The Toltec People
By: Zac Vance
Location• Tula, the capital of the Toltec Empire was located approximately 100 miles above Mexico City.
• The empire stretched much of Central America.
• Its influence reached even further. Many places in America show signs of Toltec culture.
Becoming a Power
• The Toltec nation came about after the fall of the Teotihuacán people.
• In the late 10th century the Toltec people established their capitol at Tula.
• It is believed that the Toltec people were Teotihuacán people who made Tula their home after the fall of their own.
Art
• The art of the Toltec people reflected the mystic aspect of their religion.
• Serpents and skulls were very common images.
• Their architecture was rather rough.• Much of the Toltec art influenced the
Aztec and Mayan forms.
Economy
• The economy was based for the most part on agriculture.
• Obsidian mining and trade were also important.
• The nation was very involved with trade and especially turquoise trade along the turquoise road.
• The trading helped spread the Toltec way of life as well as integrate others into their own.
Culture and Science
• The culture of Toltec was based around war.
• It was a mix of many previous and surrounding cultures.
• The mixture often occurred when the Toltec Empire would take over another area and then the two areas would integrate.
• The Toltec thought that science and religion was the same thing since it was all governed by the universe.
• They had an advanced calendar and charted the night sky very accurately.
Religion• The religion of the
Toltec people was polytheistic.
• The absorbed much of their religion from neighboring peoples and their father race, the Teotihuacáns.
• Of the many deities they worshiped Quetzalcoatl and Tezatlipoca were the most important.
• Human sacrifice was common.
Quetzalcoatl• God of culture, fertility,
learning, holiness, philosophy, and gentility.
• It was worshiped by the Toltec people and their greatest ruler was the priest of him.
• Religion and political rule went hand in hand.
Tezatlipoca• God of material things, the
night, beauty, the north, and war.
• He was Quetzalcoatl’s sworn enemy.
Quetzalcoatl
Tezcatlipoca
Politics
• The political aspects of Toltec life were dominated by ritual and religion.
• Topiltzin was the greatest of all the rulers and he championed Quetzalcoatl.
• He became so synonymous with Quetzalcoatl that the names were often confused later on in legend.
• The political system of the Toltec nation was looked up to by many other nations.
• The Aztec people even tried to tie the two together through history. The only problem is that much of it is believed to be fabricated.
The Fall
• The Toltec Empire fell around 1200 CE.
• The nomadic Chichimec people are believed to have annihilated the Toltec nation due to cultural differences.
• Many believe that some of the Toltec people fled to Cholula where they held out for another few centuries until the conquistadors came through.