Aztec Civilization
The Aztecs were a group of people who legends say come from the northern part of Mexico in a place called "Aztlan" their homeland. In 1168 they started to migrate south on the instructions of their god Huitzilopochtli (war god), they were to look for an eagle perching on a snake on a cactus, there is where they will settle and build their city but this didn't happen til 1325. 1253- Mexica arrive in the valley of Mexico only to find all desirable land inhabited. The Mexica were forced to be warrior slaves to other tribes. So between 1168 when they started to migrate to 1325 when they found the signal of their god Huitzilopochtli, they were nothing but raggery people that were rejected from any where they settle they only survived from stolen food they were given land were it was inpossible for them to survive it was surrounded by snakes and there was no food available, but the Aztecs manage to survive out of them.
1322- Mexica brake away from dominance of Culhuacan, flee to lake area wetlands.
There is were they saw the signal they were looking for from their god Huitzilopochtilin in Lake Texcoco. 1325-They founded the city called Tenochtitlan city of Tenoch.
They build cities as large as any in Europe at that time. Tenochtitlan the city founded by the Aztecs is now Mexico city. The Aztecs also referred themselves as Colhua-Mexica,Mexica, and Tenocha. 1337-Mexica faction group splits and establishes Tlatelolco next to Tenochtitlan.
Aztec built towering temples, create huge sculptures, and held impressive ceremonies. The center of Aztec civilization was the valley of Mexico, a huge, oval basin about 7,500 feet (2,300 meters) above sea level. The Aztec empire included many citiesand towns, especially in the valley of Mexico. The largest city was the capital Tenochtitlan, wich occupied an island in Lake Texcoco. Both tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco lay within what is now Mexico City. The present day city covers much of the bed of Lake Texcoco,wich was drained in the 1600's. 1348-Extensive royal archives are destroyed in Texcoco.
1375-Mexica enthroned their first king, Acamapichtli. War with Chalco lasting for twelve years. 1390-Probable beginning date for great Temple.
1395-1417 Reign of Huitzilaihuitl 1417-1427 Reign of chimal 1427-1440 Reign of itzcoatl 1428-Formation of the triple alliance: Itzcoatl azcends to the great speaker position.
By the early 1400's, Tenochtitlan had become a powerful city that controlled the region around it, forming a kind of city-state.They had some other alliance but Tenochtitlan was the powerful one and began to build what became the Aztec empire. Aztec Territory in the 1400's 1429-Tlacaelel rises in status. Leader of Tepanec war.
1440-69-Reign of Moctezuma I. First great Aqueduct to Tenochtitlan built. 1440 to 1469, the alliance conquered large areas to the east and south. His sucessor expanded the empire until it extended between what are now Guatemala and the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. Hundreds of conquered towns paid heavy taxes in goods to the empire. 1445-Mexican conquest of Oaxaca.
1450-54-Great famine and drought. Great forest.
1458-Mexica begin extensive expansion of tribute territories. Conquest of Coixtlahuaca and Veracruz.
1465-Mexican conquest of Chalco
1469-81-Reign of Axayacatl 1472-Axayacatl is victorious in war with Toluca. 1473-Moquiuix declares Tlatelolco Sovereign.
In 1473, the Aztecs conquered Tlatelolco and united the two cities. 1476-Mexica Conquer the valley of Toluca.
1481-6-Reign of Tizoc. Tizoc was un-succesful coronation war and is consider a coward. Tizoc eventually poisoned. 1483-Cornerstone of great Temple to Huitzilopochtil is laid.
1486-1503-Reign of Ahuitzotl second Aquedut to tenochtilan. 1487-Great Temple at Tenochtitlan dedicated with a estimate 20,000 captives sacrificed.
The Aztecs practice human sacrifices to worship their gods, Human sacrifice played a vital role in the major ceremonies. Priest slashed open the chest of a living victim and tore out the heart. The Aztecs believed that the gods needed human hearts and blood to remain strong. Worshipers sometimes ate portions of a victim's body. Most victims were prisoners of war or slaves. But the Aztecs also sacrifice childrens to the god Tlaloc. 1494-Zapotec region falls to the Mexica.
1496-Death of Tlacaelel at the age of ninety eight. A great eclipse of the sun occurs, seen as a bad omen.
1502-20-Reign of Moctezuma II. When Montezuma II became emperor in 1502, the Aztec empire was at the height of its power. 1503-Year of graeat rains, flooding of Tenochtitlan.
1509-Comet is observed a signal of Coming Mexica downfall.
1512-Series of three great earthquakes rocks the valley of Mexico, seen as a bad omen.
1514-Cold weather causes extensive crop failures, Famine occured.
1515-Rumors of bearded men in the caribbean are heard in Tenochtitlan.
When the Spaniards arrived in the 1500's , Tenochtitlan may have had a population of 200,000 to 300,000. No Spanish city had so many people. 1519-Landidng of Cortes near present day Veracruz.
In 1519, The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes landed on the east coast of Mexico with 500 soldiers and 16 horses and later marched inland in search of gold. What he first found was the Aztecs, the largest and strongest Empire in pre-hispanic Mexico. When Moctezuma heard the news that white man with horses and armor were seen on the east coast something the Aztecs have never seen before Moctezuma though it was the god Quetzalcóatl that promise hes return one day. To placate them, the Indians sent gifts of gold and other precious objects.
Then one day, Cortés was presented with tribute of a different kind: a gift of 20 slave girls was delivered to the Spanish encampment. Out of these he chose one described by the chronicler as "outgoing, meddlesome, and beautiful," The Spanish baptized her "Marina," she who came from the sea, but her people called her "la Malinche," the traitoress, a traitoress to the Indians.
She was thrust into an extraordinary destiny, whatever name she was given. She became "mi lengua," for Cortés who took her as his interpreter and lover. "Mi lengua," "my tongue," the interpreter who would guide him through the Aztec empire.
Through Malinche, who quickly acquired a knowledge of Spanish, Cortés was able to interview the messengers and envoys who came to his camp. He learned that the great king Moctezuma lived in a magnificent city beyond the mountains and that his armies, lined up in a field, would cover it like the waves of the sea.
But he was also informed that many vassal kings, who owed allegiance to the emperor, secretly detested him, and would readily support anyone who might help them throw off the hated Aztec yoke. But if the vassal kings were ready to march, the Spanish were not. Skirmishes had taken their toll. Bread was becoming scarce, as were salt and bacon. Some feared the cold of the mountains; others complained of the weight of the armor. But Cortés refused to turn back with empty hands.
The Spanish soldiers were divided between their desire for fame and wealth and their fear of defeat and death. "We're only 500," they told Cortés, and he answered, "Then our hearts must be doubly courageous." "We are dying of fevers and Indian attacks," others complained. "Let us go back, let us sail back," others said in frank mutiny. "But there are no ships," Cortés answered, "I have sunk the ships, right here.
Cortez destroyed hes own ships to assure the company of hes man. There is no way but up, there is no retreat. We must go forward to Mexico ." So, the soldiers cheered and acclaimed Cortés as their leader, and all cried "Forward, to Mexico, to Mexico!"
On August the 16th, 1519, the Great March began. Many other indians that were invaded and resented their heavy taxes by the Aztecs joined the march to the Aztec capital. Mexico City lay 250 miles to the northwest beyond the mighty volcanos of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl. On a causeway leading to the city, one of the great encounters of history now took place. Exposed and outnumbered, Cortés could count on nothing but the courage and resolution of his men.
But to Moctezuma, he was a god, the Plumed Serpent who was returning to his people. Finally, when the Spaniards arrived these were the first words of Cortes and Montezuma..
Speeches of Motecuhzoma and Cortés When Motecuhzoma [Montezuma] had given necklaces to each one, Cortés asked him: "Are you Motecuhzoma? Are you the king?" And the king said:...to know what they say to one another once they met click hereCortez took advantage of the biggest mistake Motecuhzoma did. Cortez was aided by the legend of Queztalcoatl, the feathered serpent god who was to return one day from the east as a fair-skinned bearded god. Since the Aztecs believed Cortez to be a god, he gained access to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan and using his advanced weaponry and the help of enemy tribes, Cortez laid siege to and conquered the capital of the greatest empire that had ever existed in the new world. On November 8, 1519, Cortez didnt keep his word of coming to Mexico as friends, he challenged the native forces and entered Tenochititlan, taking the Aztec leader, Montezuma, hostage. This event led to an Aztec uprising that culminated in "La Noche Triste". The Aztecs overthrown the Spaniards in their first attend to conquer Tenochititlan in July of 1520. Men from both sides, as well as many Aztec treasures, were lost as a bridge collapsed during the desperate flight of the Spaniards. Nevertheless, Cortes survived, reunited hes troops and prepared to led more attacks on Tenochititlan.
1520-24-Reign of Cuautemoc. He was the last Aztec emperor who fought bravely agaisnt the Spaniards. Cortes send a message to Cuautemoc to surrender but the young Aztec Emperor refuse to surrender and said that any thing related to christianity will be destroy and any Spaniard capture will be sacrifice immediately to the Aztec gods. Cortes manage to cut off their food supply and destroyed many of their crops leaving the Aztecs with hunger and weak for war, as a result many Aztecs die, but the one thing that kill the Aztecs since the arrival of the Spaniards was diseases like small pox and measles that the Aztecs had no immunity to. Cuautemoc lead the last Aztec attacks but then was captured by the Spaniards and put in prison. The Aztec capital fell on August 13, 1521, but somehow still kept in contanct with the other Aztec warriors and said to unite and prepared for a sneak attack againts the Spaniards, but this never happened. The Spaniards found out and fealt threat so they kill him in 1524.After capturing Tenochititlan, the Spaniards destroyed the city, and built Mexico City on top of it. Just as Tenochititlan was destroyed, most of the Aztec civilization was destroyed with the European Conquest.It is estimated that three-quarters of the native population died of violence or diseases--in just the first century of the conquest. The Aztecs left a lasting mark on Mexican culture.
Aztec Calender The Aztecs had a 260-day religious calendar. Priest used the calendar to determine luck days for such activities as sowing crops, building houses, and going to war. The Aztecs also had a 365-day solar calendar. It consisted of 18 months of 20 days each plus 5 extra days.
why..??? Lets remember that only 500 Spaniards were in Tenochtitlan in the time of the Conquest & many died also from diseases..& there alliance were almost 250 million Indians from other tribes that were conquer by the Aztecs, & were willing to join anyone that made an attack against them...With the Spaniards advanced equipment rifles..armors...swords...horses...e.t.c this was possible & they join with the Spaniards against the Aztecs.
Main facts of Aztec downfall: Diseases by Spaniards that brought thousand of Aztec indians to their knees, & before the second Spaniard attack they cutt off their food and water supplies destroying their crop fields leaving the Aztecs hungry and weak for war, sometimes the Aztecs ate anything they could to survive such as worms or other insects.
