The Aztecs and Incas

where were the Incas located?

the coasts of south america on the andes mountains

What did the Incas not have?

they did not have horses, the wheel, or a written language

When did he Incan empire begin?

in the 1400s

What was the Incas capital?

Cuzco in present day Peru

When was the Incas peak at?

1532 the empire consisted most of Peru, Chile, and parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina

What did the Incas claim about their ruler?

that their ruler was the son of the Sun.

What was the Incas sun god named?

Inti, the giver of heat, light, and protection over the people

What did the Inca call their empire?

The Four parts together and dvided it into four areas

what did the Incas call their ruler?

Sapa Inca- ruled as long as they lived. They could have hundreds of wives

Who was the most famous emperor of the Incan Empire, and what did he do?

Pachakuti and he greatly expanded the size of the Empire through conquest.

What did the people of the Incan empire have to do?

had to work for the government- men built roads, bridges, and raised crop; women wove cloth and gave it to the government

What was the Incan military key to success?

organizing people and supplies by building roads and forts to guard their conquests and built store houses to hold supplies.

What was a mita?

the forced labor that every adult in Incan society had to work for the state as a tax.

What was Cuzco a center of?

government, religion, and trade in the empire. Only members of the royal family and nobility could live in the center of the city.

What was the Incan farming strategy?

terraces

How did news spread through the empire?

messengers ran with quipu and handed it to the next runner until it got to where it had to be. smoke signals also were used.

Where were the Aztecs located?

middle america in the valley of mexico in the 1400s

What was the capital of the Aztec empire?

Tenochtitlan which was built on present day Mexico city

What did the Aztec call themselves?

Mexica

Where did the Aztec build their city?

Lake Texcoco

What was tribute?

heavy taxes that came in the form of food, gold, or slaves

How did the Aztecs farm?

carved canals for irrigation, transportation, and trade, and built aqueducts to carry fresh water. they built Chinampas, or garden islands.

When was the triple alliance form and with who?

in 1428, with the Aztecs and two other cities- texcoco and Tlacopan

What did the Aztec believe?

only human blood could nourish the sun god so they held sacrifices to honor the sun god using the prisoners they captured.

What was the great temple for?

to honor the sun god, Huitxilopochtli the rain god, Tlaloc.

What was on the top of the Great temple?

On top was the temple platform where special priests sacrificed thousands of prisoners every year.

How did Aztec priests keep records?

Aztec system of writing . Pictures and symbols were drawn. on a codex

What is a codex?

long folded sheet of paper. two or more of these sheets of paper were called codices.

Why aren't there a lot of codices?

the spanish destroyed the Aztec records in the 1500s

What was the downfall of the Aztecs?

in 1519 spanish conquistadors or explorers and conquerers invaded the empire. Conquered people fought to overthrow the Aztec emperor Moctezuma.

How was Hernan Cortes and his army in 1521 conquer the aztecs?

they surrounded the island city of Tenochtitlan and cut off supplies and fresh water. This city was left in ruins by the time the battle was over.