Aztec Empire - history.

« and Tlacopan.

In 1428 the triple alliance defeated the Tepaneca.

Under the Mexica ruler Itzcoatl, his successor Montezuma I, and the Texcocan ruler Netzahualcóyotl, thethree states waged a series of conquests.

They eventually established an empire that extended from central Mexico to the Guatemalan border and included many differentstates and ethnic groups, who were forced to pay tribute to the alliance.

Tenochtitlán became the dominant power within the alliance. IV AZTEC CIVILIZATION Aztec society was highly structured, based on agriculture, and guided by a religion that pervaded every aspect of life.

The Aztec worshiped gods that represented naturalforces that were vital to their agricultural economy.

Aztec cities were dominated by giant stone pyramids topped by temples where human sacrifices were dedicated to thegods.

Aztec art was primarily an expression of religion, and even warfare, which increased the empire’s wealth and power, served the religious purpose of providing captivesto be sacrificed. A Social Organization The basic unit of Aztec society was the calpulli , sometimes, at least for early Aztec history, thought of as a clan, or group of families who claimed descent from a common ancestor.

Each calpulli regulated its own affairs, electing a council and officers to keep order, lead in war, dispense justice, and maintain records.

Calpulli ran schools inwhich boys were taught citizenship, warfare, history, crafts, and religion.

Each calpulli also had a temple, an armory to hold weapons, and a storehouse for goods andtribute that were distributed among its members.

Within each calpulli, land was divided among the heads of families according to their needs.

Each family had a right to usethe land but owned only the goods that it produced. In Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, calpulli fulfilled the same functions but gradually took a different form.

As the city grew large and complex, the calpulli were no longerbased on family relationships, but became wards, or political divisions, of the city.

Each calpulli still had its own governing council, school, temple, and land, but itsmembers were not necessarily related.

There were 15 calpulli in Tenochtitlán when the city was founded in 1325; by the 16th century there were as many as 80. In Tenochtitlán and other Aztec city-states, the most capable leaders of each calpulli together composed a tribal council, which elected four chief officials.

One of these fourofficials was selected as the tlatoani (ruler).

After Tenochtitlán became the center of Aztec civilization, its ruler became the supreme leader of the empire, to whom lesser rulers paid tribute.

This ruler was considered semidivine, a descendant of the Aztec gods, and served as both military leader and high priest.

His title was huey tlatoani , meaning “great lord” or “great speaker.” The ruler was supported by a noble class of priests, warriors, and administrators.

Below these nobles were the common people, including merchants, artisans, soldiers,peasant farmers, and laborers.

Aztec merchants formed a hereditary class, called pochteca. They lived in special quarters in the cities, formed guilds, and had many privileges. Aztec rulers and nobles owned land on private estates.

Most land for commoners was owned by a calpulli, which assigned its members plots to use.

Landholders paid tributeto the empire in agricultural products, which were used to finance public projects.

All able-bodied men owed military service to the empire.

Citizens could also be drafted towork on public lands or build temples, dikes, aqueducts, and roads. Although Aztec society had strict classes, a person’s status could change based on his or her contribution to society.

Commoners could improve their rank, especially byperforming well in battle, and become prosperous landowners.

Young people of some classes could study to become priests or warriors.

Warriors who captured manyprisoners gained prestige and wealth and might be admitted into one of several elite military orders.

A person who committed a crime or did not pay his debts became aslave; however, such slaves could eventually regain their freedom, and their children were born free. B Tenochtitlán Pyramids of TenochtitlánThis museum model shows the pyramids and religious buildings at the heart of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire.

TheAztec founded the city in 1325, and it was built on an island in Lake Texcoco, the site of present-day Mexico City.SuperStock Tenochtitlán was the center of the Aztec world.

The marvels of the island city were described at length by the Spanish conquistadors (conquerors), who called it the “Venice of the New World” (in reference to Venice, Italy) because of its many canals.

At its height, the city had a population of about 200,000, according to modern estimates,making it one of the most populous cities in the ancient world. Tenochtitlán was connected to the mainland by three well-traveled causeways, or raised roads.

During the rainy season, when the lake waters rose, the causeways servedas protective dikes.

Stone aqueducts brought fresh drinking water into the city from the mainland.

Tenochtitlán’s canals served as thoroughfares and were often crowdedwith canoes made from hollowed logs.

The canoes were used to carry produce to the public market in the city’s main plaza. At the center of Tenochtitlán was a ceremonial plaza paved with stone.

The plaza housed several large government buildings and the palace of the Aztec ruler, which wastwo stories high and contained hundreds of rooms.

The most important structure in the plaza was a large, terraced pyramid crowned with two stone temples dedicated tothe most important Aztec gods—the sun god (also the god of war) and the rain god.

A surrounding enclosure contained buildings for priests and elite military groups, courtsfor sacred games, and smaller pyramids topped by temples where incense and sacrificial fires burned before enormous idols.

Other temple pyramids were built in everysection of the city. Residents of Tenochtitlán lived in houses built around open courts, or patios.

Houses of the nobility were made of plastered brick or stone and painted bright shades of red. »