The birth of the Aztec Empire. Experts looking at the heavens. (Illustrated)
The wandering people.
The legend says that the Aztecs emigrated from a mountainous area of the North towards the South, after crossing territories of other towns, they were its capital, Tenochtitlán, in an island of the Texcoco lake. On their way, they followed the advice of their god Huitzilopochitli, who told them to look for a place where there was an eagle on a cactus devouring a snake. Its true origin, however, has not been proven. Surely, it was a warrior town that was forced to emigrate from arid lands to survive. The march lasted several years, until they found an area with water resources and fertile land.
The eagle was in Tenochitlán.
After being expelled from the lands of Culhuacán, the Aztecs took refuge on the islets of Lake Texcoco where, according to legend, they found the eagle where unpal devouring a snake. That was the settlement chosen for the foundation, in the year 1325 AD of Tenochtitlán. The primitive nucleus was extended with palafitos, dykes and chinampas, until becoming one of the greater cities of its time. It was divided into four neighborhoods, crossed by an extensive channel, and had beautiful gardens and temples. The city housed a population that could reach 300,000 people. In its market there were products of all Aztec types. The city was destroyed by the Spaniards, on its ruins rose the current city of Mexico.
The Aztec Empire
Thanks to their military organization, the Aztecs subdued all the peoples of southern Mexico and created an empire that extended from the south of Michoacán to other towns, but soon they became independent and established their own alliances. In 1428, the city of Tenochtitlan allied with Texcoco and Tlacopán, and thus they were able to dominate the valley of Mexico. In the second half of the fifteenth century AD, the Aztecs achieved successive conquests and dominated other kingdoms (Totonac and Huastec). The basis of their power was their military capacity and the terror they infused into their enemies.
The figure of the Aztec emperor.
The man who received the Aztec emperor was an huey tlatoani, or "Great Speaker". Once chosen, he was considered the representative of the god Huitzilopochtli on Earth, and no one could disobey him. He exercised political and religious functions. There was no dynasty of Aztec emperors, although it soon became customary to make the choice among the members of a single family. The Imperial protocol was very rigid: No one could look up in the presence of the emperor. However, despite having absolute power, he could also be dismissed. The emperor's son did not always inherit the throne; a council of notables finally decided who ruled Tenochtitlan. Next to the Hueytlatoani there was another figure, that of the Cihuacoatl, with great power over the internal affairs of the capital.
The social organization
In its origins, the Aztecs had a tribal organization. As they consulted an imperial structure, they became the privileged group and exercised a leading role within the empire. In the Aztec society, the lowest social ladder was occupied by the slaves (tlatlacotin), who worked in the land of the lords. The common people, (macehualtin) were divided into groups called calpulli, who owned land that was distributed among its members. The privileged place within the social pyramid was occupied by the nobility (pilpitin), which could be of blood - birth - or of merit - ennoblement -, and monopolized the high positions of government.
A people divided into clans.
The basis of the Aztec empire was the calpulli, a form of social organization prior to the very existence of the empire. Indeed, the Aztec people were divided into groups, possibly reminiscent of the old clans, which were known as calpulli. Only in the capital, Tenochtitlan, there were 20. Surely the calpulli, which meant "big house" in the Nahuatl language, constituted a unit of kinship. Thus, each calpulli had land for communal use, which it distributed to usufruct among its members. He also had his own leaders and temples. The Spanish conquerors confused the figure of the calpulli with the neighborhoods of the Aztec capital.
The ruling class
The pipiltin was the social group of the hereditary nobility, from where the high officials of the Aztec imperial system came. The nobility by birth constituted a powerful social stratum, with attributes and advantages such as being able to own land individually. Some pipiltin could even reach the privilege of collecting taxes. The members of the hereditary nobility received an emerald of education, which served them as preparation to exercise, in the future, important bureaucratic and governmental functions. On the other hand, the tlatoani (emperor) could only be chosen among the members of this privileged social group. Within the dominant caste we must also place the so-called quauhpipiltin, the nobles by merit.
More than a warrior people.
Despite being characterized as a warrior people, the Aztecs managed to develop a brilliant civilization. Some of the most outstanding elements of its culture were architecture, goldsmithing, weaving, plumework and mathematical knowledge. In art they brought together great traditions and styles of other Mesoamerican peoples, to which they gave their own brand. They were great masters in the art of stonework, and were able to produce both delicate pieces and monumental sculptures. The numerous war and commercial expeditions that they undertook served to spread their style.
The bloody religious rituals.
Four gods stood out in the Aztec pantheon: Huitzilopochtli, god of war; Tezcatlipoca, god of the night and protector of the warriors; Quetzalcóalt, god of the wind and the arts; Tlaloc, god of rain. The cult was governed by the priests, educated in the schools of the temples, where the sons of the nobility were educated. The priestly hierarchy culminated with two religious chief priests who could advise the emperor in political and military matters. One of the most important aspects of the Aztec religion is that of human sacrifices: given their immense power, the Aztecs believed it necessary to offer the gods human blood in order to have them pleased.
Temples and pyramids.
In architecture, the Aztecs were not original builders, but they picked up the experience of different Mesoamerican peoples. They did not know the vault or the arch, and their constructions were mainly of square and architrave structure. Their temples consisted of a human ficios, in addition to pyramidal temples of square or rectangular plant, raised ceso. Among the most important Aztec architecture sets sosn destabales Tenochititlán, Tlatelolco, Tepoztlan and Malinalco.
The Aztec calendar.
The calendar had a vital importance for the Aztecs, because it regulated all aspects of their daily life. It had two systems to represent the passage of time: The sacred, or Tonalpohualli, of 260 days, the solar, or Xihuitl of 365 days. The sacred year was structured as 13 months of 20 days (13x20 = 260). In parallel, the solar year was 18 months, 20 days each, which added up to a total of 360 days. The remaining five days of the solar year were considered disastrous. The Aztecs solved the problem of the leap year by introducing every four years a day that lasted twice as long as normal. The system completed a full cycle after 52 years. The Aztecs called * Xiuhmopillo * to this period of time. The end of a 52-year cycle caused great concern. All the knowledge of Aztec astronomy and cosmogony has been bequeathed to us by the discovery of the famous Piedra del Sol, which was found in the Zocalo of Mexico City, in 1790. The engravings made on this circular stone slab bring together the knowledge of Aztec astronomy and cosmogony. These original engravings have been reproduced later on different surfaces to improve their definition and understanding. The Aztecs based their calendar on the knowledge of other Mesoamerican peoples, which they gathered and developed.
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