Aztec Empire

Introduction

The Aztec Empire rose to its peak and fell in less than 100 years.

The ideas that made it rise caused its destruction.

Captured warriors were brought to the top of a temple, had their hearts cut out, then were sacrificed to the sun god Tonatiuh.

The Mexica

The Aztecs were latecomers to the valley of Mexico, the area that surrounds the modern Mexico City, arrived around 1200 AD from the north, came from a place called Aztlan, they called themselves the Mexica. Groups called the Tepanecs, Acolhuas, and the culhuas, were already settled around lake Texcoco and competed each other for dominance. These groups shunned the Mexica as barbarians. After they Sacrificed the daughter of a Culhua king, the Mexica were driven into exile, they were forced to wander in the wilderness for years, until they saw a god named Huitzilopochtli that led the Mexica into an island in a swamp, where they saw an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak, then Huitzilopochtli said that that spot is where they would settle down and make their homeland.

The mexica drained the swamp and built an urban center that would become their capital named Tenochtitlan, The Mexicas worked as hired soldiers for the Tepanecs, but the Tepanec king started to attack the Mexicas.

The mexica king, Itzcoatl, formed a war alliance with the 2 other groups and defeated the Tepanecs in 1428. This triple alliances marked the beginning of the Aztec Empire. The term Aztec refers to the Mexica and their empire.

Itzcoatl

Itzcoatl became the first of six Aztec emperors. He created an Aztec feudal system, that concentrated wealth, privilege and power to him, his nobles and warriors.

He distributed land of the Tepanecs to his greatest warriors. He Rewarded those who took captives in battle. He said that in order to keep the gods and worlds alive, he had to supply them with human blood. Performed huge numbers of human sacrifices to satisfy the blood thirst of Tonatiuh and other gods.

How the empire worked

Itzcoatl spent the rest of his life conquering other Aztec city states in the valley of mexico, Aztecs had no standing army. Noble warriors gained status and wealth based on how many captives they took in battle, warriors fought one on one with spears with spears and wooden swords with obsidian (volcanic glasses) embedded in them. Emperor controlled city states so loosely that the owners of the city-states rebelled and had to be reconquered.

Expansion and collapse of the empire

After Itzcoatl’s death in 1440, a group of Mexica royal advisers chose Moctezuma to become the next Aztec leader. Moctezuma strengthened tribute system. Construction of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan began. Issued a legal code that emphasized differences between nobility and commoners, organized a system of schools for all Mexica boys and Girls.

Prepared boys to become priests, government office holders, merchants, farmers, and craftsmen, all boys were trained to become warriors. Girls learned song, dance, and skills necessary to become the mothers of Aztec warriors.

Moctezuma had achieved Pax Azteca (aztec peace) in the valley of Mexico. Enabled widespread trade and market system to flourish, merchants traded with people as far away as central america, trade greatly increased standard of living. 

Reached peak in size and power under the fifth emperor, Ahuitzotl. Great temple consisted of a massive pyramid topped by two temples. One for Huitzilopochtli, warrior god and representation of the sun, the other for tlaloc, the god of rain, water, and fertility.

Staircases went up one side of the pyramid to each temple were human sacrifices were performed, sacrificed more than 10,000 people in a ceremony that lasted for 4 days, completed in 1487, five years before Columbus set out. By the time of Ahuitzotl, human sacrifices were used to scare of commoners from challenging the elite class. Moctezuma 2, the last emperor in 1502, the empire was already beginning to weaken.

Spent most of his time reconquering city-states that revolted, commoners lost faith in their rulers. In less than a century, they built a city, extended trade routes, and devised and elaborate market system. He cared for millions of citizens.

Empire slowly bled to death. Wars and sacrifices the the gods reduced the population. When Hernando Cortes reached Tenochtitlan in 1519, he enlisted the aid of other city-states to defeat the aztec capital.

Took a year of deal-making for Cortes to assemble and army to fight the Aztec capital. In 1521, Cortes surrounded the city. For 85 days, the warriors fought the Spaniards and their allies and lost over 100,000 soldiers. Fighting ended after the last defenders died. 

Today, mexico city has engulfed the former empire.