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What roles did professional merchants and priests have in Postclassic Mesoamerican society?

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Map of Mesoamerica showing the geographic distribution of various Indigenous peoples, with regions labeled for groups such as the Maya, Nahua, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Mazahua, Huastec, Tarasco, and others across present-day Mexico and parts of Central America. Boundaries indicate the approximate areas inhabited by each group. — Mesoamerican Indian Distribution of Meso-American Indians.

In Postclassic Mesoamerican society, particularly among the Aztec, professional priests and merchants occupied highly influential roles, serving as pillars of the social, religious, and economic order.

The Professional Priesthood

The priesthood was a large, elaborate institution essential to the maintenance of the state and the spiritual well-being of the community. Priests acted as vital intermediaries between the gods and human beings, performing complex ceremonies, sacrifices, and bloodletting rituals to ensure divine favor. Their responsibilities were diverse:12
* Religious Administration: Priests managed temples, oversaw the calendar, and conducted public rituals, including dances and theatrical dramas.12
* Education: They operated schools known as calmecacs, where they provided moral, political, and religious instruction to the nobility and select commoners.13
* Specialized Roles: Within the priestly orders, individuals were assigned specific duties, such as astrology, the management of temple lands, and the education of novices.1
* Asceticism: Priests were typically required to live spartan, celibate lives, emphasizing self-sacrifice as a precondition for their sacred work.1

Professional Merchants

Professional merchants, known as pochteca, held high prestige and played a critical role in the economy and imperial expansion.3
* Trade and Caravans: They organized and led great caravans that traveled long distances to bring foreign goods into the Aztec homeland.3
* Market Administration: Merchants were responsible for administering the town markets, which were central hubs of economic activity.3
* Guild Organization: They were organized into powerful trading guilds with their own tribunals, reflecting their significant status and influence within the social hierarchy.3
* Societal Integration: Through their extensive travel and trade networks, they helped integrate the diverse regions of the empire, sometimes acting as agents of the state.3