The Aztecs 1

The Aztecs
Prior to the year 1492, there was very scarce contact with the Eastern and western
hemisphere. The expedition and discovery made my Christopher Colm!s mar"s the
!e#innin# in history o$ a series o$ continos contacts !etween those two worlds. %t&s
important to remem!er that !e$ore this milestone, lar#e civilizations emer#ed in the Americas
!etween '(( and 14)( C.E. The *ayans rose and or#anized in the +n#les o$ Central America
and the ,catan Peninsla, the %nca in -oth America and the Aztecs, one o$ the lar#est,
esta!lished their rei#n in *esoamerica. The story !ehind the esta!lishment o$ the Aztec
nation !e#an with the .lmecs in /(( 0.C.E. mainly sitated in central *exico. %n the same
period, in the 1(
th
centry and near what is now *exico City, too" place the $ondin# o$ the
Toltecs, a very power$l nation that called Tla as their capital. They remained in control $or
many years ntil their civilization $ell and the end o$ the 12
th
centry. At the same time, a new
1ahatl2spea"in# #rop started #rowin#, called the *exica and later "nown as the Aztecs.
0e$ore reachin# *esoamerica, they were only a tri!e o$ hnters and #atherers on the 1orthern
*exican platea. The le#end says that they arrived $orm and island called Aztlan, which
translated to 3hite Place or Place o$ 4erons. %t has !een theorized that their movement
towards the soth cased the collapse o$ the Toltec civilization 5Prescott, 2((67.
A$ter the rise o$ the Aztecs, whose name meant 8the place o$ the seven le#endary
caves9, led !y their chie$ Tenoch they mi#rated to a land in :a"e Texococo and $nded the
city o$ Tenochtitlan, now modern *exico City. 0y openin# their way thro#h con;ests and
tri!tes o$ near!y land, they #reatly expanded their empire and !y the 1)
th
centry their rei#n
went almost $rom coast to coast. The city o$ Teotihacan was the lar#est pre Colm!ian city
in the Americas and it was even lar#er tan any Eropean city o$ that period, even <ome. They
en$orced in$lence and economic control thro#hot *esoamerica, even in the *ayan re#ion.
The Aztecs 2
There was a !elie$ that it was $onded !y the Toltecs, !t that theory is nowadays discarded
!ecase the Toltec civilization $lorished centries a$ter the $ondin# o$ Teotihacan.
Archaeolo#ists speclate that the city poplation rose a$ter the erption o$ the =itle volcano,
who $orced a mass emi#ration $rom the central valley to the city 5Prescott, 2((67
5Encyclopaedia 0ritannica, 2(167.
3hen the Aztecs $irst settled, the land was ndesira!le and di$$iclt, mainly compreso
o$ marshy soil with limited resorces. They started !ildin# lo# ra$ts and covered them in
md and seeds, so in the $tre it will trans$orm in solid land $or their homes. They also
developed canals !ehind o$ their hoses, to se them with their canoes as a transportation
networ". The o!stacles weren&t only !ecase o$ the soil, !t also cased !y tensions with the
nei#h!orin# people on the mainland, who despised them. A$ter their a#ricltral pro#ress with
chinampas, their empire expanded and started showin# p specialized cra$tsmen and la!orers.
The !ildin#s were secred $rom s!mer#in# in the swamp land !y impalin# lar#e wooden
sta"es in the #rond as $ondations. 0t, even with the se o$ a stone called Tezontli, o$ten the
lar#e palaces and temples wold start sin"in# !elow the #rond. %n the year 16>' they
selected an emperor o$ royal linea#e, in order to rise to the same level o$ their nei#h!ors and
#ain their respect. The rler called himsel$ Acamapichtl and was related to the last rlers o$
Clhacan, his linea#e even extendin# !ac" ntil ?etzalcoatl, rler o$ the Toltec civilization.
%t was this coronation o$ a rler that made them claim their herita#e $orm the Toltecs. Than"s
to the #idance o$ their leaders, they increased their military power. This was also than"s to
the new alliances $ormed with their power$l nei#h!ors the Texcoco and Tac!a, who called it
the Triple Alliance. 0y the end o$ their rlin# in 1)2( they had incorporated 6/ tri!tary
provinces that had to ma"e payments to the empire. The tri!es in the !order o$ the empire
who remained independent were the $irst !ein# con;ered !y Cortez 5@rancis, 2(('7.
The Aztecs 6
The Aztecs were "nown $or their complex system o$ a#ricltre !ased on irri#ation,
called chinampas. Archaeolo#ists estimated that 1 hectare o$ chinampas cold $eed p to 2(
individals, !ene$ittin# the #rowth o$ the commnity. These chinampa !eds at the !e#innin#
were sed to #row their $ood, !t with time they served the prpose o$ also increasin# the size
o$ the island. They were very e$$icient and sed to provide p to seven crops a year. The
Aztecs sed many methods o$ a#ricltre, !e#innin# with their earliest and most !asicA
rain$all cltivation. A$terwards they implemented terraces in hills or areas not sa!le $or
normal $armin# methods. Also, !y sin# terraces the increased soil depth and delayed soil&s
erosion. There were three types o$ terracin#B the $irst were hill slope contor terraces who
were steeper. The second type was semi terraces, creatin# more #entle slopes and with walls
made o$ *a#ey plants and not stones. @inally, the third type was cross channel terraces,
mainly sed in the hi#hlands. .n the other hand, in the valleys the Aztecs sed irri#ation
$armin# !y the creation o$ dams, who redirected the water $rom sprin#s to the $ields. 0y this
method they had a consistent and sccess$l system o$ harvests that didn&t depended on
climatic chan#es or rain seasons. The Aztecs too" the irri#ation systems sed !y other empires
and trans$ormed them into ela!orate canals, mch lon#er than previos systems. @or lar#er
areas o$ $ields, they provided irri#ation !y divertin# a lar#e portion o$ the Cahtitlan <iver,
$ashionin# a networ" o$ intricate canals. @inally, $or the swampy areas o$ :a"e =ochimilco
they also implemented chinampas, alternatin# layers o$ md ta"en $rom the !ottom o$ the la"e
with plants and ve#etation. These raised !eds cold expand p to 4( meters lon# and rose 1
meter a!ove the water sr$ace. They were also separated !y canals, !t no $or irri#ation !t as
a method o$ mo!ilization $or the $armers, !y canoe 54istory 4aven, n.d.7.
Their empire consisted mainly o$ a hierarchical society, their elite !ein# the priests
!ecase they had the "nowled#e o$ interpretin# complex calendars and reli#ios ritals. At the
top also resided the military elite, who received tri!tes $rom the common people. The
The Aztecs 4
no!ility were called pipiltin and ori#inally it wasn&t a hereditary stats, !t the sons o$
no!ility always had !etter access to !etter resorces and edcation. A$ter some years, the
no!ility system !ecame hereditary and one was a no!le !y !irth, !y !ein# a priest or !y
earnin# yor ran". They cold occpy positions in the #overnment, the army and in reli#ion.
The no!ility had a spreme leader who was very revered and rled ntil the moment o$ his
death. 4e was called tlatoani, which means 84e that spea"s9. There was a lar#e #ap !etween
the elite class and the lowest class, !ein# mainly a patriarchal society who only honored the
mothers o$ warriors or those who died in child!irth. The middle class was occpied only !y
s"illed cra$tsmen and merchants that $o#ht their way in. This second class was called
macehualtin, and consisted mostly o$ peasants dedicated to a#ricltre and $ood prodction,
!t some o$ them were dedicated to arts and cra$ts, which a #reat sorce o$ income $or the
city. @inally, in the lowest part o$ the ladder resided the ma+ority o$ the poplation, comprised
!y the slaves sed in hoseholds. The slaves were called tlacotin and wold enter slavery
!ecase o$ de!ts, as a criminal pnishment or !ecase they war war prisoners. The di$$erence
$rom other types o$ slavery is that !e$ore they cold have owned possessions and even other
slaves, !t when they !ecame slaves everythin# passed to their prchaser. The only way $or a
slave to #et his li!erty it was !y !yin# it or !y #ainin# $reedom !y marryin# to their masters.
%$ a slave had per$ormed and otstandin# +o! drin# his master&s li$e, at his death they wold
!ecome $ree, whether the rest o$ the slaves were passed on as inheritance. Travelin#
merchants called pochtecah were a small, !t important class as they not only $acilitated
commerce, !t also commnicated vital in$ormation across the empire and !eyond its !orders.
They were o$ten employed as spies drin# military tactics 5@rancis, 2(('7 51aha Cltre,
n.d.7.
Aztecs live in a despotic state, with all the power and dominance in the military. The
only way to clim! the ladder was to show valor in war, while the priests concentrated on
The Aztecs )
reli#ios ritals, sacri$ice and administratin# the empire. They too" some o$ the reli#ios
!elie$s and aspirations o$ the *exicas, who considered war as the most important activity. The
*exicas had !elieved that their #od sacri$iced themselves $or hmanity and that li$e came
$rom their !lood. They also !elieved that the -n cold only ta"e norishment $rom the !lood
o$ hman hearts, which led to the sacri$ice o$ many o$ their prisoners in their temples.
0ecase o$ this cltre o$ war and also the need o$ many prisoners $or sacri$ice, they attac"ed
many #rops arond them. Their preparation $or war inclded the creation o$ codices and
interpretation o$ calendars $or lc"y days. 0t not all o$ them were ta"en and some people
were a!le to resist their a##ressions, the most power$l !ein# the Tlaxaltecas and Prepechas
51aha Cltre, n.d.7.
Their ltimate rler was a central monarch who lived in Tenochtitlan, !t who never
had a!solte power. 4e was overrled !y a concil o$ power$l aristocrats, who also had the
tas" o$ choosin# the new rler. To !e chosen !y the concil, the winner had to present itsel$
has a le#itimate warrior with a past o$ victories in wars, and one who cold pass a set o$
ela!orated ritals. %t&s important to ac"nowled#e that the Aztec Empire was rled !y indirect
means. %t was ethnically very diverse !t there wasn&t a sin#le rler who had all the power.
The real leader was the system o$ tri!tes that a sin#le system o$ #overnment. The Aztecs
didn&t exercise complete and spreme athority over their con;ered lands as lon# they
consistently paid their tri!tes. Also, some o$ their peripheral zones weren&t connected to the
center o$ the empire, so the monarch o$ the main city never inter$ered in local a$$airs. %t was
another story $or the main city, where they lived a!ot 6((,((( people. There, the #overnment
had total control o$ the taxes, $amines, tradin# mar"ets and pnishments. The latter was
en$orced $or any "ind o$ in$rin#in# o$ their codes and laws. Pnishment cold #o $rom
enslavement into tedios wor"in# conditions $or a certain amont o$ time, to physical
pnishment. *ostly, minor o$$enses were char#ed with $ees and $ines 5Crystalin"s, n.d.7.
The Aztecs '
Aztecs reli#ion was a central part o$ their civilization, and they a!sor!ed many
elements o$ other *esoamerican cltres. They shared their astronomy !elie$s with the
*ayans, o$ an Earth as the last creation !etween a system o$ 16 heavens and 9 nderworlds.
Their cities were mainly ceremonial centers, with lavish temples adorned with #old and the
!lood o$ the many hman sacri$ices. The most important sacri$ice was the o$$erin# o$ a
victim&s heart to the sn #od, !t they also practiced !loodlettin#. The Aztecs worshiped
many #ods, the main ones !ein# Tezcatlipoca 5-mo"in# *irror7, ?etzalcoatl 5@eathered
-erpent7, 4itzilopochtli 5#od o$ war7, Tonatih 5#od o$ the sn7 and Tlaloc 5#od o$ rain7. To
choose their sacri$ices they had the cstom o$ or#anizin# !all#ames, a tradition ta"en $rom the
.lmecs, and "illin# the losers. Also a part o$ their reli#ion was their ela!orate calendar
writin#, which inspired many ritals and ceremonies. %t consisted in a solar year o$ 6') days
called xihpohalli and a sacred year o$ 2'( days 5tonalpohalli7. 0oth cycles were rnnin# in
parallel prodcin# a lar#er cycle o )2 years or the calendar rond. The xihpohalli is
considered to !e the a#ricltral calendar, since it is !ased on the sn, and the tonalpohalli is
considered to !e the sacred calendar. -o, one solar year consisted mainly o$ 6'( named days
and ) nameless days. These ) days were called nemontemi and were considered as nlc"y
days. Every )2 years they cele!rated a centry and was mar"ed !y the 1ew @ire Ceremony.
This was a $estival that lasted 12 days and commanded a period o$ $astin# and penitence. The
$irst day o$ the $estival, the city li#hts were extin#ished and on the midni#ht o$ the 12
th
day
they too" a prisoner to the priest. 3hen the priest saw a star o$ $ire in the zenith o$ the ni#ht
s"y, he wold remove the prisoner&s heart and replace it with a piece o$ wood with a
tr;oise. A$ter this sacri$ice, the city cold trn their li#hts on once a#ain. Aztec art was
mostly an expression o$ their reli#ion and their daily activities. The most representative Aztec
art $orms were their limestone sclptres o$ deities and picto#raphs. Picto#raphs were
drawin#s that represented o!+ects and sonds. 0ecase their lan#a#e, 1ahatl, was writin#
The Aztecs >
in picto#raphs, this art was also sed to condct !siness, trac" their daily activities, and
record their history 5Encyclopaedia 0ritannica, 2(167 5The -aylor @ondation, n.d.7.
0i!lio#raphy
Crystalin"s. 5n.d.7. The Aztec Civilization. <etrieved on Cne (9 2(14 $rom
httpADDwww.crystalin"s.comDaztec.html
Encyclopaedia 0ritannica. 52(167. Aztec. <etrieved on Cne (' 2(14 $rom
httpADDwww.!ritannica.comDE0chec"edDtopicD4'9/1DAztec
@rancis, C. 52(('7. Iberia and the Americas: culture, politics and history. Cali$orniaA :i!rary
o$ Con#ress P!lications. <etrieved on Cne (/ 2(14 $rom
httpADD!oo"s.#oo#le.com.ecD!oo"sEidF.*1o-2
#1h/cCGp#FPA/'>Gd;FartisticHpotatoGhlFenIvFonepa#eG;Fartistic
J2(potatoG$F$alse
4istory 4aven. 5n.d.7. The Amerindian world. <etrieved on Cne (> 2(14 $rom
httpADDwww.historyhaven.comDAP34Dnit2DT4EJ2(A*E<%1K%A1
J2(3.<:K.htm
1aha Cltre. 5n.d.7. The Aztec Civilization: education and values. <etrieved on Cne (/
2(14 $rom httpsADDwww.sites.#oo#le.comDsiteDnahacltreDedcation2vales2in2aztec2
society
Prescott, 3. 52((67. Tenochitlan and the con;est o$ the Americas. The International History
Project. etrieved on !une "# $"%& 'rom http:((history)world.or*(aztecs.htm
The -aylor @ondation. 5n.d.7. Amerindian Civilizations. <etrieved on Cne (9 2(14 $rom
httpADDwww.#oo#le.com.ecDrlE
The Aztecs /
saFtGrctF+G;FGesrcFsGsorceFwe!GcdF1GvedF(C0w?@+AAGrlFhttpJ6AJ2@
J2@www.saylor.or#J2@siteJ2@wp2contentJ2@ploads
J2@2(11J2@(/J2@4%-T22121.6.12Amerindian2Civilizations2
@%1A:.pd$GeiF:!CrL)6r1c;rsATAmo4%C?Gs#FA@?+C1@'wM!N6aorwOCL