Aztecs

What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?

Tenochtitlan

What lake is Tenochtitlan built on?

Lake Texcoco

How was Tenochtitlan easily defended?

It had no accessible roads to it, making it harder to launch long scale attacks.

What specifically made Tenochtitlan easily defendable?

The city was surrounded by water, with limited causeways connecting it to the mainland.

How did the Aztecs support agriculture?

By using artificial islands known as chinampas for crop growth.

What are chinampas?

Man-made floating gardens that provided fertile soil for year-round agricultural production.

How did the Aztecs expand their empire?

Through military conquest and alliances.

What societal structure did the Aztecs rely on for expanding territory?

Their strong warrior society.

What was the result of Aztecs forming alliances with other city-states?

They often lost control over the conquered territories.

Why did the Aztecs rely on local elites to govern conquered regions?

They often lost direct control over those territories.

What method did the Aztecs depend on for maintaining order in conquered areas?

They depended on local rulers.

What did these local rulers collect from the conquered areas?

Tribute payments in the form of food, gold, silver, military supplies, and people.

What is the Aztec tribute system?

A system where conquered regions had to pay tributes, which could include food, luxury goods, precious metals, military supplies, and people.

Why did the Aztecs practice human sacrifice?

To nourish the sun and postpone the destruction of the world.

What was the Aztec belief regarding the world's operation?

They believed it operated in cycles of creation and destruction.

What did the Aztecs need to offer to the sun god?

Human sacrifices to ensure the sun god had energy to rise each day.

Who was the most important Aztec god?

The sun god, Huitzilopochtli.

What types of gods were important to the Aztecs?

Sun god, war god, earth god, rain god, moon god.

What role did Aztec deities play?

They played a role in maintaining cosmic balance.