16.3 – Aztecs Control Central Mexico

Valley of Mexico Mountainous basin high above sea level Large shallow lakes & the center Large quantities of accessible resources Very fertile soil Attractive area for people to develop a civilization

“City of the Gods” 1st major civilization = city-state of Teotihuacán (~200k people) Contained 20+ pyramids dedicated to the gods Apartment-block housing for the people Center of a trade for Central America Obsidian = weapons Conquer & influence much of Mesoamerica City mysteriously abandoned in 750 A.D.

Toltecs ~900 A.D. – Toltecs rise to power Rule from Tula (capital) Warlike people centered on conquest = practice human sacrifice After 1000: Topiltzin tries to follow Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent) Warriors revolt & he is exiled Toltecs decline afterwards & lose power by early 1200s

Empire 1200: Aztecs enter valley Poor nomadic people from Northern Mexico Adapt culture & work as mercenaries Huitzilopochtli (God of Sun) tells Aztecs to found own city (p. 454) 1325: Found Tenochtitlán on Lake Texcoco

Aztec Power 1428: Form the Triple Alliance w/ Texcoco & Tlacopan Early 1500s: Empire stretches 80k sq. miles & contains 5-15m people Power based on military conquest & tribute Gold, cotton, jade, etc. Often allowed local rulers to maintain power Brutally put down resistance – slaughter villages

Society Emperor = absolute power Noble Class – military leaders, government officials, & priests Ruled as lords of estates Commoners – merchants, artisans, farmers, & soldiers Own land Merchants – elite, travel as spies, gain wealth Enslaved Persons – low

Tenochtitlán Early 1500s: 200-400k people 3 causeways connected city w/ mainland City connected by vast network of roads Tlatelolco (market): traded all goods of the empire Food supplied by chinampas (raised land on marshes) Center: Palaces, temples, & the Great Temple (Sun & Rain Gods) Tenochtitlán

Chinampas

Religion Religion ruled Aztec life Worshipped ~1,000 gods Adopt many gods from other cultures (i.e. Quetzalcoatl) Practiced elaborate public ceremonies Win favor of the gods Offerings, dances, songs, & plays made up ceremonies Calendar include festivals to honor specific gods

Huitzilopochtli (Sun God) = most important = most important rituals Made the sun rise & had to fight evil to do it each day Practiced human sacrifice to give him strength to fight Belief: Sun would not rise w/o offerings & plunge world into darkness Victims: slaves, criminals, tributes, & prisoners-of-war (main source) Sacrifice

Problems 1502: Montezuma II crowned emperor Provinces rebel due to greater demands of tribute & sacrifice Reforms fail & bad omens occur Ex. Lightning striking the Great Temple Greatest Threat = The Spanish: Bring disease, guns & horses The return of Quetzalcoatl

Conquest of Mexico