The Aztec Empire

THE AMERICAS IN ANCIENT TIMES HIST 1301 | History The Aztec Empire Because the Aztec society lacked a fully established writing system for recording its history, its early beginnings are unclear. The Aztecs, on the other hand, depended on artistic documents and oral traditions that were passed down through the generations. Codices, which were book-like documents created on bark paper that incorporated pictograms and pictures, were also employed by them. Historians have been able to situate the beginnings of the Aztec people within the framework of the Toltec civilization's collapse because to the knowledge gleaned from these sources. An earlier Mesoamerican society known as the Toltecs stepped in to take over the power vacuum left by Teotihuacán's demise. Between the 10 and the twelfth century CE, the Toltecs ruled over central Mexico from their capital at Tula. One of the warlike and nomadic groups that arrived into the region when their civilization fell apart internally, or was maybe conquered, seems to have been the Aztecs. There was another period of brutal conflicts and cultural change. It is obvious that the Aztecs performed exceptionally well in these wars, most likely as mercenaries. Eventually, they were allowed to establish themselves on a group of islands in the middle of Lake Texcoco, one of five adjacent ancient lakes that had spanned the Valley of Mexico. About 1325, the Aztecs started to build Tenochtitlan, their home city, among the islands of Lake Texcoco. They continued to act as mercenaries for the neighbouring nations and traded items they could manufacture in order to live during the ensuing century. They became wealthy and selfsufficient in stone in this fashion, and they utilised that stone to build a big, highly developed metropolis on their little island. They forged an alliance with Texcoco and Tlacopan, two nearby city-states, after gaining considerable dominance in the area. Then, in 1428, this Triple Alliance overthrew the formidable city-state of Atzcapotzalco by surprise and established itself as the leading force in the area. The Aztecs led the Triple Alliance, which over the next decades extended its dominance over central Mexico to encompass Oaxaca in the west, portions of present-day Guatemala in the south, and the regions along the Gulf of Mexico. By 1502, Moctezuma II, the recently anointed Aztec emperor, was governing an enormous empire from Tenochtitlan, his capital. Tenochtitlan was home to at least 200,000 people during the height of its population in the early 1500s. It was an enormous island metropolis connected to the lake's beaches by wide causeways. A portion of the city's terrain was formed by human activity; for example, man-made agricultural islands known as chinampas were erected surrounding the city and connected by canals for transportation and irrigation. The people who lived in the city were fed by these chinampas. The residences of the city's residents were located towards the centre of the island where the earth was firmer. These buildings were mostly constructed of adobe with flat roofs and centred around little courtyards. Large temples, a ball court, administrative buildings, affluent mansions, and the emperors' palaces stood in the middle of the island. The Templo Mayor was the most striking of the temples, having undergone many expansions during the course of its lengthy existence. It was a twin stepped pyramid that was around ninety feet tall by the early 1500s. The deity of rain, Tlaloc, was honoured on one side as the city's patron. The deity of battle, Huitzilopochtli, was honoured on the other side. To carry out significant state rites, priests had to ascend a lengthy stairway to reach the temple. The human sacrifice ceremony was one of the most significant events held at Tenochtitlan's temples, including Templo Mayor. This ceremony, like many other Aztec customs, originated in the Olmec culture and was probably performed across Mesoamerica. Human sacrifices took place during celebrations of the construction of new temples or the observance of significant days on the Aztec calendar. According to accounts from today, sacrificial victims were taken in long lines up the steps to the temple platform. There, the executioner placed them on a sacrifice stone, cracked open their chests with a sharp flint or obsidian knife, and extracted their hearts. Then the bodies were thrown down the temple stairs. The Aztec people's conception of their place in the cosmos and their cosmology were strongly related to these rites. It was thought that the gods utilised sacrifice to create and sustain the world and that they also participated in this ritual. Humans, who were made to serve and feed them by human sacrifice and other ways, were frequently needed to help them. The purpose of the sacrifices was believed to be to maintain the sun's position in the sky, abundant harvests, protection from disease, and the Aztecs' superior military might. Since sacrificial victims were frequently those taken in combat, human sacrifice was also a crucial tool for maintaining and growing the empire and maintaining order in conquered territory. Thus, taking the adversary alive was frequently the aim of combat. Ritual objectives were very essential in Aztec warfare. Sometimes, instead of having huge armies, it was quite theatrical and had pairs of people battling each other. From an early age, young boys were trained to serve in the Aztec military. They used javelins for frequent drilling. 8.3 • The Age of Empires in the Americas 347 clubs with obsidian blades attached, leathercovered shields for hurling. They served in the armed forces of seasoned fighters until they were mature and wise enough to go on as warriors. In addition, the captured lands were subject to tribute demands made by the Aztec Empire. Thirty-eight provinces made up the empire at its height, and each was required to pay a certain tribute to the imperial cities. Occasionally, harsh penalties were imposed on provinces that refused to become part of the empire. The nature of the tribute sought was more commonly determined by the tribute state's location and the commodities it produced on a regular basis. For instance, the Gulf coast region was rewarded with sixteen thousand rubber balls as tribute for its inherent ability to produce rubber, which was used in the Aztec ball game. Goods like food, which were costly to carry over large distances, were frequently supplied from locations considerably closer to the capitals. One may assume that those who lived far away would supply the opulent presents that the Aztec nobility offered to notable soldiers. Cloth, tools (knives and other weapons), crafts of various kinds, and food were typical tribute offerings. One possible tribute item would be labourers for major imperial projects. The tribute system of the Aztecs was essentially a primitive form of trade. All kinds of goods poured into the hands of the elites and into the centres of power. However, they also reached the regular people, who profited from the variety of goods the system provided. Aztec culture, which was heavily militarised, valued qualities associated with men such as courage, strength, and combat prowess. Warriors were supposed to give their lives in order to maintain the state's glory. When they prevailed in combat, the people praised them and covered them in opulent clothing. Women in Aztec society lived in a more limited environment. They were not allowed to join the armed forces or hold powerful positions in the government, but they were also not inherently less valuable than males. Instead, Aztec state culture placed a strong emphasis on the complementarity of men and women, with women handling household duties like cooking and weaving and males fulfilling tasks like fighting and farming outside the home. As a result, Aztec women frequently devoted long hours to weaving garments for the family and grinding maize into meal. Sometimes their jobs required them to go outside the house, such to the marketplaces, where some of them became very wealthy traders and held positions of leadership. As midwives and healers, women made sure that the ill were treated with medications supported by centuries of understanding about the therapeutic qualities of certain plants, and that healthy infants were delivered. Aztec society consisted of several social strata. A sizable population of landless commoners and slaves existed at the bottom. The landowner commoners were above them. Commoners who were landed possessed some degree of political influence prior to the imperial expansion. But they were reduced to serving the military and supplying food under the imperial government. The numerous specialised artisans, traders, and scribes stood above them. The nobility, who elevated themselves via ostentatious displays of riches, stood above the commoners. They held the highest ranking military posts and held roles in the clergy and courts. The noble class comprised the members of the Council of Four as well. The main responsibility of the council was to choose Huey Tlatoani, the Aztec emperor, from among the nobles. In Aztec civilization, the emperor had a position of great authority over everyone else. Extensive ceremonies, processions, speeches, and performances were all part of his coronation, which was intended to give him great authority. In his presence, even the most powerful nobility had to lie face down. Not always have the Aztec emperors been so strong or so high above the people. As the empire grew, so did their immense power and the formalities of their position. Both the empire and the position of emperor had achieved its pinnacle by the time Moctezuma II was crowned in 1502. The previous decades' progress had stalled, and demands for tribute and prisoners for ceremonial sacrifice were wearing thin and inciting hostility throughout the empire. That was the setting into which the first Spanish explorers arrived. By taking advantage of the empire's weaknesses, they were able to overthrow the previous Aztec state and establish a new Spanish-centered rule.