Pochteca
Pochteca were a specialized class of long-distance traders in the Aztec Empire, primarily active from the 14th to the early 16th century. Commissioned by the Aztec ruler, they traveled from Tenochtitlan to various parts of Mesoamerica in search of luxury goods and resources for the nobility, including items such as jaguar pelts, chocolate, and feathers. Despite their high status, pochteca often disguised their wealth, presenting themselves as humble traders, and used human porters for transportation due to the absence of domesticated draft animals in the region. Known colloquially as "trader-spies," they engaged in commerce with other rulers and participated in military campaigns aimed at expanding the Aztec Empire. The pochteca's activities were integral to the Aztec economy and culture, as they not only facilitated trade but also acted as intelligence agents and cultural emissaries, spreading Aztec influence throughout Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence suggests that they established trade enclaves along the coasts of Mexico and Honduras, connecting with various other cultures, including the Maya, and contributing to a robust trade network prior to the Spanish conquest.
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Pochteca
- DATE: 1364-1520s
- TRIBE AFFECTED: Aztec
- SIGNIFICANCE: The pochteca were a specialized group of long-distance traders commissioned by the Aztec ruler to obtain luxury items
The pochteca were an elite group of Aztec traders who traveled from the capital of Tenochtitlan in central Mexico to various places in Mesoamerica to obtain luxury goods and resources for the Aztec nobility. The Spanish chronicler Bernardino de Sahagun listed Jaguar pelts, chocolate, and feathers as among the trade goods acquired by the pochteca. Although the pochteca were highly ranked in Aztec society, they hid their wealth and disguised themselves as poor traders. Transportation involved human porters carrying goods on tumplines since no draft animals were domesticated in Mesoamerica.
Often referred to as “trader-spies,” the pochteca traded with rulers of other regions on behalf of the Aztec king and subsequently participated in military campaigns to conquer and incorporate new lands into the Aztec empire. On the philosophy that it was cheaper to exact tribute than to trade, the Aztecs conquered the Soconusco area of the Pacific coastal area of Chiapas, Mexico, to exact chocolate as tribute. Aztec trade enclaves may have existed on the gulfs of Mexico and Honduras, where Maya traders met with the Aztec pochteca. Archaeological evidence indicates extensive trade between the Aztecs, Maya, and others in the Late Postclassic Period before the arrival of the Spanish in 1521. The pochteca played a unique economic, social, and political role in Aztec society, facilitating long-distance trade, acting as political intelligence agents, and spreading Aztec culture through their trading activities.
Bibliography
Berdan, Frances F. "Late Postclassic Mesoamerican Trade Networks and Imperial Expansion." Journal of Globalization Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, May 2017, Social Studies, sociostudies.org/journal/articles/939197/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Etra, Julie. "The Pochteca." The Eye Huatulco Magazine, 29 June 2024, theeyehuatulco.com/2024/06/29/the-pochteca. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Maestri, Nicoletta. "Pochteca - Elite Long Distance Traders of the Aztec Empire." ThoughtCo, 12 Jan. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/pochteca-elite-long-distance-traders-172095. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"More Than Merchants: Why the Pochteca Were Essential to the Aztec Empire." Chocolate Class, 24 Mar. 2020, chocolateclass.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/more-than-merchants-why-the-pochteca-were-essential-to-the-aztec-empire. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
"Who Were the Pochteca." Pochteca, pochteca.tripod.com/who.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.