Chapter 12 Section 3

Discussion of the similarities and differences between European civilizations and the Islamic world during the fifteenth century.

Significant parts of the AP® curriculum; students are advised to study both civilizations closely.
Guided Reading Question: What distinguished the Aztec and Inca empires from each other?

Established by the Mexica people, a semi-nomadic group from northern Mexico, settling in Lake Texcoco by 1325.
Initially served as mercenaries, forming alliances and building Tenochtitlan as their capital via a Triple Alliance with neighboring city-states through military conquest.
By the end of the 15th century, the Aztecs had unified much of Mesoamerica politically.

Largely decentralized and loosely structured conquest state with significant rebellions from conquered peoples; exploited these for labor and tribute.
Core population estimated at 5 to 6 million.

Tributes included textiles, military supplies, jewelry, foodstuffs, and labor for Aztec projects.
Tenochtitlan was a major metropolis with an extensive marketplace, famed for its canals and floating gardens (chinampas) which supported extensive agriculture.
Markets like Tlatelolco were massive and well-organized, with professional merchants (pochteca) who engaged in long-distance trade.
Merchants could rise in social status due to wealth accumulation, leading to positions of influence.

Human sacrifice played a central role, attributed to a cyclical worldview where gods needed blood to sustain the sun and prevent catastrophe.
Tlacaelel, a significant official, shaped this ideology emphasizing the importance of sacrifices through wars and expanding territories.
Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) was an influential poet highlighting human fragility and the beauty of life.

Developed by Quechua-speaking peoples, known as the Incas, creating the largest empire in the Western Hemisphere across the Andes.
Inherited elements from earlier Andean cultures.
Empire stretched approximately 2,500 miles and encompassed over 10 million subjects.

Highly organized with a bureaucratic system led by the emperor, believed to be divine.
Provinces governed by Inca officials and supported by a hierarchical structure that organized subjects into units of labor.
Use of quipus for recording population demographics.

Implementation of a labor service system (mita) rather than tribute demands.
State-controlled resources with land assigned to religious institutions and traditional communities.
An economic structure that directed labor toward state projects and resource production.

Integration of various cultures through language and governance; emphasis on learning Quechua.
Cultural exchanges allowed for the blending of local customs with Inca practices, forming a diverse empire that acknowledged local beliefs.

Both civilizations exhibited “gender parallelism,” where men and women operated in separate but equivalent spheres.
Domestic roles assigned to women were valued rather than seen as inferior; women held positions in trade, religion, and crafting.
The Incas used “chosen women” for producing goods and serving as priestesses, reflecting a sophisticated gender dynamic within state functions.

Many societies operated in overlapping cultural networks, marked by the influence of religion, trade, and communication.
Islamic, Christian, and Buddhist interactions highlighted the synthesis of different cultures, although considerable divides existed, such as between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Trade routes expanded, linking various peoples and facilitating exchanges of goods and ideas.

The fifteenth century set the stage for significant global interactions, leading to the onset of the modern age marked by European explorations and the Columbian exchange.
New global patterns emerged in commerce, culture, and society, culminating in profound changes across all regions brought together by these connections.