11: The Americas on the Eve of Invasion Flashcards
1
Q
Indian
A
- Misnomer created by Columbus referring to the indigenous peoples of New World; implies social and ethnic commonality among Native Americans that did not exist; still used to apply to Native Americans.
- Implies social and ethnic commonality among Native Americans that did not exist.
- Still used to apply to Native Americans.
2
Q
Toltec culture
A
- Succeeded Teotihuacan culture in central Mexico; strongly militaristic ethic including human sacrifice; influenced large territory after 1000 C.E.; declined after 1200 C.E.
- Strongly militaristic ethic including human sacrifice.
- Influenced large territory after 1000 C.E.; declined after 1200 C.E.
3
Q
Topiltzin
A
- Religious leader and reformer of the Toltecs in 10th century; dedicated to god Quetzalcoatl; after losing struggle for power, went into exile in the Yucatan peninsula.
- Religious leader and reformer of the Toltecs in 10th century.
- Struggled for power with another faction but lost.
4
Q
Quetzalcoatl
A
- Toltec deity; Feathered Serpent; adopted by Aztecs as major god.
- Toltec deity.
- Adopted by Aztecs as major god.
5
Q
Tenochtitlan
A
- Founded c. 1325 on marshy island in Lake Texcoco; became center of Aztec power; joined with Tlacopan and Texcoco in 1434 to form a triple alliance that controlled most of central plateau of Mesoamerica.
- Center of Aztec power.
- Joined with Tlacopan and Texcoco in 1434 to form a triple alliance that controlled most of central plateau of Mesoamerica.
6
Q
Tlaloc
A
- Major god of Aztecs; associated with fertility and the agricultural cycle; god of rain.
- Major god of Aztecs.
- Culture of Aztecs.
7
Q
Huitzilopochtli
A
- Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of cult of human sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god.
- Central figure of cult of human sacrifice and warfare.
- Large part of Aztec culture, ie human sacrifice.
8
Q
Nezhualcoyotl
A
- Leading Aztec king of the 15th century.
- Wrote hymns to “lord of close vicinity,” an invisible creative force that supported all the gods.
- Created type of almost monotheism that never took off.
9
Q
chinampas
A
- Beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth placed in frames made of cane and rooted in lakes to create “floating islands”; system of irrigated agriculture utilized by Aztecs.
- System of irrigated agriculture utilized by Aztecs.
10
Q
pochteca
A
- Special merchant class in Aztec society; specialized in long-distance trade in luxury items.
- Special merchant class in Aztec society.
- Culture and economy.
11
Q
calpulli
A
- Clans in Aztec society, later expanded to include residential groups that distributed land and provided labor and warriors.
- Clans in Aztec society.
- Controlled important things such as distributing land to heads of households and organizing labor gangs and military units in times of war.
12
Q
ayllus
A
- Households in Andean societies that recognized some form of kinship; traced descent from some common, sometimes mythical ancestor.
- Households in Andean societies.
13
Q
Pachacuti
A
- Ruler of Inca society from 1438 to 1471; launched a series of military campaigns that gave Incas control of the region from Cuzco to the shores of Lake Titicaca.
- Ruler of Inca society from 1438 to 1471.
- Launched a series of military campaigns that gave Incas control of the region from Cuzco to the shores of Lake Titicaca.
14
Q
Twantinsuyu
A
- Word for Inca Empire; region from present day Columbia to Chile and eastward to northern Argentina.
- Word for Inca Empire.
15
Q
split inheritance
A
- Inca practice of descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained in hands of male descendants for support of cult of dead inca’s mummy.
- Inca practice of descent.
- Created self-perpetuating need for expansion.
