COL155 States and Empires in Mesoamerica

Mexica Society & Religion

Jonathan FultonSpring 2014

Atlantic Region

The Americas

Aztecs

Mesoamerica

• The Aztecs were 1 of many advanced societies in the Americas before the European encounter.

• Textbook, p. 318 “Yet between 1000 and 1500 CE the peoples of North and South America … organized large empires with distinctive cultural and religious traditions, and they created elaborate trade networks touching most regions of the Americas.”

Pre-Aztecs

• Society developed over centuries through war and conquest

• Pre-Aztec societies had extensive trade networks, artisans, craftsmen, and architecture.

The Mexica/Aztecs

• What became Aztec empire started with group called the Mexica.

• “They had a reputation for making trouble by kidnapping women from nearby communities and seizing land already cultivated by others. On several occasions their neighbors became tired of their disorderly behavior and forced them to move. For a century they migrated around central Mexico, fighting with other peoples and sometimes surviving only by eating fly eggs and snakes.” (p. 319)

The Mexica/Aztecs

• Moved around until settling on an island in Lake Texcoco

• Here built the city Tenochtitlan• Eventually became their capital city• Today is Mexico City

The Mexica/Aztecs

• Tenochtitlan: –perfect area for agriculture and defense• 7 crops /year• Surrounded by water

The Mexica/Aztecs

• Over 100 years, developed economically, militarily.

• Overpowered many neighboring societies, made them colonies

• Developed an empire of 12 million people• Colonies had to pay tribute – food and

manufactured goods

The Mexica/Aztecs

• By early 1500s, Tenochtitlan “was an enormously wealthy city. (319)

• Collected tribute from 489 subject territories• Population of 200,000, with 300,000 in

surrounding areas

Tenochtitlan Market

• 1st Spanish to arrive were astonished by the size of the market and variety of goods for sale:

• Gold, silver, gems, feathers, embroidery, slaves, cotton, cocoa, animal skins, maize, beans, vegetables, fruits, poultry, meat, fish, salt, paper tools. (317)

Tenochtitlan Market

• “It would take more than 2 days to walk around the market and investigate all the goods offered for sale.” (317)

• Europeans compared it with markets in Rome and Constantinople (Istanbul)

Aztec Society

• Very hierarchical• 1) military elite. • Men from good families got the best positions

in the military. • Military elite received wealth and honors.• Most successful soldiers controlled politics• Got the best food, best clothes, and best

manufactured products

Aztec Society

• Role of women = make babies. They “enjoyed honor as mothers of warriors.” (320)

• Women who died giving birth were treated like heroes

• All were expected to get married• Laws meant that their fathers or husbands had

all authority• Worked in marketplace, made crafts

Aztec Society

• Priests• Received training in omens and religious

ceremonies.• Had influence advising Aztec leaders

Aztec Society

• Commoners• Worked in agriculture, taking care of their own

land and sometimes the land of aristocrats and warriors

Aztec Society

• Slaves• Usually from their own society• Worked as domestic servants• Criminals or people who had financial

problems

Artisans and Merchants

• Artisans worked with gold & silver and made products for elites

• Therefore had a relatively good position• Merchants traded over long distances & dealt

with luxury items. • Their travels meant that they also supplied

political and military intelligence.

Religion

Polytheistic (more than one god)The blood of sacrifice allowed the earth to become moist enough to grow food. To make the gods happy, Aztecs believed they also must offer human sacrifices. They also believed that human sacrifice was “a ritual essential to the world’s survival” (322)