  We employ IRTF SpeX NIR (0.8-2.4 microns) spectra to investigate the stellar
population (SP), active galactic nuclei (AGN) featureless continuum (FC) and
hot dust properties in 9 Sy 1 and 15 Sy 2 galaxies. Both the starlight code and
the hot dust as an additional base element were used for the first time in this
spectral range. We found evidence of correlation among the equivalent widths
(W) Si I 1.59 microns x Mg I 1.58 microns, equally for both kinds of activity.
Part of the W{Na I 2.21 microns} and W {CO 2.3 microns} strengths may be
related to galaxy inclination. Our synthesis shows significant differences
between Sy 1 and Sy 2 galaxies: the hot dust component is required to fit the
K-band spectra of ~90% of the Sy 1 galaxies, and only of ~25% of the Sy 2;
about 50 % of the Sy 2 galaxies require a $FC$ component contribution >20%,
while this fraction increases to 60% in the Sy 1; also, in about 50 % of the
Sy2, the combined FC and young components contribute with more than 20%, while
this occurs in 90% of the Sy1, suggesting recent star formation in the central
region. The central few hundred parsecs of our galaxy sample contain a
substantial fraction of intermediate-age SPs with a mean metallicity near
solar. Our SP synthesis confirms that the 1.1 micron CN band can be used as a
tracer of intermediate-age SPs. The simultaneous fitting of SP, FC and hot dust
components increased in ~150% the number of AGNs with hot dust detected and the
mass estimated. The NIR emerges as an excellent window to study the stellar
population of Sy 1 galaxies, as opposed to the usually heavily attenuated
optical range. Our approach opens a new way to investigate and quantify the
individual contribution of the three most important NIR continuum components
observed in AGNs.
