The Aztecs. Who Were the Aztecs? Aztec Government. Aztec Territory

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1 The Aztecs Kristin Ohannesian The primary author is the individual who drafted the first version of this section; a section that could have been modified since it was originally published. Who Were the Aztecs? The Aztecs were a group of Nahuatl speaking Mesoamericans that started out as a nomadic tribe and transformed into a more organized empire of people in the Valley of Mexico. At the start, they were referred to as Mexica, but when they found out their old ways of wandering and barbarity weren't going to work out for them anymore, they started calling themselves Aztecs. They created a whole new image of themselves. Although the Aztecs are an ancient empire, dating from , their ideas and way of living are actually quite advanced for the time period. Aztec Government The Aztec government wasn't an all-consuming rule of power that went into every corner of life. It started with families and the structure went up from there. Groups of families, called calpulli, owned land since individual families did not. They had their own schools, temples, and fought together in war. The leaders of the calpulli made up the next tier of government, the city council. Apart from the city council but still in the same tier was the executive council, made up of four members that were chosen to lead. The final tier was one leader picked from the four members, called Huey Tlatcani, or Great Speaker. This so called Tlatcani was the emperor and his rule stretched to comprise the city council and a whole host of officials such as priests and judges. The emperor did have absolute power but came to power from a somewhat democratic process, chosen by others, so people did have a say in who their leader was. Aztec Territory The Aztecs were located in the Valley of Mexico in the middle of Lake Texco on a raised island. Their capital city was Tenochititlan, which is now Mexico City. Two of the neighboring cities, Texcoco and Tlacopan, formed an alliance with the Aztec capital city in 1434, called the Triple Alliance. These cities formed an economic and military alliance. All together, they became known as the Aztec Empire. 1

2 Religion and Human Sacrifice Aztec religion is complex but fascinating. There are a few varying stories but most have the same general idea. The Aztecs believed there to be many gods and from these gods five different suns were created. The order of these suns isn't agreed by all sources but the most commonly accepted are: 1. The first sun was called Jaguar Sun; a time when the world was populated with giants. This age ended when the giants were eaten by jaguars. 2. The second sun, Wind Sun, was terminated by hurricanes. 3. Rain Sun, the third, was destroyed by rain. 4. The fourth was Water Sun which ended in a flood. 5. The fifth and final sun is Earthquake Sun and is the present age. Several years later, the sun and moon were created from the gods Nanahuatl and Tecciztecatl leaping into a great fire. The gods sacrificed themselves to the fire so that the sun would have nourishment. However, this wasn't enough. This is where human sacrifice came into play. The Aztecs would cut out the beating heart of people to give energy to the sun so it could move. The hearts of brave captives were considered to give the most energy. As a result, the Aztecs took part in warfare to bring back captives for sacrifice. These ceremonies were always conducted at the top of a temple and completed by an Aztec priest. Agriculture and Diet The methods used by the Aztecs for agriculture are quite amazing. One way they made areas for growing crops was to create floating islands, or chinampas. They constructed these by using roots, aquatic plants, and sediment. It was perfect because they had easy access to water. Another technique used by the Aztecs was terracing. Walls of stone were created in hillsides and filled in with more soil. The most common crop part of Aztec diet was maize or corn. It could be stored for periods of time without going bad and could be ground into flour to make other foods such as tortillas. Squashes and beans were the other two common crops, which were a good source of protein. Avocados, tomatoes, and guavas were among some of the other crops grown. The Aztecs hunted for meat as well but the other crops were easier to attain. Book Burning and its Lasting Effects Book burning has been around for centuries dating back even to ancient times. It has been done for multiple reasons such as obtaining influence over others or erasing history. They are actually two cases of book burning in Aztec history. The first was done by the Aztecs themselves. When they realized their old ways weren't going to work anymore and became the Aztecs, 2

3 they created a new order of nobility, new taxes, and a new system of theocracy. Because of this, a new history was needed so old books were gathered and burned. The other instance of book burning was during the Spanish Conquest in The Spanish burned books to erase the Aztecs history. Due to both cases of book burning,aztec books containing information on history, ethnography, and languages of Mesoamerica were lost. The Spanish realized their mistake several years later when trying to Christianize the cultures of Mexico. Spanish Conquest and the Collapse of the Aztec Empire The Spanish Conquest in 1521 led to the end of what was the great Aztec empire. Aztec civilization was at its height at this time. However, the Aztecs believed the Spanish invaders were descendants of the god Quetzalcoatl because they arrived in a year of their calendar that fulfilled a myth that the gods would return from that direction. Once they realized their mistake, it was too late. Spanish forces and native Tlaxcalan warriors led by Hernan Cortes captured the emperor Montezuma. Cortes tried to rule through him, but the Aztecs revolted so the emperor was killed and the capital city was ruined. The Aztec Empire was over. Works Consulted Acosta, Jesse. "Spokansonian Institute." Jesse Acosta Portfolio. Spokansonian Institute of History and Culture, June Web. 6 Oct This website showed the first few pages of the Aztec Codices or books. Mentions how they were made, where they were kept, and what where in them. "The Aztec Civilization." Aztec-Indians.com. N.p., Web. 19 Sept This website provides knowledge of Aztec economy and language. Battles, Matthew. "Burning Alexandria." Library an Unquiet History.Vintage: London, Print. This book talked about some of the times when book burnings occurred and for what reason they had for doing them. Also included history of Aztec book burning. Berdan, Frances F., Edward A. Stark, and Jeffrey D. Sahagun. "10 Production and Use of Orchid Adhesives in Aztec Mexico: the Domestic Context." Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association 19.1: Web. 19 Sept Includes information on craft production for the Aztecs and natural adhesives that they used, primarily orchids. 3

4 Biart, Lucien. The Aztecs: Their History, Manners, and Customs. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, google books. Web. 26 Sept This book gave quite a bit of information concerning the Aztecs such as their country, the kings; how they were elected and who they were. Also some knowledge into mythology and human sacrifice. Cartwright, Mark. "Aztec Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 26 Feb Web. 6 Oct This website gave an historical overview of the Aztecs as well as information about their religion, architecture, art, and the eventual collapse of the empire. Cottrill, Jaime C. "Ancient Aztec Government." Aztec History. N.p., Web. 11 Oct This website provided information about the Aztec government such as structure and who held power. Daniel, Douglas A. "Tactical Factors in the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs." Anthropological Quarterly 65.4 (1992): schoolcraft. Web. 6 Oct This article gives reasons why the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs and the factors that were involved in the process. Diven, Thomas J. Aztecs and Mayas. Vol. 1. Chicago: The Antiquarian Co., vols. Google Books. Web. 26 Sept This book gave a bit of background on the origin of the Aztecs. Draper, Robert. "Unburying the Aztec." National Geographic (2010): Web. 19 Sept The article converses about archeological excavation in Mexico City, Mexico and relates artifacts found to Aztec mythology. Also gives a brief overview on Aztec history. Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. The World: A History. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc, Print. The book provided knowledge on how the Aztecs expanded rapidly and how the Spanish were able to conquer them in

5 Haight, Anne L, and Chandler B. Grannis. Banned Books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. 4th ed. New York: R.R. Bowker, Print. This book listed an extensive timeline of dates that included when books were banned and for what reason. "History." All About. N.p., Aug Web. 19 Sept This website offers information on the region of the Aztecs, their economy, and religion. Klein, Cecelia F. "Masking Empire: The Material Effects of Masks in Aztec Mexico." Art History 9.2: Web. 19 Sept This article presents information on the role of masks in Aztec society. They would place masks over statues to represent Aztec gods. Lankford, Ronald D. Book Banning. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, Print. This book provides different perspectives from English teachers and school librarians to writers and college students on the whole idea of book banning. Mann, Charles C New York: Random House Inc., Print. Describes how the Aztec city had a high population and how it had running water, gardens, and clean streets. Mayer, Brantz. "Difficulty of Estimating the Civilization of the Aztecs." Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican: A Historical, Geographical, Political, Statistical and Social Account of That Country from the Period of the Invasion by the Spaniards to the Present Time, with a View of the Ancient Aztec Empire and Civilization, a Historical Sketch of the Late War, and Notices of New Mexico and California. Hartford: S. Drake, Google Books. Web. 6 Sept This book gave some insight into the book burnings done by the early Spanish friar and why early Aztec history is surrounded with a lot of confusion and mystery. Also included information about why the Aztecs sacrificed their prisoners, and the different kinds of sacrifices. Ortiz de Montellano, Bernard R. Aztec Medicine, Health, and Nutrition. New Brunswick And London: Rutgers University Press, Print. Gave an in depth description of the health of the Aztecs including their medicine and nutrition and how they were actually a healthy society. 5

6 Pennock, Caroline D. "'A Remarkably Patterned Life': Domestic and Public in the Aztec Household City." Gender and History 23.3 (2011): Schoolcraft College. Web. 30 Sept This journal provided some insight on the male vs. female genders and what was considered normal for each gender such as duties and chores. Pohl, John M. D, and Charles M. Robinson. Aztecs & Conquistadores: The Spanish Invasion & the Collapse of the Aztec Empire. Oxford, U.K: Osprey Pub, Print. This books gives insight into the peoples on both sides of the war and their tactics. Smith, Iva A., and Aurora Ramirez-Krodel. A Yearbook of Holidays and Observances. Ann Arbor: Programs for Educational Opportunity, Google Books. Web. 26 Sept This book gave an overview of the Aztec calendar. Smith, Michael E. The Peoples of America: The Aztecs. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Inc, Print. Touched on Aztec sacrifice, their language of Nahuatl, and diet of corn, beans, and other vegetables and fruits. Stevenson, Robert M. Music in Aztec and Inca Territory. Berkeley And Los Angeles: University of California Press, Google Books. Web. 26 Sept Gave some insight into Aztec music and musical instruments that were used. 6