The MexicaWhat Should History

Say?

Latin American StudiesMs. Almaraz

Make a JUDGEMENTBloodthirsty Heathens!

Highly Intelligent & Organized!

Clever Politicians

Ruthless Warriors!

Let us take a closer look at this

civilization…

Mesoamerica in the 1400’s•Home to numerous different linguistic and political groups

•Most numerous were the Nahuas spoke Nauhuatl

•Shared cultural traits

•Communities usually headed by hereditary rulers

•Most of their food came from agriculture-maize, beans, squash,

and peppers

•Religion revolved around agricultural cycle, human

sacrifice and rituals to guarantee successful harvests

•Not viewed themselves as one people

•Warfare increased between city-states for territories

The Chichimeca

Nomadic and “uncivilized” people who lived “like dogs”

One such group was the Mexica

Today they are known as the Aztecs for their mythical homeland, AZTLAN <-- somewhere in the American Southwest

The Rise of the Mexica

Had no home in the Valley

Had to attach themselves to other city-states

Became well known for their mercenary skills for Culhuacan (descendants of Tolteca)

Finding a Home

By early 1300’s they settled on a small island in the middle of Lake Texcoco

Located in the heart of Mexico City (Today)

They made their island bigger by cleaning the soil from bottom of lake and using it to expand their island

Finding a Home Huitzilopochtli (Aztec

god) told them to leave their homeland

“Go where the cactus grows, on which the eagle sits happily…there you shall wait, there you shall meet a number of tribes and with your arrow or with your shield you shall conquer them.”

Named their home, TENOCHTITLAN, (place of the prickly pear cactus)

Chinampa Agriculture Land was not good for

farming, developed an ingenious method to plant and harvest crops: CHINAMPA AGRICULTURE

Chinampas - narrow strips of lan

The Aztec built these floating gardens around their central city

Used canals to travel (canoe) to Tenochtitlan and nearby islands

They built roads to the mainland , some over five miles long

Tenochtitlan

The Rise of the Mexica

They established the first dynasty in 1370

This dynasty endured until the arrival of the Spanish

First king was son of a woman from Culhuacan

His successors formed marriage alliances with other important powers in the valley

Mexica Rise to Power

By early 1400’s, Azcapotzalco surpassed Culhuacan as the dominant city-state in central Mexico

Mexica King, Ixcoatl formed an alliance (Triple Alliance) with 2 other states: Texcoco and Tlacopan

Together they defeated Azcapotzalco

Tenochtitlan became dominant power within the Triple Alliance, Texcoco 2nd , and Tlacopan 3rd

TEXCOCO

TLACOPAN

AZCAPOTZALCO

Rise of the Mexica

King Moctezuma I from Tenochtitlan and Nezahualcoyotl from Texcoco

Extended their reach well beyond valley of Mexico to Oaxaca in the South and to the Gulf Coast to the east

By 1500, Triple Alliance controlled an area roughly size of Italy

Tribute Subjugated territories

paid their new rulers quantities of goods in tribute

Cacao, gold dust, gemstones, cotton textiles, honey, featherwork, maize, rubber balls

Local leaders remained in peace as long as they paid their tribute on a regular basis and remained loyal

Tribute

In theory, Tenochtitlan and Texcoco were equal partners in ruling central Mexico

Each took 40% share of the tribute while Tlacopan took 20%

In practice, Tenochtitlan undermined Texcoco’s ruling class

El Mercado (The Market)

Most famous aspects of Tenochtitlan was their marketplace

Attracted 60,000 people, daily

Historians believe it was divided into7 sections

Section 1: gold, silver, precious stones, feathers

Section 2: chocolate and spices

Section 3: cloth and all types of clothing

Section 4: food-corn, beans, turkeys, quail, rabbits, deer meat, maguey honey,

Section 5: avocados, wild plums, frogs, bark paper, incense, rubber, gum, lime, obsidian blades, animal skins,

Section 6: Greens and tortillas

Section 7: tobacco, all types of pottery, pots, bowls, and tubs

Spanish Reaction to Tenochtitlan

There were over 30 public buildings:

Palaces of nobles, temples, schools and academies, and even a zoo

Because of its canals, Spaniards called it, “Venice of the Americas.”

At its height, more 250,000 lived in Tenochtitlan

“…and when we saw all those cities and villages built in water, and other towns on dry land, we were astounded. The great cities and buildings made of stone seemed like images 0r visions to us. Some of the soldiers asked whether it was not a all a dream. It was so wonderful that I do not know how to describe the first glimpse of things never heard or seen or dreamed before.

Religion

Some of their gods, Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent) and Tlaloc dated back to time of Teotihuacan

Huitzilopochtli was their most important god

Mexica wanted their conquered subjects to also worship Huitzilopochtli

Religion

Religious ritual was part of everyday life

Mesoamerican calendar divided he year into 18 months of 20 days each with a five day break at the end of the cycle

Each month had ceremonies closely related to the agricultural cycle

Sacrifice Almost all Aztec rites included a sacrifice to the gods

Creation story: World was created and destroyed 4 times

The 5th time, the gods sacrificed themselves in order for the world to not end, sun, humans, the universe

Quintosol (5th Sun): To repay their sacrifice, humans paid with their life

Afraid world would end if gods failed to receive their dues

Sacrifice

Many civilizations in Mesoamerica and other civilizations included human sacrifice

Historians believe rituals increased under Aztec domination

Human sacrifice pleased gods but it also caused many of Aztec allies, nobles, commoners, and enermies to be in awe of Aztecs