AZTECS

Introduction: The Aztec Empire is located in modern Mexico City, which stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. For many years, the Aztecs have tried to find a place to settle. In 1100, they found their settlement in Tenochtitlan. It was a military based empire that easily conquered beyond their territory. Thier political system was based upon the idea of the Great Speaker or the Tlatoani. Agriculture and art were the main economic methods that gave rise to the stability of their nation. Art usually used bright colors representing both warfare and religion. The Aztec religion was polytheistic or the belief in more than one god or goddesses. Their social stratification was based on how much blood was drawn from the person to nourish the gods. (Jeffrey Agne)

Politics: The Aztec empire depended on war and tribute which gained territory, subjects, and economic power as it expanded. Because of this, there were many rulers for each city state which were ruled by a tlatoani (king) responsible for the area. Aztec rulers were chosen from eligible royal offspring by a council of noble elders. The ruler was supported by warriors, governors, ambassadors, high priests, administrators, advisors, judges stewards, and other "lesser officials". Before there were political rulers, there was the Tlatoani or the Great Speaker. He was the leader of court, army, and of priesthood. This led to a semi-democratic system. Punishments were based on juries and judges. Emperors did not rule until the late 14th century. (Jeffrey Agne)

Rulers

• 1^st Acamapichtli(1376-1396)-
• Guided early construction of the city, accomplished a local number of conquests.
• 2^nd Huitzllihuitl(1397-1417)-
• Also, guided much construction of the city, accomplished a local number of conquests.
• 3^rd Chimalpopoca(1417-1427)-
• Like his brother and father, accomplished local conquests.
• 4^th Itzcoatl(1428-1440)-
• Formed a coalition with lakeside people against Tepanecs. Dominated the basin of Mexico, sacked the city of Azcapotzalco. Founded the empires of the triple alliance.
• 5^th Moctezuma(1440-1469)-
• Established the military program, greatly expanded the Aztec empire.

• 7^th Tizoc(1481-1486)-
• He initiated a major renovation and expansion of the templo mayor complex.
• 8^th Ahuitzotl(1486-1502)-
• Rebuilt the great temple, sacrificed 20,000 to 80,000 victims at the temples opening ceremony.
• 9^th Moctezuma Xocoyotzin(1502-1520)-
• Died during Spanish conquest but lead successful  military campaigns.
• 10^th Cutlhuac(1520)-
• Died after Moctezuma the younger and died 80 days later of small pox.  
• 11^th Cuauhtemoc(1520-1525)-
• The Aztec empire ends, and Cuauhtemoc was hung by Cortes people.

Economic: Economic was based on farming and agricultural divinities. Farming formed the basis of the Aztec economy. Corn was the most important crop, but farmers also grew beans, squash, pepers, avocados,tobacco and hemp. The Aztec Indian cultivated the soil with simple digging sticks, because they had no plows, draft animals, or iron tools. Aztec farmers produced enough food to produce enough food to supply not only their own needs, but also those of the craftsmen and government officials in the city. Aztec held many religious ceremonies. The most important war from harvesting, planting and the agricultural year. The purpose was to ensure good crops by winning the favor of the gods. There would also be sacrifices for them. They would usually buy food by trade or buy using their money which was cacao beans (chocolate). It was their favor which was why they praised it so much and made it their money. The Aztecs wove giant reed mats and placed them on top of the water. They made a fence around the mat and placed mud, silt, and rotten vegetables on it. Then willow trees were planted on all sides of the chinampa. The willow trees grew very quickly and their roots bound the soil to keep it from washing away. The Aztecs planted corn, tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, and squash. The plants' roots would grow to the bottom of the lake so they would have an endless supply of water. 

Religious: Aztecs were great god believers. It was a way of living. They believed in 13 heavens and 9 hells. The Aztecs respected their gods very much. They put their greatest efforts into making strong, beautiful temples to please their gods. Their arts had a part in their religion. They drew pictures that told about their gods. They recorded religious events with hieroglyphics and even number symbols. The Aztecs worshipped about 1,000 gods. But they worshipped the sun god the most. Religious ceremonies took place in a temple called a teocalli. This temple had sacred pools for ceremonial cleansing, gardens, living quarters for a priest, and racks to hold the skulls of victims. Religion played a great part in Aztec life. Sacrifice was one of the main events in the Aztec religion. The Aztecs strongly believed in the afterlife. It was the way the Aztecs died rather than the way they lived that determined whether they would go to the sun god or go to the dark and dismal underworld. Religion played an important part in Aztecs' lives, and human sacrifice was used to pay homage to their gods.

Social: The Aztecs were able to relate with a lot of other tribes even though they were usually in war. They all had almost the same technology and beliefs in gods. Socially the society depended on a rather strict division between nobles and free commoners both groups which were divided into elaborate hierarchies of social status, responsibilities and power. Economically the society was dependent on agriculture and also to a large extent warfare, other economically important factors was commerce, long distance and local, and a high degree of trade specialization. recreation was important. They would all still communicate with the same language no matter of their social status. Ways they would know their social status  was by the clothing they wore but especially the colors they wore. A family lived in a simple house made of adobe or poles. The husband worked in the fields with his older sons. The wife managed the household and trained her daughters. Women spent much time grinding corn on a flat stone metate and making unleavened cakes called tortillas. They also spun and wove cloth for clothing. Society was divided into these social classes: the Tlatoani, the Calpulli or group of families, and then the individual families within the Calpulli. (Jeffrey Agne)

Intellectual: The rulers were pretty much the ones that would make the decisions but used the noble people to vote or help make decisions. As how most places are today, everyone can have education but the noble families received more. The priests would be the ones that would teach them about gods and what they considered important in life while the parents would show them how to survive such as hunting, gathering, and weaving. Some simple achievements were gaining more land, winning wars, and surviving. Parents were responsible for theri child's education. The fathers would teach their sons by the age of 10. By this time, they were able to go to school where they were taught religion and military services. Girls were not able to go to school; therefore, they learned household tasks. (Jeffrey Agne)

Artistic: Ancient Aztec art was primarily a form of religious expression and a means for paying tribute to their gods. Also, various forms of Aztec art were used to assist in communication. These beautifully crafted designs are still admired today. Aztec art such as pictographs, paintings and warrior drawings can still be seen on the walls of their temples and within their ancient artifacts. Pottery was also really important. It wasn’t only useful to the Aztecs, but it was also an important religious craft within the Aztec arts. Pottery of all shapes and sizes depicted a variety of designs that were meaningful to the Aztec culture and religion. The designs typically placed on the pottery were meant to depict or pay reverence to specific Aztec gods or to represent an Aztec tribe. Aztec art usually represented wars and religion, set upon walls of many temples. Masks were created to give tribute to gods in rituals or ceremonies. Potteries were discovered that show the intricacy and knowledge they had toward geometric shapes. (Jeffrey Agne)

The Spanish Conquest 

• Cortes landed in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, it was good Friday in Isla.
• Aztec spies learned that the men were called Spaniards and the news immediately went to Moctezuma 2. 
• Spaniards burned their ships and set off on horses to Tenchtitian.
• On November 8, 1519, Cortes began to fight battles. Cortes took Moctezuma 2 hostage.
• Moctezuma 2 told his people, the Aztecs to make peace with the Spaniards, but these were not brave words so they elected his brother as new ruler.
• Many Spaniards were lost in battle, and the Aztec capital was finally destroyed on August 31, 1521.
• The Spanish introduced: horses, cattle, sheep pigs and brought sugar and other grains. But, they took tomatoes, beans and maize back to Europe.

Other helpful cites 

wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/AZTECS.HTM

www.aztec-history.com/index.html

www.aztec-indians.com/aztec-religion.html

ns3.azteca.net/aztec/nahuatl/organiza.html

                                                                                                                   By: Matthew Ostfeld

Summary:

The Aztec comes from the word Azteca (white land).These people were a wandering Native American tribe who came to Mexico. This happened during the 13^th century. When they settled, they build a great civilization including cities, pyramids and temples. Aztecs were nomadic people of Mexico. The Aztecs had as many as 1000 gods that they worshiped. There most important god was Huitzilopochtli, which was the god of war and the sun. This meant great thing to them because they knew that these were two important things. The people were very religious and would do sacrifices to honor the god and which they wanted to. This would take place on a specific date and the heart of a human would be cut out and thrown down into the temple. The sacrifices were happy to give their lives because they thought it would bring then to heaven. The Aztecs were agriculture people. The father and son(s) would work out in the farm while the woman would cook, clean and make clothing. The education was up to the parents at which the father would educate the son and the mother would educate the daughter. The Aztecs had a king that they appointed and that ruled all. The man would marry at the age of around 20 and the women in the mid teens. Everyone marriage was arranged by the relatives. The Aztec people were an important civilization and there are many things to learn from them.

Aztec Social Classes

• ·         Aztec social classes grew sophisticated once Mexican people settled
• ·         Mexican people began to build their empire
• ·         It is said that this system was so elaborate that it impressed the Spanish almost as much as the agriculture
• ·         Mexican people were nomadic tribe and were looking for a home
• ·         Acamapitchli was their first king
• ·         He started a new social class called the nobles or popiltin
• ·         Nobles had privileges, received a fuller education
• ·         People could move up in rank
• ·         Two social classes which were the nobles and the commoners
• ·         Some different positions that worked like sub- classes
• ·         Commoners worked the land, some were slaves
• ·         Merchants were a privilege class with amounts of freedom that many Aztecs did not have
• ·         Soldier had a good chance to move up in ranking

Aztec Religion

• ·         Beliefs were vase in their perception of nature
• ·         Time space and cycles of nature also
• ·         Finding harmony among nature
• ·         Aztec calendar was were all the dates were put
• ·         Varied and vast
• ·         Believed in heaven and hell (multiple)
• ·         9 hells and 13 heavens
• ·         Sun wrestled with darkness each night
• ·         Religion brought them to create beautiful temples for their many gods
• ·         Ceremonial temples were called teocalli
• ·         Named and worshipped nearly 1000 Aztec gods
• ·         Most important god to them was the sun/war god- Huizilopochtlid
• ·         Another important god was named Tlaloc- rain god
• ·         Farmers were careful to praise this god so that their crops would grow high
• ·         O’Nothing days were a celebrated religious day were priest would get dressed up and sacrifices would be made
• ·         Combination of polytheism, shamanism and animism
• ·         Belief in the afterlife was strong
• ·         Aztecs believed on how you died, would end up where you went
• ·         Appeasing their gods was very important

Political power

• ·         King was appointed
• ·         Military power
• ·         Life of a new family began at marriage
• ·         Early 20’s for man and mid teens for the woman
• ·         Man had more power and control than woman
• ·         Marriages were arranged by their relatives
• ·         Husband may have had more than one wife
• ·         Each decision was ruled by the laws of religion
• ·         Government was unlike any other system
• ·         Tribes gave money so that the government became wealthy
• ·         Upper and lower classes
• ·         Education was the parents responsibility
• ·         Father would teach son and the mother would teach the daughter
• ·         Work and education as a big part of the family
• ·         Ruled in many ways by religion, tradition and structure

Economics’ of the Aztecs

• ·         Planting, harvesting and agricultural year was the most important
• ·         Lived in simple house made of adobe or poles
• ·         Husbands would work in the field with sons
• ·         Agriculture was invented with farmer
• ·         Women would grind corn and make unleavened caked called tortillas
• ·         Women also spun wove for clothing
• ·         Used cacao beans as money
• ·         Farming formed the basis of the Aztec economy
• ·         Corn was the most important crop
• ·         Simple digging sticks, had no plows, animals or iron tools
• ·         Supplied enough food for their needs and others such as craftsmen and government officials
• ·         Farmers would sell food to make profit
• ·         Technology and the wheel the Aztecs did not have
• ·         Trade was important
• ·         Traders were respected and also acted as spies

Aztec Art

• ·         Primarily a form of religious expression
• ·         Paying tribute to their gods
• ·         Assist in communication
• ·         Pictographs, paintings and warrior drawing were put on the walls
• ·         Pottery was useful for religious craft with art
• ·         Sculptures made of stones were used to show their deep religious commitment
• ·         Calendar stone is most famous sculpture in Aztec art history
• ·         Pictographs were famous form of the Aztec art
• ·         Used to express with their counting system
• ·         Craftsmen were also called to create varieties of items to be used as religious ceremonies- Aztec masks, Aztec warrior art