Cortes's Conquest
CORTÉS'S CONQUEST OF THE AZTECS The Aztec Empire was a Native American State that ruled much of what is now Mexico from about 1427 until 1521, until the Spaniards conquered the empire. The empire represented the highest point in the development of the rich Aztec civilization that had begun more than a century earlier. At the height of their power, the Aztec controlled a region stretching from the Valley of Mexico, in central Mexico, east to the Gulf of Mexico, and south to Guatemala. The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Their capital, Tenochitlan, was located on the site of present-day Mexico City. An elaborate city built on islands and marshland; Tenochtitlan was possibly the largest city in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. It featured a huge temple complex, a royal palace, and numerous canals. After the Spanish conquest, the empire of the Aztec was destroyed, but their civilization remained an important influence on the development of Mexican culture. Many present-day Mexicans are descended from the Aztec, and more than 1 million M
exicans speak Nahuatl, the native Aztec language, as their primary language. Montezuma was killed during the revolt. Aztec art was primarily and expression of religion, and even warfare, which increased the emp!ire's wealth and power, and served the religious purpose of providing captives to be sacrificed. Calpulli ran schools in which boys were taught citizenship, warfare, history, crafts, and religion. Each calpulli still had its own governing council, school, temple, and land, but its members were not necessarily related. Advised by Malinche, his Native American mistress, Cortes formed an alliance with one of the rivals of the Aztec, the Tlaxcalans, and set out for Tenochtitlan. After the Mexica arrived at the swampy site on the shore of Lake Texcoco, their priests proclaimed that they had seen the promised omen. From about AD 100 to 650 the valley was dominated by the city of Teotihuacan, center of a powerful religious, economic, and political state. They eventually established an empire that extended from central Mexico to the Guatemalan border and included many different states and ethnic groups, who were forced to pay tribute to the alliance. They took over Toltec cities, such as Atzcapotzalco, and founded new ones, such as Texcoco de Mora. (1998), Colonial Spanish America . Montezuma's successor, Cuitlahuac, ruled only a few months before dying of disease. After Tenochtitlan became the center of Aztec civilization, its ruler became the supreme leader of the empire, to whom lesser rulers paid tribute. The Spaniards melted down the intricate fold ornaments of the Aztec for shipment to Spain and forced Montezuma to swear allegiance to the king of Spain.
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