Aztec and Inca Empire - Vocabulary Flashcards

Modern-day Mexico

Legend from Aztlan: origin of the Aztecs migrating from a mythical homeland called Aztlan.
Huitzilopochtli: sun and war god who guided the Aztecs and required sacrifices.
Search for promised land: sign involved a bird on a cactus eating a snake.
Nahuatl: language of the Aztecs
Tenochtitlan: capital city.
Lake Texcoco: location provided defense, fertile land, and trade access but caused future problems (flooding, limited space, vulnerability during attacks).
chinampas - loating gardens
Water management: aqueducts
Pyramids built with astronomy ties; symbol of religious and political power.
Domination of central Mexico by the 16th century: warrior elite, conquest, intimidation, fear.
Religion: Polytheism; major gods include:
- Quetzalcoatl: Feathered Serpent; wind, learning, creation.
- Tonatiuh: Sun god; required human sacrifices to sustain the sun.
- Tlaloc: Rain god; governs water for crops, capable of floods or droughts.
Human sacrifice: central to religious practice.
Class system: Aristocracy (upper), Warriors (upper middle), Merchants & artisans (middle), Farmers (lower middle), Slaves; movement between classes possible.

Society and roles: Warrior elite as central force in empire; religious legitimacy through ritual.
Chinampas and agriculture: primary method to maximize farmland; crops include maize, fruits, vegetables.
Urban infrastructure: aqueducts; drainage; garbage management by boats; mandatory street cleaning.
Language and knowledge: Nahuatl spoken; pyramids tied to astronomy.
Population center: large urban hub around Tenochtitlan.

Gender roles: Traditional
- Men: farmers and warriors.
- Women: managed household; acted as shamans, healing, guiding rituals.
Legal rights & education for women: equality in basic laws and access to education.

Hernán Cortés: Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that toppled the Aztec Empire.
Montezuma: Aztec emperor; welcomed Cortés but was later taken prisoner and killed.
Cortés and an army entered Tenochtitlán; Montezuma placed under house arrest; idols destroyed.
Aztec resistance and Montezuma’s death two years later.
Spanish reinforcements and Tlaxcalan alliance: crucial to defeat.
Reasons for Spanish victory:
- Perceived as gods at first; superior weapons; horses and armor; allies among Indigenous enemies
- Harvest season dynamics; diseases (smallpox, influenza, measles) aiding conquest.
Colombian Exchange: exchange of foods and other goods between worlds; diseases and livestock spread globally.

Modern-day Peru

Mitma: relocation policy to relocate groups for control and cultural spread.
Tahuantinsuyu: land of four quarters (empire divided into four regions).
Cuzco: capital.
Chasqui: runners who delivered messages and goods; relay system.
Society: emperor and immediate family (upper); nobles (middle); commoners (lower); no slaves.
Language: Quechua
Quipu: knotted-string record-keeping system.
Economy and life: llamas as main animal; potatoes as main crop; ceramics; metallurgy; master stone builders.
Machu Picchu: notable stone-work city.