Basic Aztec and Inca Civilization Notes

Aztecs 

Characteristics: 

Social aspects: 

• Women’s role was the household, plain labor 

• Women had some political rights, inherit property 

• Warrior class 

Political: 

Societal Aspects: 

• Aztecs migrate to Lake Texcoco 1325 

• Aztecs found Tenochtitlan 1325, which turned into a mega city 

• Their Empire begins 1434 

• Kings represented civil power and as a representative of a god 

Government: 

• City states were ruled by a speaker chosen from nobility 

• The great speaker, ruler of Tenochtitlan, was in effect an emperor, this emperor was considered a living god 

• The Aztecs made the people who they conquered pay tribute, give gold, cotton, or food (a tributary system, abusing those who are in your society) 

• Empire had 12 million, people governed themselves 

Religious: 

• Traditional deities of Mesoamerica 

• Polytheism 

• Human sacrifice, they were all driven by it, like even the military 

• 10k a year were killed to “please their gods” 

Intellectual: 

• Tenochtitlan was built in the middle of a lake on an island 

• Built chinampas (floating gardens) that allowed the Aztecs to create enough food to feed the population 

• Aztecs studied astronomy, and made a calendar like the Mayan 

• Aztecs had many uses for plants 

Technological: 

• Roads connected the empire and trade flourished 

Economical: 

• The Aztecs made the people who they conquered pay tribute, give gold, cotton, or food (a tributary system, abusing those who are in your society) 

• Cacao beans and gold were used as currency, bartering was common 

Incas 

Characteristics: 

Social: 

• Founded by Quechua speaking clans living near Cuzco around 1350 

• Women had traditional women roles 

Political: 

• Divided their empire into four provinces 

• Developed a bureaucracy run by nobles 

• Made conquered leaders move out of their villages 

Religious: 

• Polytheistic 

• Sun god, moon god, etc. 

• Sun god was their primary god 

• Influenced by animism (everything has a soul) 

• Made animal sacrifices (chickens and animals) 

Intellectual: 

• Over 200 types of potatoes 

• They were good for roads and bridges 

• Quipu: a system to read numbers 

Technological: 

• Tried to be self-sufficient, primarily agricultural, terrace farming and complex irrigation 

• No tech just slaves 

• Mita system, like slavery, but you get to also live your life after your task is done (forced labor) 

• They were super good at agriculture 

• Waru Waru farming (irrigation canals) 

Economical: 

• Not much trade