"All those territorial autonomies were not isolated and abandoned to its own fate, but were articulated, harmonized, related and integrated to the State, through hierarchical institutions which together accounted for two great powers in each State: administrative power whose head was the Cihuacoátl, literally serpent woman, ideologically the Tlatoani twin Supreme administrator with regard to women (manage) that governed, with right to succession from father to son; and the Executive Branch, whose head was, the Tlatoani, literally who speaks, ideologically who performs, orders or governs, was an election post from the members of a family from earlier sovereigns, possessors of land; but did not succeed from father to son..." (Ignacio Romerovargas Yturbide. 1978)
At the time of the Spaniards arrival, in the decadent period known as the Postclassical, the invaders did not find Kings or Queens, Princes or Princesses, much less European style kingdoms or empires. In their short-sightedness and ignorance the Spaniards interpreted this democratic and sophisticated form of social organization as a decadent and vertical "monarchy", such as they had in Europe.
To such extent was their inability to appreciate and understand this ancient form of Government that Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), when he took Moctezuma (1502-1520) prisoner in his house and after having ordered the killing of Templo Mayor, which led to the Aztec people insurrection against the invaders, he ordered that Moctezuma was taken handcuffed to the roof, for to him to order people to cease the insurrection. To the Spaniards surprise, the Tlatócan[1] had already dismissed the Tlatoani Moctezuma and transferred power to Cuitláhuac. For the European culture the King was the representation of God on earth and his succession was hereditary through the Royal houses. Cortés believed that by taking Moctezuma prisoner he had control of the Aztec people and didn't understand how the Aztecs could dismiss their ruler. To date, the system of social organization and the legal regime
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- ↑ Supreme council, where important decisions were made.
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