Unit 8 MesoAmerica

Indians

Term historically used by Europeans to refer to the indigenous peoples of the Americas.They were the original inhabitants of the Americas, with complex societies, cultures, and political systems long before European contact. Specific impacts include the development of agriculture (maize, beans, squash), urban centers, and sophisticated trade networks across regions.

Toltec culture

• Definition: A Mesoamerican civilization in central Mexico (roughly 900–1150 CE) known for its militarism and architectural achievements.

• Significance: Toltecs influenced later civilizations like the Aztecs, particularly in religion, art, and the model of a militaristic elite. Their capital, Tula, featured monumental pyramids, ball courts, and statues of warriors that inspired Aztec architecture and religious symbolism.

Tenochtitlan

• Definition: The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco (modern-day Mexico City).

• Significance: It was a major political, economic, and religious center with advanced engineering (canals, causeways, chinampas) and a population of hundreds of thousands. It also became the hub of tribute collection, military planning, and marketplaces that linked the Aztec Empire to distant regions.

Tlaloc

• Definition: Aztec god of rain, water, and fertility.

• Significance: Essential to agriculture; people performed rituals and sacrifices to ensure sufficient rainfall for crops. His temples often stored offerings of jade, food, and human sacrifices, reflecting his importance to both spiritual and agricultural survival.

Huitzilopochtli

• Definition: Aztec god of the sun and war, patron deity of the Mexica (Aztecs).

• Significance: Central to Aztec religion; the Aztecs believed human sacrifices were necessary to keep him strong and the sun moving. His cult justified military expansion and conquest, as captives were often used in rituals to honor him.

Nezahualcoyotl

• Definition: Philosopher-king of Texcoco (1402–1472), a city-state in the Aztec Triple Alliance.

• Significance: Known for his poetry, legal reforms, and promotion of arts and culture; helped create a more organized and prosperous region in the Aztec Empire. He also implemented a sophisticated legal code, promoted irrigation projects, and organized the construction of aqueducts to improve water supply.

Chinampas

• Definition: Raised agricultural beds built on shallow lake areas by the Aztecs.

• Significance: Allowed intensive agriculture and supported large urban populations like Tenochtitlan; an ingenious adaptation to swampy terrain. Chinampas could yield multiple harvests per year, enabling the city to feed hundreds of thousands of people and sustain Aztec armies.

Pochteca

• Definition: Aztec professional merchants who traded over long distances.

• Significance: Facilitated economic expansion, spread culture, and gathered intelligence for the empire. They also acted as spies, reporting on the political and military conditions of other regions, which helped the Aztecs plan conquests.

Calpulli

• Definition: Aztec clans or extended family units that collectively owned land and organized labor.

• Significance: Basic unit of Aztec social, political, and economic life; helped maintain communal organization. Each calpulli ran schools for children, maintained temples, and organized local defense, making them essential to both daily life and governance.

Pachacuti

• Definition: Ninth Sapa Inca (ruler) of the Inca Empire, ruled c. 1438–1471.

• Significance: Expanded the Inca Empire significantly, reorganized its government, and established infrastructure like roads and administrative systems. He also standardized religious practices and incorporated conquered peoples through diplomacy and marriage alliances, strengthening imperial unity.

Ayllus

• Definition: Inca extended family groups or communities that shared land, labor, and resources.

• Significance: Fundamental social and economic unit in Inca society; organized communal work like farming and construction. Each ayllu also maintained local temples and storage facilities (qullqas) for food, ensuring survival during droughts or shortages.

Tawantinsuyu

• Definition: Quechua name for the Inca Empire, meaning “the four regions” or “the four parts together.”

• Significance: Reflected the Inca system of dividing the empire into four administrative regions to manage governance and resources efficiently. This structure allowed local leaders to administer daily affairs while still maintaining allegiance to the central Inca authority in Cusco.

Split inheritance

• Definition: Inca practice where a ruler’s successor inherited political power, but the deceased ruler’s wealth remained with his descendants for religious purposes.

• Significance: Encouraged conquest and expansion to accumulate wealth for the new ruler, fueling Inca imperial growth. It also motivated rulers to build monumental structures and infrastructure to demonstrate their power and legitimacy.

Temple of the Sun

• Definition: Major Inca religious temple (Coricancha in Cusco) dedicated to Inti, the sun god.

• Significance: Religious center symbolizing Inca devotion to the sun, political power, and connection between rulers and divine authority. It housed gold artifacts, ceremonial gardens, and priests, serving as a hub for state rituals and astronomical observations.

Tambos

• Definition: Inca waystations or inns along the empire’s road system.

• Significance: Provided lodging, food, and supplies for messengers, armies, and travelers; key to efficient communication and administration. Tambos also functioned as storage points for military equipment and surplus crops, enabling rapid mobilization across the empire.

Mita

• Definition: Inca labor tax requiring subjects to work on public projects for a set period each year.

• Significance: Allowed the state to mobilize large workforces for infrastructure, agriculture, and military needs without monetary taxation. Projects included building roads, terraces, bridges, and fortresses, which strengthened both economy and military control.

Inca socialism

• Definition: Economic system where the state redistributed land, labor, and resources for the common good.

• Significance: Ensured survival and stability in the empire; helped manage resources in diverse environments like mountains, deserts, and valleys. It reduced economic inequality and allowed for centralized storage of food in case of famine or natural disaster.

Yanas

• Definition: Permanent servants or specialized laborers in the Inca Empire.

• Significance: Worked for the state or elites, performing skilled labor or military service; reflected Inca social hierarchy. They could serve in specialized roles such as craftsmen, soldiers, or administrators, providing essential services for the empire’s functioning.

Quipu

• Definition: Inca system of knotted strings used for record-keeping, accounting, and communication.

• Significance: Allowed administration of the vast empire without a written language, tracking taxes, census data, and resources. Different knots and colors conveyed numbers and information, helping the Inca manage labor, tribute, and military conscription efficiently.