Summary of The Aztecs

The Aztecs (1345-1521 CE)

  • Founded Tenochtitlan in 1345 on Lake Texcoco.

  • By 1519, Tenochtitlan had a population of 200,000-300,000, and a complex urban structure similar to Venice.

  • The Aztec Empire was a tribute-based system—ruled through a Triple Alliance with Texcoco and Tlacopan, not through direct territorial control.

Demographic Changes

  • Central Mexico had around 11 million people in 1519; this decreased to about 1.5 million by 1650 due to epidemics and harsh working conditions.

Social Structure

  • Classes:

    • Tlatoani: Ruler who speaks for the people.

    • Pilli: Nobles (pipiltin)

    • Commoners: (macehualtin)

    • Bondsmen/Serfs: (mayeque)

    • Slaves: (tlacohtin)

  • Primarily agrarian society, utilizing the chinampa system for year-round agriculture.

Major Rulers

  • Key rulers included Itzcoatl, Moctecuhzoma I and II, and Cuauhtemoc.

  • Moctecuhzoma II was later seen as lacking leadership during the Spanish conquest.

Religion and Cosmology

  • Aztecs viewed the universe as reflecting cosmic balance, with 13 levels of heaven and 9 underworld levels (Mictlan).

  • Important deities included Huitzilopochtli (God of War), Tlaloc (Rain God), and Coatlicue (Earth Goddess).

  • Religion involved rituals that emphasized gender roles: men as warriors, women as caretakers and market owners.

Artistic Achievements

  • The Codex Mendoza records tribute, kings, and life among the Aztecs.

  • Sculptural art flourished, depicting gods and rituals, notably at the Templo Mayor, which held key religious sites like the skull rack and calmecac for elite education.

Agricultural Innovations

  • Chinampas: Man-made islands in lake areas for intensive farming.

  • Enabled sustainable agriculture despite seasonal rainfall in Mesoamerica.

Language and Literature

  • Aztec literature expressed in Nahuatl, featuring metaphorical language and rich poetic forms.

Major Archaeological Sites

  • Key sites include Tenochtitlan, Teotihuacan, Tula, and Chichen Itza, reflecting the vast cultural heritage of Pre-Columbian Mexico.