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The Aztec saw the god, Quetzacoatl, as the destroyer and ender of their rich and beautiful empire. Quetzacoatl was described to many as a man with a fair complexion and long dark brown hair. It is said that in the 11 th century Quetzacoatl promised the Aztecs that hed return in 500 years to destroy their empire and everything they stood for. When Hernando Cortez invaded the Aztecs, they had thought him to be the god Quetzacoatl because he portrayed much of what they thought Quetzacoatl was to look like. Before the invasion of Hernando Cortez, the Aztecs had built cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure from around 1427 until 1521. Setting an excellent and superior example of a great empire for future empires, the Aztecs proved themselves worthy.
Before the Aztec had settled in Tenochtitlan, present day Mexico City, they were a small nomadic Nahuatl-speaking tribe wandering their way through central and south Mexico. Before they had settled, the Valley of Mexico was the center of a highly and rich developed civilization. This valley was dominated by the large city of Teotihuacan, which soon declined and lost power. Its people migrated out into central Mexico and there established a new conquest state.
In the 13 th century, the tribe invaded the valley and took over the Toltec cities and founded new ones. They combined their own culture and traditions with those of the Toltec to keep peace to form the early Aztec civilization. In 1325 they founded their great capital of Tenochtitlan. This great city may have had a population of as many as 200, 000 at one time according to some references. The main group that founded the empire was the Mexico.
As late arrivals, the Mexico were forced by other larger groups within the valley to take refuge on two mushy islands near the shore of Lake Texcoco. They believed a certain and profound legend that they would build a great empire in a marshy area. When they arrived to the position, the priest proclaimed that this was to be the site. It turned out to be a wealthy area in food supplies and waterways for their transportation. Since there wasnt that much room from the expanding of the early forming empire, the early settlers built log rafts in which they covered them with mud, and planted seeds to create roots to grow food. They also planted houses upon these rafts.
Canals were also built and cut out through the marsh so that a typical Aztec home had its back turned towards the canal and a canoe was in the back for transportation. They began farming for a living not long after and for the next 100 years paid great tribute to the much stronger and larger neighboring groups. Eventually as the Mexico grew in population, they established a strong military and soon revoked against the neighboring groups in which they paid tribute too. They then formed an alliance with the city-states of Texcoco and Tlacpan in 1427 when the empire began.
The Aztec civilization was based on agriculture and religion that guided them through life. They were polytheistic and the cities were dominated by giant stone pyramids toped with huge temples to represent the many gods. Aztec art was an expression of the religion and often represented a god or an action being formed for it. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Hernando Cortez Aztec Civilization Mexico
