Aztecs

Strategies of Aztecs/Mexica to consolidate or expand powe

Royal marriage alliances with older, established elites (early on)
 Burn books and rewrite myth/history (Itzcoatl, first to rule after empire established)
 Offer social mobility through distinguished military service (Motecuhzoma I)
 All Aztec kings had to be effective military leaders.
 Annexation of Tlatelolco (Axayacatl) What kind of place was Tlatelolco and what did annexation do?
 Conquer and establish buffer zones with Tarascan enemy (Axayacatl)
 Establish Mexica dominance officially in the Triple Alliance, become “supreme king” aka “huehuetlatoani (Ahuitzotl)
 Swift military reprisals for subject territories not complying
 Move toward more absolute monarchy (Motecuhzoma II)

Huitzilihuitl

hummingbird feather” 1391-1415 (pre-Imperial): royal marriage alliances, growth of Tenochtitlan,
increased military prowess, vassals of Tepanecs

Chimalpopoca

“smoking shield” 1415-1426 (pre-Imperial), Key role in warfare between Acolhua and Tepanec
states

Itzcoatl

obsidian serpent” 1428-1440 (Imperial, as for successors), Triple Alliance, Mexica glorification, divine
destiny, book burning

Motecuhzoma I

(Ilhuicamina) 1440-1468 “he frowns like a lord, shoots a bolt into the sky” consolidated empire
in Basin of Mexico, expanded to Oaxaca, presided over Famine 1 Rabbit, imperial administrative strengths, legal codes, social mobility for military

Axayacat

“water mask, water face” 1468-1481, consolidated subject provinces, key battles, annexed Tlatelolco,
incorporated Toluca (buffer zone to north), lost to Tarascans in 1479 with great military losses

Ahuitzotl

mythical water creature) 1486-1502, substantial conquests, including to southern Pacific Mexico,
under him the Mexica came to dominate Triple Alliance, first Huehuetlatoani, prosperous imperial regin

Motecuhzoma Ii

(Xoyocotzin) 1502-1520: “he frowns like a lord, honored young one,” consolidated imperial
domain, purged Ahuitzotl’s officials, superstitious, fearful court politics, eliminated social mobility incentives to military

Mexica omens… during migration

patron god “Huitzilopochtli” advises them to separate from other tribes (lightning hits a tree), …. Founding Tenochtitlan, later, he prophesizes the sign as an eagle with snake on a cactus.

Chapultepec

was important place in Mexica struggles to get established pre-Tenochtitlan. For a while they settled at Tizaapan (a rocky area of hardened lava flow). Diverse diet linked to marginal environmental adaptations…

Xipe Totec

our lord, the flayed one” and the Culhua princess incident just prior to founding Tenochtitlan

Tenochtitlan, founded

1325

Triple Alliance empire, founded

1428

Triple Alliance Composed of

Tenochtitlan (Mexica), Texcoco (Acolhua), Tlacopan (Tepanecs)

What was the population of Aztec central Mexico, according to historical documents

Handout 10

2-6million

What factors were responsible for population growth from the Early (pre-imperial) to Late (imperial) Aztec periods?

Handout 10

What is an “altepetl” and what was it composed of? (slides 16, 17)

The key social, political, and economic unit of the Aztec empire
- city states/or kingdoms
- each with a capital center, subject settlements, and territorial
domains

What does the title “tlatoani” mean?

King

Who were the Tetecuhtin nobles?

Who was the Cihuacoatl (office)?    

second-highest political office, functioning effectively as the prime minister or co-ruler

What were the calpolli?

the fundamental social, territorial, and economic units of pre-Columbian Aztec society

Name of lake of island of Tenochtitlan? ()

Lake Texcoco

When was the Famine of 1 Rabbit, and which emperor was it under? What were its consequences, and short and long term effects? Did the empire recover?

Handout 10

1450-1484

Under metecuhcomal

Response - distribution of food from the royal granary, selling oneself since you would get fed onto slavery migration out

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

Chimapopoca smoking shield 1415- 1426

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

Itzcoatl ’obsidian serpent 1428-1440s

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

Motecuhzoma iihuicaamina 1440s-1468 he frown lika a lord,shoots a bolt into the sky

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

Huitzilihuitl humming bird feather 1391-1415

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

ahuitzotl (mythical water creature) 1486-1502

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings

axayacatl water mask, water face 1468-1481

Match the portraits below of Aztec kings (ho10)

motecuhzoma 11 xoyocotzin 1502-1520

Foodways

• lake and dessert resources in addition to typical cultigens – what are some examples?

(amaranth, algae, mushrooms “huitlacoche”, crayfish “acociles”, CHAPULINES, fermented maguey drink “pulque”, cultivation on terraces, irrigated lands, and chinampas water garden planting beds

Label ho11

What two animals were domesticated?

• What products were traded between Central Mexico and the American Southwest?

Name some well-known Aztec craft industries

All women engaged in what craft industry?

Two luxury good production industries

feather workingand metallurgy

What was Otumba known for?

What kind of fiber provided the thread for ordinary Aztec clothing?

Was Aztec textile wearing (fiber, plain, dyed or embroidered) governed by law according to social or political status?

• What is a spindle whorl?

Who were the pochteca and what was their unusual status?

• Difference between the calmecac and tepochcalli schools?

Rigid aspects of expected conduct for men, women, children

Sweeping

Concepts of filth/sin, and cleanliness (sweeping especially)

Who engaged in ritual sweeping, besides women of house space? Links of sweeping to maintaining order, keeping chaos at bay

Market system

Well-developed

• Tlatelolco (linked by causeway to Tenochtitlan and ultimately annexed by it, had the largest Aztec market (perhaps 20,000 persons/day)

• Markets held everywhere, all towns, some large and diverse, small minor and less often.

• Some markets had specialized products

Label

Feather working   ____ Carving stone (lapidary work)   ____ Woodworking   ____ Painting   ____ Casting metal (metallurgy)

Label end of ho11

Why did Aztecs believe sacrifice was necessary? Why did the Spaniards exaggerate the scale (large though it may have been)?

Ho13

Which categories of deaths sent people to special otherworld places?

What ceremony is depicted in this image from an Aztec codex?

Which god (shown at right) presides over this era, the “Fifth Sun”? (Quetzalcoatl, Xipe Totec, Huitzilopochtli, Tezcatlipoca, or Tonatiuh)

Which god is this (on left)? (Choose from: A) Quetzalcoat/Ehecatl,                B) Huitzilopochtli, C) Teccitztecatl, D) Tonatiuh, E) Tlatecuhtli)?

Name the gods shown

Name the gods shown

Takeaways from Aztec-Spanish encounters:

• Context of harsh rule of Motecuhzoma II, its perception, his overconfidence

• Contingencies of history – Cortes defiance of Spanish law

• Role of Tlaxcallans in taking Tenochtitlan and survival of Cortes/Euros

• Role of smallpox in weakening Tenochtitlan

Final century – Aztec at contact:

Demographic, political, and economic expansion, Prosperity and cultural florescence

Growing hardship/pressure on commoner class

 

Hernando Cortés – 1519

Spanish colonies in Caribbean, based in Cuba

Feb 1519 – Cortés & 11 ships, 500 men explore Mexican coast, Defied governor of Cuba (withdrawn permission)

 

Recovered Aguilar (shipwreck survivor, Maya coast, spoke Maya), acquired Malintzin, gift from Gulf coast Maya, spoke Maya/Nahuatl

 

Greeted by Motecuhzoma’s messengers in Veracruz

Motecuhzoma hesitated upon learning of encounter/display of arms

Cortés made allies , some peacefully, some violently en route

November 1519 entered the city feigned friendship, imprisoned emperor

Cortés departed in April 1520 and Alvarado made some bad decisions

Cortés besieged, fled in June “noche triste” slaughter, battles

 

Returned months later, 700 Spaniards, 70,000 native troops, Tenochtitlan meanwhile

Devastated by disease, emperor Cuitlahuac died of smallpox, siege cut off water, food

August 1521 new emperor Cuauhtemoc captured, Spaniard victory declared

Vengeful Tlaxcallans went on to massacre many more

Valley of Mexico –end of ho13

– 1.6 million in 1519 to 900,000 by 1521 – smallpox

1531 – measles, 1532 unidentified disease, 1538, smallpox again

1545-48 – typhus wiped out 60% or more of Valley of Mexico reducing it to 200,000 people