Why did the aztec civilization fall. Why did the Aztec empire fall 2022-10-05

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The Aztec civilization, which flourished in central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th century, ultimately fell to the Spanish conquistadors in the early 1500s. There are several factors that contributed to the Aztec civilization's decline and eventual conquest by the Spanish.

One factor was the internal political instability of the Aztec Empire. The Aztec Empire was a loose confederation of city-states, each with its own ruler. These rulers were often in competition with each other, and this internal conflict made it difficult for the Aztec Empire to present a united front against external threats.

Another factor was the Aztec Empire's reliance on tribute and human sacrifice. The Aztec Empire was able to maintain its military and economic power through a system of tribute, in which conquered peoples were required to pay regular taxes and provide labor and resources to the Aztecs. However, this system was not sustainable in the long term, as it relied on the continual conquest of new territories and peoples. Additionally, the Aztec practice of human sacrifice, while central to their religion and culture, was viewed as barbaric by the Spanish and other Europeans, which further undermined their reputation and made it easier for the conquistadors to justify their conquest.

A third factor was the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, in the early 16th century. The Aztecs initially welcomed the Spanish as potential allies, but the conquistadors quickly turned against them and began their campaign of conquest. The Aztecs were no match for the well-armed and organized Spanish, who had advanced weaponry and tactics, including horses and guns. The Aztecs also suffered from diseases such as smallpox, which the Spanish had brought with them and which decimated the Aztec population.

In conclusion, the fall of the Aztec civilization was due to a combination of internal political instability, reliance on tribute and human sacrifice, and the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. These factors contributed to the Aztec Empire's vulnerability and ultimately led to its downfall.

How the Aztec Empire Was Forged Through a Triple Alliance

why did the aztec civilization fall

What was the social structure of the Aztecs? The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War 1519—21 , was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The different Nahua peoples, just as other Mesoamerican indigenous peoples in colonial New Spain, were able to maintain many aspects of their social and political structure under the colonial rule. Quetzalcoatl to an early draft of his novel Aztec Autumn 1997. A historian from the period described the extent of the devastation, writing, "In the cities and large towns, big ditches were dug, and from morning to sunset the priests did nothing else but carry the dead bodies and throw them into the ditches. Retrieved 12 April 2018. In Frances Berdan; Richard Blanton; Elizabeth Hill Boone; Mary G. What exactly was cocoliztli? University of Texas Press.

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What were 3 major reasons for the fall of the Aztec Empire?

why did the aztec civilization fall

In 1517, Moctezuma received the first news of ships with strange warriors having landed on the Gulf Coast near Cempoallan and he dispatched messengers to greet them and find out what was happening, and he ordered his subjects in the area to keep him informed of any new arrivals. Their works were an important source of income for the city. Ekholm; Ignacio Bernal eds. Therefore, the authors agree that despite a large number of native warriors, Cortes conquered the empire because of the superior weapons. In cabeceras, the Spanish created Iberian-style town councils, or congregación. Although not formally trained as a historian, Prescott drew on the obvious Spanish sources, but also Ixtlilxochitl and Sahagún's history of the conquest. Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology.

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Aztecs

why did the aztec civilization fall

Who helped the Spanish take over the Aztec empire? In November 1519, Hernán Cortés reached the Aztec Empire. Microbes too small to be seen by the naked eye can render ineffectual even the mightiest machinery of war. Mexican Cinema: Reflections of a Society, 1896-2004, 3d ed. In William Denevan ed. This was largely the result of the epidemics of viruses brought to the continent against which the natives had no immunity.

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Why did the Aztec empire fall

why did the aztec civilization fall

The captured soldiers were sacrificed for ecclesiastical purposes. Those who came down with it might become feverish, start vomiting, and develop blotches on their skin. When a warrior took a captive he accrued the right to use certain emblems, weapons or garments, and as he took more captives his rank and prestige increased. Translated by Bernard R. Salmonella enterica was the one they kept finding. Although the Spaniards decimated the Aztec Empire within a few months, even without their arrival, the empire would probably not last long.

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How Did the Aztec Empire Fall?

why did the aztec civilization fall

University of New Mexico Press. His heirs, each representing the interests of another city-state, began killing each other off in a desperate grab for the throne. According to Aztec mythology, the ancient people who settled Tenochtitlán came from a legendary land called Aztlán hence the later adoption of the name Azteca or Aztecs. A typical town would have a weekly market every five days , while larger cities held markets every day. The death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the life of México City. Why were the Spanish able to defeat the great Aztec Empire despite their inferior numbers? These texts provide insight into the political histories of various Aztec city-states, and their ruling lineages.


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Why did the Aztec empire fall in 1521?

why did the aztec civilization fall

What are three things that helped Spain defeat the Aztecs? Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Trade, Tribute, and Transportation: The Sixteenth-Century Political Economy of the Valley of Mexico. Within just two years, Aztec ruler Montezuma was dead, the capital city of Tenochtitlan was captured and Cortés had claimed the Aztec empire for Spain. Retrieved 30 August 2012. Due to the fighting nature of the Aztecs and the growing greed of the powerful, there were very frequent riots that had to be constantly suppressed. There were many factors involved that led to the great fall of the Aztec empire. Tizoc's coronation campaign against the Otomi of Metztitlan failed as he lost the major battle and only managed to secure 40 prisoners to be sacrificed for his coronation ceremony.

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We Finally Understand Why The Aztecs Disappeared

why did the aztec civilization fall

Retrieved 14 July 2021. The Aztec Economic World. She also details the richness of the city and the noble class, especially King Montecuzoma and his palace. There are many written texts by the indigenous people and Spaniards of the early colonial period that contain invaluable information about precolonial Aztec history. Translated by Bernard R. The combination of these principles allowed the Aztecs to represent the sounds of names of persons and places.

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How smallpox devastated the Aztecs

why did the aztec civilization fall

The author, Boone, claims that Cortes presented Mexico to Europe as a country rich in resources, specifically gold. On 8 November 1519, Moctezuma II received Cortés and his troops and Tlaxcalan allies on the causeway south of Tenochtitlan, and he invited the Spaniards to stay as his guests in Tenochtitlan. Moctezuma II was killed, the city was sacked, and the Aztec Empire was taken over by the Spanish. Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325 A. Each period ends in a cataclysmic destruction that sets the stage for the next period to begin. What really happened after the arrival of the Spaniards? This research identified cocoliztli as a probable cause for the final collapse of Franciscan friar Fray Juan de Torquemada, who witnessed the epidemic first-hand, described the fevers as "contagious, burning, and continuous, all of them pestilential, in most part lethal.

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Why did the Aztec society collapse?

why did the aztec civilization fall

Extent Of The Empire Of Culhua Mexica. Yes, it's true that they were conquered and beaten back by the conquistadors, and it's true that they lost a huge proportion of their population to disease, but nearly every horrible catastrophe has at least a few survivors. The conquered territories had to make regular and relatively high payments, they also had to accept the main Aztec god Huitzilopochtli into their own and supply troops to constant and exhausting wars. Further research should focus on other sources which contain information about disease and starvation to see whether they have substantial data. Indian women of early Mexico. Her account of how the empire came to fall is based on the conquering of the city. Red wares are ceramics with a reddish slip.

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