Aztec & Incas

Lake Texcoco

Capital: Tenochtitlan

Aztec Politics• Emperor had absolute power

• Claimed he was a descendent of God

• Formed Triple Alliance with two other city-states & created a large empire

• Conquered cities paid tribute but they had independence

Aztec Religion• Aztec ruler claimed he was

a descendent of God

• Believed in many Gods (over 1,000) – Supreme God = Ometeotl

– Sun God = Huitzilopochtli

– Rain God = Tlaloc

– Quetzalcoatl = creation, virtue & learning

Aztec Religion: SacrificeReligion based on a

belief:World was an unending struggle between the forces of good and evil

Led to the destruction of four worlds or suns

Aztec Military

• Outstanding warriors- tried to bring surrounding cities under control

Aztec Education• Built temples, other public

buildings, houses

• Built three main causeways (raised roads)

• Built an aqueduct to bring water from spring 4 miles away

• Tenochtitlan = an urban center built on marsh land

Aztec Education“Floating gardens” – chinampas- farm

plots built on the fringe of the lake

Aztec Education

Aztec

Calendar

Aztec Relationship with Foreigners

• Cortes marched to Tenochtitlan with 500 soldiers and 16 horses

• As he went, he made alliances with city states that were sick of Aztec rule

• Received warm welcome from Moctezuma

• Spanish held Moctezuma hostage and pillaged the city

• In 1520- the locals revolted and drove the Spanish from the city

• Cortes received fresh soldiers from allies- 50,000 alone from Tlaxcala

Incan Empire

Incan Empire

Incan Politics• A highly centralized state – capital Cuzco• Boundaries extended from Ecuador,

central Chile and the edge of the Amazon basin (12 million people)

• Divided the empire into 4 quarters- each ruled by a governor

• These were divided into provinces- each also ruled by a governor (governors were usually related to the royal family)

• At the top of the system= emperor

Incan Religion• Believed emperor was a direct descendent

of the sun

• Had less Gods than the Aztecs

Incan Military• Under the leadership of Pachakuti- the Incas

launched a campaign of conquest that brought all under their control

• Built 24,800 miles of roads- for official and military purposes

• All young men required to serve in the 200,000 person Incan army

• Incan state built on war• Local leaders could keep posts as long as they

were loyal to the Incan emperor• To encourage loyalty- children of local leaders

taken hostage

Incan Education• Quechua = language• Had no writing

system but kept records using a series of knotted strings called quipu

• Developed court theater

• Poetry recited

Incan Relationships with Foreigners

• Dec. 1530 Francisco Pizarro landed with 180 men and firearms

• Incans fell victim to small pox• When emperor died- his two sons claimed

the throne = civil war• When one son (Atahualpa) defeated his

brother, Pizarro captured Atahualpa• By 1535 Pizarro established a new capital

@ Lima

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Florentinoviruela.JPG