The Aztec Empire: More Essential Information!

How did the Aztec Empire expand? • The Aztecs made the city of Tenochtitlan their

home after defeated a tribe called the Tepanecs in 1428 C.E.• Their leader, Moctezuma helped the empire grow

until it covered much of Central Mexico and even Guatemala •At the height of the empire, there were 5 million

people

Interestingly Enough…When Aztecs took control of land, they:

• DID NOT force conquered peoples to adopt their ways of life• Create city-states that were forced to pay tribute

(taxes) to support Tenochtitlan’s large population• Tribute could include:• Food, cacao, gems/stones, cotton, cloth, animals, building

materials, and even soldiers• 7,000 tons of maize (corn) and 2 million cotton clothing

cloaks were average numbers of goods traded! WOW!• Tax collectors were spread throughout the empire to

make sure everyone paid taxes.

7 Steps to Controlling an Empire

1. divide the empire into provinces

2. base power onmilitary conquest

5. let local rulers govern their own regions as long asthey paytribute

4. Exercise loose control over much of the empire

7. Destroy villages, capture or slaughter the inhabitants if they don’t pay

the early 1500s,the Aztecs controlled a vast Mesoamerican empire,

which stretched from centralMexico to the Atlantic and

Pacific coasts.

6. respond brutallyto local rulers who fail to pay tribute

3. demand tribute from conquered people in the form of gold, maize, labor

Aztec Warfare: War was the center of Aztec life, but WHY?• Successful battles allowed Aztecs to gain

land, laborers to build, and sacrificial victims! • To please their most important god

Huitzilopochtli, they needed A LOT of blood, and captured many people to sacrifice.• They also threatened to sacrifice

people in lands they took control of…This way, they paid their taxes

-Every male Aztec trained to be a soldier-In battle, they used bows, arrows, spears, and wooden swords and stone blades-Warriors often carried shields with figures of animals on them. (The figures would represent different strengths, like the jaguar or eagle.)

DECLARATION of WAR: First, Aztecs asked a city to join their empire. The city had 60 days to agree. If they refused, the Aztecs declared war.

Aztec Battles:• As armies faced each other, a general gave attack

signal•Warriors fought commonly in hand-hand combat• Most wars ended quickly, usually Aztecs won• After a win, Aztecs would bring captives to

Tenochtitlan, and most were sacrificed!

Aztec Rulers Allowed…• Conquered cities to keep their religion, language, customs, and original leaders• However, most conquered people never felt truly Aztec• They wanted freedom, and this led to lack of unity in the

Aztec empire• Later, the Spanish took advantage of that weakness and

made the Aztec enemies their allies to fight against the Aztecs