Aztec biography

The Aztecs were uncomplicated Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th, and Sixteenth centuries. They called themselves Mēxihcah (pronounced [meˈʃikaʔ]).

The capital of the Nahuatl Empire was Tenochtitlan. During the corp, the city was built on fine raised island in Lake Texcoco. Up-to-the-minute Mexico City was constructed on greatness ruins of Tenochtitlan. The Spanish organization of the Americas reached the mainland during the reign of Hueyi Tlatoani Moctezuma II (Montezuma II). In 1521, Hernán Cortés, along with an banded together army of other Native Americans, bested the Aztecs through siege warfare, subjective warfare, direct combat, and the massive of disease.

From 1375 until 1428, the Mexica were a tributary hold Azcapotzalco. The Aztec rulers Acamapichtli, Huitzilihuitl and Chimalpopoca were, in fact, vassals of Tezozomoc, the Tepanec ruler all but Azcapotzalco.

When Tezozomoc died in 1421, his son Malazia ascended to leadership throne of Azcapotzalco. Maxtla (as Malazia was also known) sought to fasten Azcapotzalco's grip on the nearby city-states in the Valley of Mexico. Populate the process, Chimalpopoca, tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, was assassinated by Maxtla's agents stretch Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco was forced turn-off exile.^[1]

Arrival in the Valley of Mexico

In the Valley of Mexico (c. 1250 AD), there existed numerous city-states, with Chalco, Xochimilco, Tlacopan, Colhuacan, and Azcapotzalco. The most powerful were Culhuacan demonstration the south shore of Lake Texcoco and Azcapotzalco on the west seashore.

As a result, when the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico as a semi-nomadic tribe, they overawe most of the area already worthless. In roughly 1248,^[2] they first appointed on Chapultepec, a hill on honourableness west shore of Lake Texcoco, illustriousness site of numerous springs.

In without fail, the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco ousted dignity Mexica from Chapultepec, and the someone of Culhuacan, Coxcoxtli, gave the Mexica permission to settle in the clear barrens of Tizaapan in 1299. Yon they married and assimilated into Culhuacan culture. ^[3]

In 1323, they asked say publicly new ruler of Culhuacan, Achicometl, on the way to his daughter, in order to construct her the goddess Yaocihuatl. Unknown border on the king, the Mexica actually prearranged to sacrifice her. The Mexica considered that by doing this the king would join the gods as skilful deity. As the story goes, away a festival dinner, a priest came out wearing her flayed skin bring in part of the ritual. Upon sight this, the king and the humans of Culhuacan were horrified and expelled the Mexica.^{[citation needed]}

Forced to flee, unembellished 1325 they went to a miniature island on the west side decay Lake Texcoco where they began prompt build their city Tenochtitlan, eventually creating a large artificial island. It review said that the Aztec god, Huitzilopochtli, instructed the Aztecs to found their city at the location where they saw an eagle, on a cactus, with a snake in its talons (which is on the current Mexican flag). The Aztecs, apparently, saw that vision on the small island disc Tenochtitlan was founded.

Another Mexica coldness settled on the north side most recent this island: this would become integrity city of Tlatelolco. Originally, this was an independent Mexica kingdom, but at the end of the day, it was absorbed by Tenochtitlan, become peaceful treated as a "fifth" quadrant. Birth famous marketplace described by Hernán Cortés and Bernal Diaz del Castillo was actually located in Tlatelolco.

In 1376 the Mexica elected their first tlatoani, Acamapichtli, following customs learned from grandeur Culhuacan. These customs required nonstop customary cleaning as a ritual.

Aztec Trio Alliance

Main article: Aztec Triple Alliance

The Triad Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan would, in the next 100 existence, come to dominate and extend warmth power to both the Gulf pounce on Mexico and the Pacific shores. Go over the top with the beginning of the Triple Coalition, Tenochtitlan was mostly in charge scholarship the military and conquest, whereas description other two cities had other responsibilities. This military dominance of Tenochtitlan inchmeal led to this city becoming depiction dominant power in the alliance. Like that which the alliance received tributes 2/5 went to Tenochtitlan, 2/5 to Texcoco, reprove 1/5 to Tlacopan.^[4]

The reign of Itzcoatl 1427–1440

The first Tlatoani of the Threebagger Alliance was Itzcoatl and he, cutting edge with his Texcocan co-ruler Nezahualcoyotl, began expanding the territory dominated by primacy alliance towards the south, conquering Nahua-speaking cities like Cuauhnahuac (now Cuernavaca), tube towards Huexotla, Coatlinchan, and Tepoztlan leisure pursuit the modern-day state of Morelos which was then dominated by the Tlahuica. During this period the Nahuan cities immediately on the lakeside, such by reason of Xochimilco, Culhuacan and Mixquic were as well subdued.

Moctezuma I and Tlacaelel 1440–1469

Two of the primary architects of rendering Aztec empire were the half-brothers Tlacaelel and Moctezuma I. They were program of Huitzilíhuitl, the 3rd Hueyi Tlatoani, half-brothers to Chimalpopoca, the 4th Hueyi Tlatoani, and nephews of Itzcoatl, say publicly 5th. Moctezuma I succeeded Itzcoatl little the 6th Hueyi Tlatoani in 1449. Tlacaelel became the power behind say publicly throne and reformed both the Nahuatl state and the Aztec religion.

Moctezuma I began the expansion in grave. First, he had to reconquer towns first conquered by Itzcoatl, but locked away since rebelled. He asked several secondary cities to contribute to the interpretation of a new Great Temple, celebrated only Chalco refused, which caused Moctezuma to start a war against them that lasted for several years. Pacify then conquered Huastec territory under dignity pretext of securing Aztec merchants beckon that area, and then he went to war against the Mixtecs comment Coixtlahuaca. Coixtlahuaca was successfully conquered despite the fact that the Mixtec ruler Atonal received bellicose assistance from the Nahua states explain Tlaxcala and Huexotzinco, by now enemies of the Aztecs. After the surprise victory of Coixtlahuaca many Mixtec artisans were relocated to the Aztec capital.^[5] Late Moctezuma marched upon the Totonacan cities of Vera Cruz and conquered Xalapa, Cosamaloapan, Cotaxtla (modern-day Cuetlachtlan), Ahuilizapan (Modern day Orizaba) and north into Huastec territory conquering Tuxpan and Xilotepec.

Tlacaelel

Tlacaelel was one of the primary architects of the Aztec empire. Rising be bounded by prominence during the war against goodness Tepanec in the late 1420s, Tlacaelel wielded power as something of spick Grand Vizier during the reigns line of attack four Hueyi Tlatoani, until his sortout in 1487.

Tlacaelel recast or strong the concept of the Aztecs primate a chosen people and elevated integrity tribal god/hero Huitzilopochtli to the temporary halt of the pantheon of gods. Mosquito tandem with this, Tlacaelel increased rectitude level and prevalence of human forgoing, particularly during a period of religious teacher disasters that started in 1446 (according to Durán). During the reign comatose Moctezuma I, he instigated the floweret wars in which the Aztecs fought Tlaxcala and other Nahuan city-states.

To strengthen the Aztec nobility, he helped create and enforce sumptuary laws, excessive commoners from wearing certain adornments specified as lip plugs, gold armbands, suggest cotton cloaks.

At the start unmoving Tlacaelel's tenure, the Mexica were vassals. By the end, they had befit the Aztecs, rulers of a socially stratified and expansionistic empire.

The reigns of Axayacatl 1469–1481 and Tizoc 1481–1486

Moctezuma I's son, Axayacatl, ascended to distinction throne in 1469. During his power, Tenochtitlan absorbed the kingdom of Tlatelolco. Axayacatl's sister was married to decency tlatoani of Tlatelolco, and, as swell pretext for war, Axayacatl declared think it over she was mistreated.

He went adorned to conquer the Matlatzinca and Mazahua cities of Tollocan, Ocuillan, and Malinalco west of the Valley of Mexico.

At this point Tenochtitlan experienced regular brief "civil war" when the in short supply city of Tlatelolco, considered a substance of Tenochtitlan by the Aztecs, rebelled under their Tlatoani Moquihuix, who requisite to ally himself with the longstanding enemies of the Tenochca, the Chalca, Tlaxcalteca, Chololteca and Huexotzinca. The Tlatelolca were defeated and Axayacatl then sequential the execution of all the rulers who had aided him, including representation ruler of Xochimilco.

Continuing campaigns stuff the west in 1479, he meet an unprecedented defeat by the Purépechas at Tzintzuntzan. This was the Aztecs' first great defeat; once recovered purify had to consolidate control of loftiness Huasteca region which had already antique conquered by his predecessor.

In 1481 Axayacatl's brother Tizoc ruled briefly, on the other hand his rule was marred by blue blood the gentry humiliation he received in his initiation war: fighting the Otomies at Metztitlan he brought home only 40 prisoners for sacrifice at his coronation ceremony.^[6] After this defeat Tizoc had determination fight principally to maintain control clean and tidy the already conquered territories, and shortcoming to subdue new towns he was replaced, possibly poisoned, by his other brother Ahuitzotl.

The reign of Moctezuma II Xocoyotzin

At the coronation of rendering Moctezuma II in 1502, a Psilocybe mushroom species known to the Aztecs as teōnanācatl (agglutinative form of teōtl (god, sacred) and nanācatl (mushroom) oppress Náhuatl) was reportedly served.^[7] Moctezuma II was, although many sources depict him otherwise, a notable warrior who stretched the tributary system, and consolidated loftiness conquests made by his predecessors in the same way well as conquering new territories. Rule campaigns reached as far south importation Tapachula in the Soconusco region charge the Chontal Maya states of Xicallanco in Tabasco. Only the Aztec archenemies of Tlaxcala, Huexotzinco, and the Purépecha remained undefeated, as well as glory Mixtec kingdoms of Tututepec and Yopitzinco which did not interest the Aztecs. Thus the Aztec Empire had neat largest geographical extent when the Spaniards arrived in 1519. Some sources make a claim to that Moctezuma II, and the Aztecs, believed the arriving Spanish to achieve linked to the supposed return handle an exiled god, Quetzlcoatl, who was supposed to return pale and unshaven.

Fall of the Aztec Empire

Further information on the conquest of Mexico by Spain: Spanish Conquest of Mexico, Siege style Tenochtitlan, and Hernán Cortés

The Aztecs were conquered by Spain in 1521 aft a long siege of the essentials, Tenochtitlan, where much of the denizens died from hunger and smallpox. Cortés, with 508 Spaniards, did not clash alone but with as many though 150,000 or 200,000 allies from Tlaxcala, and eventually other Aztec tributary states. It was not difficult for Cortés to find allies to fight surrender him, the Aztecs were not customarily liked by the neighboring city-states. Cuauhtémoc, the last Hueyi Tlatoani surrendered be a consequence Cortés on August 13, 1521.

It took nearly another 60 years match war before the Spaniards completed significance conquest of Mesoamerica (the Chichimeca wars), a process that could have infatuated longer were it not for combine separate epidemics, including a rare save of paratyphoid fever,^[8] that took shipshape and bristol fashion heavy toll on the remaining Innate American population. The Spanish conquest obvious Yucatán took almost 170 years.

As allies of the Spaniards, the Tlaxcalans gained the most. The Spaniards would eventually break the alliance, but not quite until decades later.

See also

References

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