he received advice from a group of elders called nitáinos, venerated and respected by the rest of the population.

As the political organization of the Totonocas was divided into cities, each one of these was run by a chief. The position of chief was obtained by hereditary rights; that is, by lineage.

When the situation required it, the caciques could establish meetings to make decisions that would affect the entire Totonocan culture.

An example of this was the alliance with the Spanish to face the yoke to which they were subjected by the Aztecs.

2- Priests

Also called bohíques, they could have a say in government decisions. In addition to carrying out religious rituals and ceremonies, they were in charge of the astronomical and calendar records. They presided over human sacrifice ceremonies.

3- Nobles

Members of the nobility were in charge of managing economic and commercial activities.

They were differentiated by their clothes, adorned with feathers of the revered quetzal bird, and by the jewels they wore around their necks, which marked their social class.

4- Warriors

They were in charge of defending the limits of the territories from possible enemy incursions. For their bravery and mettle, they were used by Hernán Cortés to defeat the Aztecs.

5- Commoners

Basically they were dedicated to agriculture and fishing. Agricultural production focused on caring for tomato and corn plantations, and harvesting bananas, papaya, guava, and avocado.

They were also part of the skilled workforce for the construction of temples and buildings intended to be housing for the nobles.

The artisans were also considered commoners, among whom the sculptors who made the friezes of the temples stood out, and those who worked with baked clay to create beautiful pieces, such as cups and plates.

References

1. González, Anibal, “Cultura Totonaca”, 2011. Retrieved on December 13, 2017 from historiacultural.com
2. Márquez, Juan, “los Totonacas”, 2011. Retrieved on December 13, 2017 from historia-mexico.info
3. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, ”Totonac”, 1998. Retrieved on December 13, 2017 from britannica.com