Page:Historia Verdadera del Mexico profundo.djvu/172

 ''for cocoa preparation, jaguar and puma furs, amber, parrots, xiuhtototl and quetzal feathers. Hence their trade consisted on exporting manufactured products and importing exotic luxury items." (Jacques Soustelle. 1955)	  ''

The mexica warrior was the material basis of the aztec power and the Pochteca its spy and explorer. Men mostly were devoted to war, since the State received through tributes: food, textiles, raw materials, weapons, luxury items, slaves. War allowed the mexica access to wealth and fundamentally honor and growth on the social scale. They never ceased being farmers and craftsmen, but warfare began to occupy most of their time and energy, as well as commerce. Mexica society became a very well-organized militarized society and their markets or Tianguis came to have incredible dimensions. A formidable war army subjected to small and independent Lordships. A powerful trader institution, with military type features, just as the Jaguar or Eagle warriors. The Aztecs despite formidable defeats by the P’urépechas, Tlaxcala, and Cholula, among others, were almost invincible, especially because the organization they had with the other Lordships that were incorporated as "Allies" after having defeated them and the extraordinary intelligence network they had through the pochtecas or merchants.

It is important to highlight that the Anahuac civilization war and weapons, had nothing to do with the European war conception. War in the Anahuac was an activity to "take captives to feed the Fifth Sun". The objective of the war in the Postclassical period was not to kill, destroy or obliterate. The wars were negotiated and agreed through messengers. The date, place and number of warriors were agreed. They usually took place in open fields, and very seldom in cities. This only occurred as "punishment", for example: when an ally joined an enemy. There were truces for holidays or funerals, and at any given time, either party could request the end of the war and armies returned to their cities with their wounded and their captives. Some wars were only made to keep the