Mexica (Mesheeka) (later called Aztecs) name from Aztec orig home from folklore Aztlan 13th cent: in cent Mexico, migrated for 100yrs Aztecs disliked by other groups, but respected for milit skills

Mexican Flag

Chapter 11 I. Aztecs A. The Americas remained separate from the Old World (Af, Asia, Europe, Mid East) B. 1345: settled on island in the middle of Lake Texcoco & founded Tenochtitlan (Mex City), 3,000 sq miles, 400 under H2O

C. Chinampas: fertile muck from lake bottom, could grow 4 crops/yr D. Lake Texcoco 1. provided H2O for crops, & made it easy to transport crops to mkt 2. provided natural defense for Tenoch E. govt: city-states

Mesoamerica

B. Aztec Empire 1. Conquests a. 15 th cent: conq neighbors, expanded empire b. allied w/Texcoco & Tlacopan to rule 21 mill ppl by early 1400s c. Tenochtitlan: By 1519 had 150K ppl, divided into 60 wards d. expansion  more social stratification (emph on class differences)

2.Tribute (more import in Mesoam than territ gain) a. amt of tribute charged depended on whether or not conq ppl rebelled ag Aztecs b. usually pd in food, slaves, products, or “victims.” c. territories who pd tribute were able to rule selves

d. merchants traded tribute goods in distant lands e. by 16 th cent: almost 500 conq territories pd tribute to Tenochtitlan (rich capital w/150K ppl, divided into 60 wards controlled by kinship groups)

3. Calpullis: local govt a. started out as familiies (7), later became local govts (20) b. ran schools, temple, divided the land

Tenochtitlan (Aztec capital)

Tenochtitlan The Mexican city of Tenochtitlan as it looked in The temple precinct, an area about 500 square yards, contained more than eighty structures, pyramids, pools, and homes of gods and of the men and women who served them. Accustomed to the clutter and filth of Spanish cities, the Spaniards were amazed at the elegance and cleanliness of Tenochtitlan when they entered the city (which they called Mexico City) in November of Tenochtitlan Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Aztec youth As shown in this codex, Aztec society had basic learning requirements for each age (indicated by dots) of childhood and youth. In the upper panel, boys of age 13 gather firewood and collect reeds and herbs in a boat, while girls learn to make tortillas on a terra-cotta grill. At the age of 14 (lower panel), boys learn to fish from a boat, and girls are taught to weave. Aztec youth Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

4. Warriors a. considered most honorable in society b. mostly nobles (received best training), but open to talented commoners c. received land grants & tribute, best food & clothes

The Maya people of Central America believed that the souls of the dead went to an underworld known as Xibalba. To escape and go to heaven, the souls had to trick the underworld gods. Among the Aztecs of Mexico, slain warriors, merchants killed during a journey, and women who died in childbirth joined the sun in the heavens. The ordinary dead spent four years traveling through the nine layers of an underworld called Mictlan and then vanished on reaching the ninth level.

5. Women a. had no public role, wkd in fields & home b. emph on children, cooking & weaving c. women spent 6hrs/day grinding corn on stone

6. Mexica Religion a. adopted traditions of Mayans, Toltecs b. 128 gods w/female counterparts, 3 types (fertility, creation, war & sacrifice) c. gods of rain, fire, sky, sun, cities, ethnic groups, occupations d. Tezcatlipoca: giver & taker of life, god of warriors e. Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent): god of arts & agriculture

Ballgame Mesoamerican people used rubber for many, varied purposes, and codex drawings depict rubber offering balls in the hands of gods and officiating priests. The ritual ballgame, too, has strong religious connotations and was practiced by various Mesoamerican societies. In this rolled-out version of a Maya cylinder vessel, two elaborately outfitted players are captured in mid-volley in this extraordinary ballgame scene. To the right of the first player is a feathered shield, probably a movable ballcourt marker. Ballgame Copyright © Houhton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

f. Human sacrifice 1. important to survival 2. humans must give “life” to the gods in order to receive sun, rain, etc 3. Huitzilopochtil: God of warriors (most sacred); must sacrifice in his honor (more milt success  more sacrifice) 4. NOT entertainment, necessary for survival & to avoid destruction of wld

Inca Empire

II. Incas (S. America) A. 1250s: Incas settle around Lake Titicaca 1. w/in 100 yrs: empire expanded to include 2,500 miles of S Am coast 2. rulers consolidated lands, suppressed rebellions, sent out colonists & developed centralized state

3. Took hostages from ruling classes of conquered states 4. Between 9 & 13 mill ppl live under Inca rule 5. Quipu: system of cords & knots kept financial & historical records

Macchu Picchu 8,000 ft above sea level

B. Inca Society 1. Technology a. no wheel, no written lang (unlike Aztecs), no domes animals, or heavy plow b. great land & H2O mgmt, public bldgs, rds, architecture c. terraced the steep slopes of Andes d. rope suspension bridges over rivers e. tambos: way stations along roads

2. The Inca a. considered almost a god b. owned all, had absolute power c. split inheritance: Inca does not inherit land (bros get it), has to conquer his own (led to more conquest & expansion) d. common ppl: parallel inheritance: father-  son, mother  daughter

3. Conq ppls a. rulers could stay in power if they were loyal to Incas b. sons of conq chiefs taken to Cuzco (capital) for education c. conq ppl resettled to other lands d. access to more goods, irrigation & rds e. tribute pd in labor (called “mita”) for state & church projects, import pt of Inca control

Pachacuti Inca, from de Ayala In this drawing from Nueva Coronica y Buen Gobierno, by Guaman Poma de Ayala, we see Pachacuti Inca at the height of his powers. Revered as a great conqueror and lawgiver, Pachacuti Inca here wears the sacred fringed headband symbolizing his royal authority, and the large earrings of the oregones (nobility). Pachacuti Inca, from de Ayala Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

C. Inca Religion 1. Inti: sun god, major god of ruling class 2. viracocha: creator of the universe 3. animal sacrifice 4. believed in life after death was either punishment or reward