![]() In 1521 the Spanish took control of Tenochtitlán, ending the Aztec Empire. The Aztec were at the height of their power when Hernán Cortés and his Spanish soldiers arrived. Montezuma II maintained the mighty empire until 1519, when Spanish conquerors arrived in the Aztec lands. He expanded the empire to its largest size in history. After that the power of the Aztec steadily grew.ĭuring the reign of the eighth king, Ahuitzotl, the tlatoani became known as the huey tlatoani, which means “supreme king” or “emperor.” Ahuitzotl ruled until 1502. In the early 1400s the Aztec king at the time made an alliance with two other nearby states. For many years the Aztec were dominated by a neighboring state called Azcapotzalco. They founded Tenochtitlán in about 1325.Ībout 50 years later the Aztec chose their first tlatoani, or king. Finally, they took refuge on islands in Lake Texcoco. They fought with other tribes in the Valley of Mexico and were sometimes forced to serve them. Aztec legends reveal that the early Aztec were hunters and gatherers. There they took on parts of the cultures of earlier peoples, including the Toltec, the Maya, and the Zapotec. The Aztec probably moved into central Mexico from the north in about ad 1200. An almanac gave dates for festivals and listed the various deities who held sway over each day and hour. With this knowledge their priests kept an exact solar calendar. The Aztec had learned from the Maya how to determine the solar year accurately. They sacrificed thousands of prisoners captured in war. The Aztec believed that because life was humankind’s most precious possession, it was the most acceptable gift for the gods. Human sacrifice, or the killing of people for religious reasons, played an important part in the rites. The Aztec performed elaborate rituals and ceremonies to obtain help from the gods. Quetzalcóatl was the god of learning and a symbol of death and rebirth. Among the most important Aztec gods were Huitzilopochtli, a sun god and the god of war Tonatiuh, another god of the sun and Tlaloc, the god of rain. They worshipped several gods who represented the forces of nature. Religion was very important to the Aztec. The Aztec had no alphabet of their own, but they used picture writing to record their history. Some of these words, such as chocolate, tomato, ocelot, coyote, and avocado, have also become part of the English language. Many Aztec words were later incorporated into the Spanish language. They grew corn, beans, peppers, squash, tomatoes, tobacco, and cotton. Farmers lived in huts made of woven rods and twigs covered with clay. City officials lived in houses made from stone and adobe, or sun-dried clay. ![]() It had gleaming white palaces and temples on top of pyramids. Tenochtitlán reflected the power and wealth of the empire. The lake was later drained, and today the land is part of Mexico City. The capital city of the Aztec was Tenochtitlán.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |