Aztec and Incan Empire Comparison Essay

The Aztec and Incan empires were similar in their social structures such as having slaves and also nobles classes, but also through their interaction with the environment like planting many different crops such as maize; the two empires were different in how they ruled politically, for example, the Aztecs had separate city-states.

        The social structures of the Aztecs were multi-layered. Slaves were at the very bottom, while the king was at the very top, with nobles in between. In addition, the women here worked in the house helping to cook food. The men, on the other hand, were out planting and collecting crops. In Aztecan society, the works of the men and women were obviously very important, as children were required by law to go to school. The boys and girls would go to different schools. The boys would learn to plant and farm, and the girls would learn culinary skills. Similarly, in Incan society, there was also a sophisticated social structure, where the king was at the top, and the slaves and commoners nearer to the bottom. This shows that both the Aztec and Incan societies needed work to be done. Everyone in each class had much work to do to keep society running. The Aztecs, also had a men outside and women inside view. Men would grow crops like corn to feed their families.

        The Aztecs and Inca empires were also similar in their interaction with the environment. The Aztecs used lots of land for farming so that they could sustain the whole population. A variety of crops were planted, but the most important was maize. Maize was similar to corn and was the main staple of the Aztecs. Also, the Aztecs used things found in their environment to create the homes in which they would live; for example, thatched leaves. In comparison, Incan society also created homes out of their environment. The Incans used blocks that were sun-dried and also thatched leaves. They mostly farmed their food, such as squash, to eat and worked long hard hours to get their food. Aztec slaves who were the lowest of society were required to work whenever they were awake. This requirement was the powerhouse of Incan society. In synthesis, the reason the Aztecs and Inca empires ended up being so similar in their interaction with the environment was because of the physical environment and geographical location. At the time, they were basically isolated from the rest of the world. There was almost no trade going on. Due to this lack of trade, both Incan and Aztec society needed to work hard and use lots of land for farming to sustain the population and make up for the absence of trade for different resources.