Aztecs Flashcards
Aztec religion
- Aztec religion was based on worshipping the sun
- Human sacrifices were common
- The Gods they believed in were closely linked to natural phenomena. There were Gods responsible for sun, warfare, crops, rain, fire and harvest.
Where did the Aztecs live?
The Aztecs lived in Central America which was known as Mesoamerica and was situated in Tenochtitlan which is now known as Mexico City
The city was well planned, with roads, pyramids, pools and temples. There was a huge market space where business flourished, with 60,000 people a day coming to buy and sell their goods.
Personalities of the Aztecs
- known to be brutal and violent
- skilled in building aqueducts and drainage systems
- experts in irrigation and transporting water
Why did the Aztecs sacrifice?
- To pay back to the sun for granting them with life
- they thought most gods required some type of blood offering in order to be happy
- political statement to an opposing team or enemy to show power
- as a punishment to criminals or wrongdoers
Rituals of sacrifice
- If sacrifice was self-decided, 20 days beforehand, appearance and diet modifications were made and they lived in luxury for a year.
- On the day, six priests came to the temple and killed the person while he lay on his back
- His heart was taken Out and offered to the four quarters of the universe. It was then stored at the top of the temple as it was closer to the gods.
- The corpse was skinned and body parts were used for other rituals. The blood was used to paint the temple.
What was the triple alliance in Aztec Empire
It was when three main ruling cities formed an alliance. In the case of the Aztecs, the alliance was between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan.
The Aztec Empire began when the triple alliance was formed in,1428.
Population of the Aztec empire before CC and compare to other cities
200,000
Seville, the biggest city in Spain, had a population of 70,000
-What were tributes in the Aztec empire? -Why did Tenochtitlan need them? -What goods were given as tribute? -What happened if a group did not pay tribute?
- The taxes that surrounding populations within the empire were forced to pay to Tenochtitlan
- they did not have all the requirements to keep the city running
- food, clothes, feathers, tobacco, insects were given to show dominance
- wars, brutal punishment, increase in tribute demands for the following year
Sentence of explanation for each social class of the Aztecs (from top of hierarchy to bottom)
Emperor- selected as leader by the members of the council of nobles and lived in an ornate palace and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle
Nobles- status was passed from parents to children and nobles were the only group under the emperor that was allowed to have decorated capes and jewellery
Warriors- all young men in Tenochtitlan were trained to be warriors but for most it was a part time commitment and they practised another trade and women could not be warriors
Commoners- ate basic foods and lived in simple homes, their land was owned by nobles as they could not own land, could become nobles through marriage or bravery in war
Slaves- owned by nobles or wealthy merchants, could become slaves if they were criminals;could not pay debts;had been captured in war, allowed to marry with masters permission and could buy freedom, children born free
Who was sacrificed(Aztecs?)
Foreign prisoners, warriors captured alive in combat, or it was self decided
Marriage
- Arranged with the help of priests who would consult the stars for good matches
- Aztec men could be polygamous
- Polygamous: have many wives
- children married young. Girls married at 16, while boys married at 20
- However, all children went to school
The role of women
- Cook, clean and care for children and weave cloth
- No public role in government or politics
- Helped to tend to gardens that the family was expected to work in
The role of men
- Men were expected to become warriors
- seek glory in capturing enemies
- Divorce was allowed under certain circumstances
Polytheistic
Aztecs believed in many Gods
Huitzilopochtli
- The god of war, Sacrifice and sun
- he was the most important God and often called the ‘Creator’
