Aztecs. Short story

The Aztecs are relatively late newcomers to the Valley of Mexico. Many centuries before their appearance, cultural peoples had already lived here, cultivating the land, erecting majestic buildings, and creating wonderful works of art. But by the time the Spanish conquerors appeared in the country, not only these peoples themselves, but even the memory of them had almost completely faded away.

It is now well known that more than two thousand years ago, on the shores of Lake Texcoco and the lagoons of Xochimilco, Chalco, Xaltocan and Sumpango, there were a number of settlements of ancient farmers. Their inhabitants grew maize (corn) - it was the main source of food - as well as beans, cotton and other plants. The great American scientist L. Morgan spoke well about the importance of maize for Indian tribes in his classic work “Ancient Society”: “Maize, due to its suitability for consumption, both in green and in a ripe state, its high yield and nutritional value, turned out to be richer a gift of nature that contributed more to the initial progress of mankind than all other grains put together.”

Powerful streams of rainwater flowing down from the surrounding mountain ranges gradually deposited a thick layer of sediment on the shores of the lake and lagoons. They were abundant in mineral fertilizers. Mixing with coastal silt, rich in rotted plant debris, these sediments formed soil of exceptional fertility. On it, under the hot southern sun, rich harvests ripened, not inferior to the crops grown in the Nile Valley. Meat food was provided by hunting: there were many birds and small game on the banks overgrown with reeds, and even deer were found on the forested mountains.

America, unlike Europe and Asia, did not know farm animals - horses, cows, sheep, pigs. The exceptions are the domestic dog (found in Mexico) and the llama (found in Peru). This left an imprint on the entire course of development of the productive forces of the Indian tribes. The lack of domestic animals in the Mexican Highlands forced the Indians to intensively develop agriculture. Edible grains were grown using artificial irrigation. Since there was no draft power, all work was done manually. Therefore, it was not field cultivation, but gardening that was characteristic of agriculture in Central America for a number of centuries.

The tools of ancient farmers were only stone and wood. Deer bone and antlers were widely used for various crafts. The most common material for making tools was obsidian, which is so rich in the Valley of Mexico. Every piece of mineral found a use. It was used to make arrowheads, knife blades, sharp razors, and wide plates for scrapers. Another common material was solidified lava. Millstones and graters were made from this rough, porous substance to grind corn grains. Axes were made from hard stones - porphyry, jade. Making them required a lot of time and hard work, so they are rarely found during excavations.

The houses of the ancient agricultural population of Mexico did not survive. Apparently they were built from willow wattles covered with clay; the roof was covered with reeds. Of course, such buildings could not survive to our time. They quickly collapsed, leaving no traces.

During the excavations, several crude ornaments made from shells were carefully examined by scientists. It turned out that the shells from which these decorations were made are found only on the Pacific coast. Consequently, the primitive farmers of the Valley of Mexico participated in trade exchanges with distant southern regions. The tribes that lived on the Pacific coast brought them such shells.

The ancient Mexicans developed a cult of the goddess of fertility. We do not know what the goddess of fertility was called in ancient times, since we do not know a single word from the language of the most ancient inhabitants of Mexico. Archaeologists have also often found figurines depicting a seated old man with his head bowed. He has bowls on his head and back. Traces of soot and remains of resinous substances on their walls suggest that fragrant resins were burned in these bowls. This ancient deity did not lose its significance in subsequent centuries. The Aztecs knew him as the "old god." Sometimes he was called the "lord of fire." He personified the volcanic forces that manifest themselves so violently from time to time throughout Central America.

Religious ceremonies often took place not in temples, but in the open air. Near the modern town of Cuicuilco, next to the remains of an ancient settlement, archaeologists discovered a massive, oval-shaped mound made of mud bricks. The height of the mound reaches an impressive size - 18 meters. Its slopes are lined with large boulders. It was possible to climb to the flat top of the mound along a specially constructed wide slope. But there was no building there. At the top there was only an altar. On religious holidays, people gathered at the foot of the hill and watched the sacrifice, which was supposed to ensure a bountiful harvest.

It is unknown for what reasons these ancient settlements were abandoned by their inhabitants. It is possible that the actions of volcanic forces played a certain role in this. Excavations have established that several centuries before the beginning of our era there was a strong eruption of the neighboring Shitli volcano. Molten lava flooded a huge area. Flowering fields turned into a barren desert. Several abandoned villages were buried under a layer of hardened lava.

But one of them, located about 75 kilometers from the disaster site and protected from molten lava by Lake Texcoco, was not abandoned. In the traditions and legends of the Aztecs, the mysterious Toltec people are repeatedly mentioned. The Toltecs were the oldest inhabitants of the Mexican valley. They are credited with the discovery of the use of metals. They are considered the pioneers of architecture, sculpture and painting. And the word “Toltec” itself in the Aztec language means: “builder”, “architect”. To the Toltecs, as Aztec legends say, all other Mexican tribes owe the achievements of culture and art. They taught them to cultivate agricultural plants, build strong stone buildings, make textiles, and carve statues and reliefs.

Archaeological excavations in the Valley of Mexico have helped to establish that these legends contain vague echoes of genuine historical events. In the first centuries of our era, Teotihuacan - the name of the settlement that survived the lava flows of Shitli - began to develop rapidly. Its favorable location attracted new settlers from other parts of the Mexican plateau. It is customary in modern science to call the creators of this city by the name of the mysterious people of Aztec legends - the Toltecs. In fact, the original and high culture created by the population of Teotihuacan had a great influence on the cultural development of other ancient Mexican peoples. Archaeologists find traces of this influence throughout almost the entire territory of Central America.

In the III-VI centuries. the inhabitants of Teotihuacan united all the main settlements of Central Mexico. Significant changes had occurred in Toltec society by this time. As a result of property stratification, rich and poor appeared. The rich made the poor dependent on themselves and seized the main positions in the tribal union. During military clashes between tribes, prisoners were captured. They were distributed among the most distinguished warriors in battle. Captives were turned into slaves who worked for their masters. The fruits of their labor further enriched the nobility and increased the wealth gap between rich and poor.

In the 4th century. Teotihuacan grew from a small settlement into the largest city. Its territory was 750 hectares. Most of the buildings in this city were built from blocks of stone held together with lime mortar. Other houses were built from adobes - sun-dried clay bricks. When the giant complex of buildings of the main city of the Toltecs was opened, scientists realized how rightly the ancient peoples of Mexico called the inhabitants of Teotihuacan “builders.”

The two most interesting monuments of Teotihuacan are the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. In fact, these are not pyramids, in the sense that we are accustomed to understand this word when talking about the giant tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. The pyramids of Central America are giant stepped bases for temples that rise on their flat top. Only in rare cases were tribal leaders or high priests buried in the depths of the pyramid.

The Pyramid of the Moon towered 42 meters above the city. At its top there was a temple that has not survived to this day; it was obviously built of wood. Even more magnificent was the Pyramid of the Sun, whose height reached 65 meters. The Aztec chronicler said well about these two wonderful monuments: “They (the pyramids of the Sun and Moon) are like mountains, and it is impossible to believe if anyone said that they were made by human hands.” And now the Pyramid of the Sun makes an unforgettable impression. If you go around and measure the four sides of its base, you get an impressive figure - about 240 meters. The pyramid is divided by three terraces into four gradually smaller parts. This gigantic structure was built from millions of Adobes. Then the walls were lined with cut stone and covered with plaster.

The Toltecs were not only wonderful architects. The remains of fresco painting found in the buildings of Teotihuacan, the majestic three-meter statue of the goddess of water, discovered during excavations, speak eloquently of the high skill of Toltec sculptors and artists.

Fragmentary and unclear reports from later Aztec sources indicate that Teotihuacan was suddenly abandoned by its inhabitants in the mid-9th century. This was confirmed by archaeological excavations on the territory of the giant city. The reasons for the departure of city residents are still unknown. However, the large amount of burning found in one part of Teotihuacan makes us think of a terrible, devastating fire. This fire could have been the result of an attack on Teotihuacan by some hostile tribes or a large uprising. In any case, by the time of the Spanish conquest, the huge city had already been in ruins for many centuries. Random travelers who visited it from time to time, shocked by the power of these ruins, called it Teotihuacan, which in Aztec means “the habitat of the gods.”

It is very difficult to understand the events of the next three or four centuries, since there are very few historical documents dating back to that time. What is known is that semi-wild nomadic tribes invade the Valley of Mexico, and it becomes the scene of a fierce struggle. Most of these tribes spoke related languages. Modern researchers call this group of tribes Nahua, and their language, or set of languages, Nahuatl. Aztec also belongs to this group of languages.

The Nahua tribes invaded the Mexican Highlands to plunder the flourishing cities and villages of farmers. But, having captured the area, they usually stayed there and gradually switched to a sedentary lifestyle.

The Culua tribe was the first to appear in the Valley of Mexico. According to scientists, in the 11th century they conquered the Toltecs. But later the conquerors themselves became victims of stronger aliens - the Chichimecs, or “wild ones”. They were dressed in animal skins, and this gave rise to calling them the contemptuous name “wild”.

At first, after their appearance in the valley, the Chichimecs lived on the eastern shore of the Shaltokan lagoon. They were mainly engaged in hunting. Then the nomads moved to the western part of the valley and there they gradually learned farming and switched to a sedentary lifestyle. Another part of the Chichimecs settled in Texcoco, a small settlement on the eastern shore of the lake of the same name. In this area they encountered highly cultured tribes who came from the south of Mexico. The merger of these tribes and the Chichimecs into a single people - the Texcocans - gave a powerful impetus to the development of the city of Texcoco.

At the beginning of the 14th century, a new force appeared on the arena of history - the Tepanec tribe. Over the course of just a century, they managed to conquer all the settlements in the Valley of Mexico. So, after several centuries of invasions and struggles, the entire population of the valley again, as in the time of the Toltecs, found itself united under a single authority. The Tepanecs in their struggle for primacy in the valley were helped by a small tribe of Tenochki, who lived on the western shore of Lake Texcoco, near Chapultepec.

The Tenochki were the Aztecs. They called themselves by this name, and neighboring tribes called them Aztecs. Thus, the first mention of the rulers of the Valley of Mexico appears only in the 14th century. two hundred years before the Spanish conquest. And they are mentioned as some kind of insignificant, small tribe.

Each people in ancient times had legends about their origins and their folk heroes. The Aztecs also had legends about the origin of their people. They, for example, were aware that they were late newcomers to the Valley of Mexico. “In time immemorial, their legends say, the Aztecs lived somewhere very far from the valley, in western Mexico. They occupied an island located in the middle of the lake and were transported to the shore on light pirogues. This island was called Aztlan. From this word comes the name of the people - Aztecs (more correctly, Aztecs - “people from Aztlan”). In an ancient Aztec manuscript we see an image of this island with a pyramid in the center. In a mountain cave near the lake, the Aztecs suddenly discovered a statue of the god Huitzilopochtli. This wonderful statue, the legend says, had a prophetic gift and gave wise advice. Therefore, the Aztecs began to revere her. On the advice of Huitzilopochtli, they left Aztlan and set off to wander with eight other tribes: Chichimecs, Tepanecs, Culuas, Tlaxcalans and others.

Moving on a long and dangerous journey, the Aztecs took with them the statue of Huitzilopochtli and, using its advice, determined their route. They moved forward very slowly, sometimes staying for a year at each new place. Meanwhile, the advanced units continued to search for new, more convenient places and developed them, cultivated and sowed the fields. By the time the entire tribe arrived at the new site, the corn harvest was already ripening.

Further events are described differently in different sources. They name the most diverse geographical locations where the tribes who set off from Astlang allegedly ended up during their wanderings. According to one version, they even reached the borders of Guatemala, but turned back. Then this entire group of tribes lived for a long time in an area called “Seven Caves.” Gradually, one after another, the tribes began to leave this area and move to the Valley of Mexico City. The Chichimecs were the first to leave, then the Tepanecs, Culuas, Chalks and others. Finally, Huitzilopochtli advised the Aztecs to go as well. Under the leadership of the leader Tenoccin, or Tenoch, they set out from the “Seven Caves” and after long wanderings reached the Mexican Highlands. By the name of their leader Tenoch, the Aztecs began to call themselves tenochs, that is, “people of Tenoch.”

Archaeological excavations and scientific research have shown that in these tales of the Aztecs, or tenochki, there are particles of historical truth. The Aztecs appeared in the Valley of Mexico later than all other Nahua tribes. Before this, they were a small nomadic tribe living near one of the lakes of Western Mexico. Their migration from there to the shores of Lake Texcoco is a historical fact. It is also true that most of the tribes mentioned in Aztec legends appeared in the valley before them. But the order of appearance of these tribes is confused, and the sites and a number of other details, of course, already belong to purely legendary tales.

Having arrived in new places, the tenochki settled on the western shore of Lake Texcoco in Chapultepec. Soon, however, due to the constant troubles that the tenochkas caused their neighbors, they united and attacked the restless newcomers. The defeat was complete. The leader and the majority of the tribe were taken to Culuacan territory and planted in Tizapan - a desert place inhabited, as Aztec chronicles say, only by poisonous snakes and insects. The city of Culuacan was nearby, and its ruler, Koshkosh, had every opportunity to observe the actions of the tenochki. A small part of the Aztecs managed to escape by boat across the lake. They took refuge on small low-lying islands. But after some time the Culuacans had to turn to their recently defeated opponents. Koshkosh started a war with the strong Xochimilk tribe, and he needed the help of the tenochki. During the decisive battle, an interesting episode occurred, described in detail in the Aztec chronicles. The Tenochki fought bravely with the Xochimilcas and captured more than thirty people. But before sending the prisoners to the rear, as was usually done, they cut off one ear from each of them. After the battle, the ruler of Culuacan praised his warriors. And Koshkosh spoke about the tenochka allies with undisguised contempt: they, they say, were unable to capture a single person. Having calmly listened to Koshkosh’s speech, which was offensive to them, the tenochki asked him: “Why do most prisoners lack one ear?” Having puzzled those gathered with this question, the Aztecs opened their bags and showed their battle “trophies” - cut off ears. Thus the truth was restored, and for the first time rumors about the brave and cruel Aztec warriors spread throughout the country.

Over the next century, this fame, along with the victorious weapons of the Aztecs, spread far beyond the valley. The peoples of almost all of Mexico feared and hated this formidable name. This was one of the main reasons for the victory of Cortes, who captured Mexico at the beginning of the 16th century.

The Aztecs, or Tenochs, were never good neighbors for the peoples around them. Very soon after their glorified victory over the Xochimilcas, they committed a serious offense towards Koshkosh. The angry ruler of Kulua ordered his warriors to kill all the tenochkas. Fleeing from defeat, they fled to the lake. After all, there, on the islands, were their relatives. On one of these small islands, not far from the first Aztec settlement - Tlatelolco, the refugees founded a new settlement - Tenochtitlan. According to the Aztec chronicles, this happened in 1325, that is, a little less than two hundred years before the Spaniards appeared in Mexico. Subsequently, both of these settlements merged into one large city. Or rather, Tlatelolco became a suburb of Tenochtitlan.

Its foundation was attributed by the Aztecs to the same legendary Tenoch. Hence the name Tenochtitlan - “city of Tenocha”. But there is another explanation in the chronicles. Having moved to the island, the shadows saw a large cactus on a coastal cliff, washed by the waves of the lake. A huge, wonderfully beautiful eagle with wide-open wings sat on it and gazed at the rising sun. A snake writhed in his claws. The Aztecs took the appearance of this eagle as a favorable omen sent down to them by the gods, and founded a city on this site. In memory of this event, it was named Tenochtitlan (from the words “tetl” - stone, rock and “nochtli” - cactus). It is not known which legend more accurately explains how the name of the greatest city in Mexico arose. In any case, the image of an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its beak is the state emblem of the modern Mexican Republic, and its highest order is called “Aguila Azteca,” that is, “Aztec eagle.”

When the power of the Tepanecs increased in the Valley of Mexico, the Aztecs became dependent on them. They paid a large tribute and experienced all kinds of oppression, but, having entered into an alliance with other subject tribes, they overthrew the hated yoke. In 1429, the Tepanecs were completely defeated. And the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan turned from a subject tribe, subject to tribute, into free inhabitants of an independent city-state, a member of the Triple Alliance.

Initially, the social structure of the Aztecs was exactly the same as that of all other Indian tribes of Central America. A group of families constituted a clan, united by a common origin (all members of the clan had one common ancestor). At the head of the clan was an elder who supervised all the affairs of his relatives. Twenty clans united into a tribe. Each clan was completely independent in its affairs, but issues that were important for the life of the tribe were decided by a tribal council consisting of elders of all clans. The tribe was led by two chiefs. One led military operations, the other was in charge of the internal affairs of the tribe and religious rituals. Both leaders were elected by the council from among its members and were responsible to it. The council could at any time remove one or the other leader, and even both, and appoint others in their place. This was the structure of the Aztec tribe at the time of its migration to the Mexican Highlands.

The alliance concluded to overthrow the Tepanec yoke between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopa was at first an alliance of three weaker tribes against one strong one. Each of the tribes - members of this union - had equal rights. All joint actions were taken only by decision of the council of three rulers. Based on the size of the military forces put up by the participants in the union, it was agreed that all the spoils would be divided into five equal parts. The Aztecs and Texcocans were to receive two shares, and the inhabitants of Tlacopan one share.

After the victory over the Tepanecs, the situation began to change rapidly. The Triple Alliance became the most powerful force throughout Mexico. The Aztecs, who after the victory received a significant area on the lake shore, acquired a solid base for further offensive actions. The new lands captured after the defeat of the Tepanecs were distributed among the most outstanding warriors. The vanquished became their slaves.

Thanks to this, a fairly large stratum of rich and noble people formed among the Aztec tribe, eager for new conquests with the aim of even greater enrichment. Thus, among the Tenochki, as once among the Toltecs, classes appeared - slaves and slave owners. The presence of classes with an inexorable pattern entails the formation of a state. Tribal governing bodies became organs of the state. The power of the military leader increased unusually. He became the de facto ruler of the tribe, and the council played only a supporting role with him. Now the council can only advise, but not command. The power of the supreme leader begins to be inherited. The old electoral system is over forever. The second leader, who was in charge of civil affairs, fades into the background. Now he leads only religious ceremonies. By the time of the reign of the paramount leader Itzcoatl, who came to power in 1428, the process of transforming the Tenochki tribe into a primitive slave society had gone quite far. Obeying the wishes of the slave-owning elite, Itzcoatl started a war with the southern neighbors of the Aztecs - the powerful Xochimilcas and Chalkas - and achieved that they recognized his supreme power.

The new wealth that came to Tenochtitlan as a result of this war made it possible to significantly expand the city. In addition to the large houses built by rich warriors, the construction of temples was undertaken. Dams are being built to connect the island to the mainland. Thanks to them, communication between Tenochtitlan and the regions under its control became easy, fast and convenient.

The Aztecs considered their capital Tenochtitlan impregnable, and with good reason. The huge city was located among the vast Lake Texcoco on several islands. It was connected to the land by three long dams, stretching from north to south and from west to east for many kilometers. In case of danger, communication with land could be immediately terminated: dams in a number of places were interrupted by drawbridges. Removing the bridges meant isolating the capital from the outside world. Similar bridges connected some streets and quarters of the city. Each of them was like a fortress within a fortress, surrounded on all sides by water.

The brilliant victories of the Aztec warriors inspired them with a sense of superiority, immense pride and self-confidence. It became unpleasant to remember the old times, when the Tenochs were subordinate to the Kuluacans and Tepanecs. Therefore, by order of Itzcoatl, all historical manuscripts were burned, “since,” according to one Aztec historian, “the people did not value them.”

When Itzcoatl died in 1440, his son Montezuma I, nicknamed the Wrathful, became the ruler of the tenochki. Like his predecessor, Montezuma I waged constant war and further expanded the area of ​​Tenochtitlan's dominance. During his reign, Aztec troops went beyond the Mexican Highlands and, crossing the mountains in the east, raided the sea coast.

Texcoco's troops energetically helped the Aztecs. There is no mention of the third member of the union - Tlacopan. Perhaps he retained his independence, but, of course, he no longer received anything from the spoils looted in the war. The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlai, continued to grow steadily. Montezuma I built an aqueduct that ran from the springs in Chapultepec to the city center. Tenochtitlan was now abundantly supplied with drinking water. To protect against floods that occurred during the winter rains, the eastern outskirts of the Aztec capital were fenced with a large embankment. A large number of slaves worked on its construction.

In 1451-1456. The Valley of Mexico suffered a great disaster. Severe storms and frosts constantly destroyed crops. The resulting severe famine exacerbated class contradictions in Aztec society. The poor, having no grain reserves, were forced to go into bondage to the rich. For a bag of corn, they gave themselves and their family members into debt slavery. The gap between the slave-owning elite of Tenochtitlan and ordinary representatives of the people widened even more.

Montezuma I's son, Axayacatl, who came to power in 1469, further expanded the dominance of the city of Tenocha over other cities in Mexico. The neighboring city of Tlatelolco, which until that time still retained its independence, was subordinated. It was famous for trade, and its market, even after Tlatelolco became actually a suburb of Tenochtitlan, remained the largest in Mexico.

Axayacatl tried to expand the Aztec possessions to the west. He undertook a military campaign against the Tarascans, who lived in the territory of the modern state of Michoacan. But here, for the first time in recent decades, the Aztecs were defeated. Thanks to this victory, the Tarascans remained independent until the Spanish conquered them.

Under Axayacatl, Tenochtitlan was decorated with a new wonderful monument. A huge calendar stone, more than three and a half meters in diameter, was placed on top of the large temple dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. On it, skillful Aztec sculptors depicted the entire previous history of the world, as they understood it, starting from the moment of its creation.

The Tenochki believed that since its creation the universe had gone through four epochs, or eras. The first, called “Four Ocelots,” lasted 4008 years and ended with the tribes of giants, the Kinametzins, who then inhabited the earth, being exterminated by ocelots. The second era - “Four Winds”, which lasted 4010 years, ended with terrible hurricanes and the transformation of people into monkeys. The next, third, era - “Four Rains” - also did not go well; at the end her world was engulfed in a destructive fire. Finally, the “Four Waters” - the fourth era, which took 5042 years, ended with a flood, during which people turned into fish. The era in which the Aztecs themselves lived was already the fifth in a row and was supposed to end with a terrible earthquake.

These performances reflected memories of natural disasters - floods, devastating hurricanes, terrible earthquakes, volcanic eruptions - that the inhabitants of Mexico suffered in ancient times. The entire history of the world was inscribed on the calendar stone. In the middle of the relief there was an image of the sun. There were concentric circles around the central part: first a belt of twenty names of days of the Aztec calendar, then a circle of the signs “turquoise” and “jade”, meaning the words “jewel” and “sky”. Beyond this belt extended the rays of the sun and the symbols of the stars, and the outer border was formed by two large fiery serpents, symbolizing time. This grandiose monument, weighing more than 20 tons, was carved in the quarry area. To drag it along the dams to Tenochtitlan and lift it to the temple pyramid, all the areas subject to the Aztecs sent their people. After the conquest of Mexico in 1521, the Spaniards threw the stone from the top of the pyramid, fearing that the Indians would again fall into paganism. This wonderful monument lay in the ground until the end of the 18th century, where it was accidentally discovered. Currently, it occupies one of the most honorable places in the National Historical Museum of Mexico City.

The rulers of Tenochtitlan who followed Achayacatl - his brothers Tizoc (who ruled from 1479 to 1486) and Ahuitzotl (among the Aztecs, after the death of the ruler, he was usually succeeded not by a son, but by a brother or nephew) - continued the aggressive policy of their predecessors. Under them, the borders of the Aztec state expanded even further to the north and southeast.

Numerous campaigns of the troops of Tenochtitlan always ended in victories and the capture of new slaves. Thus, during one campaign in Northern Oaxaca, undertaken with the help of Texcoco, the Tenochs (Aztecs) captured more than twenty thousand prisoners. It is interesting to note that the role of spies in these wars was often played by itinerant traders traveling around the country. Using the right of immunity, they not only exchanged local objects for foreign ones, but also collected information about the forces at the disposal of the future enemy, and reported what tribute could be received from him. But Ahuitzotl had to undertake a campaign for another purpose: he had to constantly pacify the uprisings in the areas under his control. The Tlaxcalans and the inhabitants of Cholula did not want to submit to the dominance of the Tenochs.

During the reign of Ahuitzotl, the construction of a large temple, begun by his predecessors, was completed. A second aqueduct was also built, since the first one could no longer satisfy the water needs of the greatly increased population of Tepochitlan.

In 1503, the Aztec capital was the victim of a natural disaster. The flood destroyed part of the dam and a number of buildings. A mortal threat hangs over the city. The entire population of Tenochtitlan rushed to seal the holes in the dams. I even had to turn to the Texcocans for help. In the midst of rescue efforts, Ahuitzotl was seriously wounded in the head. The wound turned out to be fatal. He died soon after.

After his death, Axayacatl's son Montezuma II, nicknamed the Younger, came to power. His attempts to conquer Tlaxcala were unsuccessful. But the main concern of Montezuma II was no longer new campaigns of conquest. He sought to keep the tribes and peoples subject to the Aztecs in obedience. For this purpose, punitive expeditions and military campaigns were undertaken more than once.

When the ruler of Texcoco died in 1516, Montezuma II personally determined who should succeed him. He did not want to take into account the opinion of the Texcocans. As a result, an uprising broke out, and the alliance, which had long since lost power, was finally dissolved. This was the last important event in the “pre-Spanish” era. In 1517, the first expedition of Spanish conquistadors reached the shores of Mexico. Two years later, a detachment of Hernan Cortes landed on the shore, which during 1519-21. captured and destroyed the Aztec empire.

The basis of the Aztec economy was agriculture. Their agricultural technology was primitive. The main weapon was a wooden stick pointed at one end. Sometimes such sticks had a slight expansion at the sharp end, and thus slightly resembled our shovels. These sticks were used both for loosening the soil and for sowing, to make small holes into which grains were then thrown. In ancient Indian manuscripts we often see images of farmers with such a stick, engaged in sowing.

But under the hot sun of Mexico, even such a simple technique generously rewarded labor, if only the plants received enough moisture. Therefore, the Aztecs widely used artificial irrigation. The name of one of the lagoons of the Valley of Mexico - Chalco (translated into Russian as “many channels”) - directly indicates this.

An interesting and unique feature of Aztec agriculture was floating vegetable gardens, called “chinampas” in Mexican. Such vegetable gardens are still established today on the Chalco and Xochimilco lagoons. It was not easy to make chinampa in those days. Small, lightweight rafts made of wooden slats and woven reeds were covered with silt taken from the bottom of the lake. A small amount of soil was added to the sludge. In this fertile mixture, always moist due to contact with water, the plants developed especially quickly and luxuriantly. Several of these rafts, tied together, were tied to piles driven into the bottom of the lake. Tenochtitlan, located on a small island and therefore without much land, was surrounded by many floating vegetable gardens. They grew mainly various garden plants: tomatoes, beans, pumpkins, peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes and all kinds of flowers. The Aztecs were very fond of growing flowers. It is not for nothing that the Xochimilco lagoon, which abounded in chinampas, means “flower gardens.”

The main crop, however, of the Aztecs, like all other Indian tribes of Central America, was corn, or maize. From the Aztecs or other tribes of America, Europeans learned cocoa, tobacco, tomatoes, sunflowers, various types of beans, potatoes, pumpkin, pineapple, vanilla, groundnuts, rubber trees, many medicinal plants, quinine, strychnine, cocaine, and finally, many beautiful ornamental plants : dahlias, begonias, fuchsias, prickly pears, calceolaria, various types of orchids. It is not for nothing that many of the names of these plants are taken from Indian languages, for example, “chocolate” or “tomato” - distorted Aztec words “chocolatl” and “tomatl”. None of the plants cultivated by the American Indians before the settlement of the American continent by whites was known either in Europe, or in Asia, or in Africa. The introduction and development of these crops more than doubled the food resources of the Old World. Aztec farmers also had at their disposal: chia, a plant whose grains were used to make oil and prepare a refreshing drink; yam - a plant with edible starchy tubers; Kamote is a plant from the bindweed family, the root of which is used as food. From areas with hotter and more humid climates, they imported cocoa beans, pineapples and vanilla. Agave was used in Aztec households mainly for its juice. A strong drink, octli, was prepared from it by fermentation. A glass of one hundred could knock a man off his feet. In addition, agave was used for other economic purposes: very strong ropes and coarse fabric for bags and for sewing clothes were made from its fibers. However, only the poor wore such clothes. The richer ones wore cotton clothes. On plantations of the nopal cactus, the Aztecs diligently bred cochineal, a small insect that produced an excellent dye for dark crimson fabrics.

Among the Aztecs, men worked the land. At first, when Aztec society did not yet know classes, the tribal council distributed land between clans. Within the clan, the land was divided between families in proportion to the number of eaters. When the head of the family died, his sons worked the plot. If he had no offspring or did not sow his fields for two years, the plot was transferred to the new owner. Later, with the emergence of classes in Aztec society, the situation changed. Special plots began to be designated for the maintenance of the tribal ruler and priests. These lands were cultivated, of course, not by themselves, but by ordinary members of the tribe and, partly, by slaves. The rich and noble seized more fertile and extensive areas for themselves. The poor could not feed themselves and their families on the plots of land allotted to them and were forced to go into bondage to the rich.

Before the arrival of Europeans, in the territory of what is now Mexico, many Indian peoples and tribes lived, one of the most interesting and mysterious was the tribe that created the most developed empire of that time (in North America) - the Aztec empire.

Aztec Civilization

Aztecs- Indian people in central Mexico. Number of over 1.5 million people. In Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecs, the word "Aztec" literally means "one from Aztlan," a mythical place located somewhere in the north. The modern use of the word "Aztec" as a term encompassing peoples related by trade, custom, religion, and language was proposed by Alexander von Humboldt and adopted by 19th-century Mexican scholars as a means of distinguishing contemporary Mexicans from the indigenous Indian populations. The Aztecs themselves called themselves "mexica", "tenochka" or "tlaltelolca" - depending on the city of origin (Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco). As for the origin of the word “mexica” (Ast. mexica, from which, in fact, the word Mexico comes), very different versions of its etymology are expressed: the word “Sun” in the Nahuatl language, the name of the Aztec leader Mexitli (Mexitli, Mextli), type algae growing in Lake Texcoco.

The Aztec civilization (XIV-XVI centuries) had a rich mythology and cultural heritage. The capital of the Aztec Empire was the city of Tenochtitlan, located on Lake Texcoco (Texcoco) (Spanish. Texcoco), where the city of Mexico is now located.

The Aztec culture is associated with a cultural complex known as the Nahua due to its common language. According to legend, the various groups that would become the Aztecs came to the Anahuac Valley, around Lake Texcoco, from the north. The location of these valleys and lakes is known for sure - this is the heart of modern Mexico City, but it is not known for certain where the Aztec people come from. Legend has it that the ancestors of the Aztecs came from the north, from a place called Aztlan, and belonged to the last of the seven Nahuatlacs(“Nahuatl speakers”, from the word “tlaca” meaning “person”). According to legend, the Aztecs were led by the god Huitzilopochtli, which means “left-handed hummingbird.” There is a well-known legend about an eagle sitting on a cactus on an island in the middle of a lake and eating a snake - an image from a prophecy that said that a new house should be founded in such a place. This scene - an eagle eating a snake - is depicted on the Mexican flag.

So, in 1256, the Aztecs stopped on a rock washed by a spring and surrounded by thickets of auehuete. This was Chapultepec, then a forest. Lake Texcoco stretched out before them. By the time the Aztecs arrived, the lands around Lake Texcoco had long been divided between coastal city-states. Recognizing the supreme authority of the ruler of the city of Azcapotzalco, the Aztecs settled on two small islands and built Tenochtitlan in 1325. Over time, it became a large artificial island, now this place is the center of Mexico City.

According to legend, when the Aztecs arrived in the Anahuac Valley, the local population considered them the most uncivilized group, but the Aztecs decided to learn; and they took all the knowledge they could from other peoples - mostly from the ancient Toltecs (whom they may have confused with the older civilization of Teotihuacan). For the Aztecs, the Toltecs were the creators of all culture, the word "Toltecayotl" was synonymous with culture. Aztec legends identify the Toltecs and the cult of Quetzalcoatl with the mythical city of Tollan (modern Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico), which they also identified with the more ancient Teotihuacan.

The Aztecs adopted and combined some traditions with their own; among them is the myth of the creation of the world, which describes four great eras, each of which ended in a universal catastrophe. Our era - Nahui Ollin, the fifth era, the fifth sun or the fifth creation - escaped destruction thanks to the self-sacrifice of the god Nanahuatl, which means “all in wounds” (in Russian usually translated “all in buboes”; the smallest and humblest god who suffered from pain caused by a serious illness; he turned into the Sun). This myth is associated with the ancient city of Teotihuacan (literally - “place of transformation into a god”), which was already abandoned and abandoned at the time when the Aztecs came to the valley of modern Mexico City. Another myth describes the Earth as the creation of two twin gods - Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. Tezcatlipoca lost his foot during the creation of the world, so he is depicted without a foot and with an exposed bone. In some varieties of the cult, Quetzalcoatl is also called the white Tezcatlipoca.

The Aztec Empire, like most European empires, was quite ethnically diverse; it was more of a unified system of tribute collection than a unified system of government. Although cities under Aztec rule were subject to heavy tribute, excavations show a steady increase in the wealth of the commoners after the subjugation of these cities. Trade was carried out even with enemy cities. The only people to defeat the Aztecs, the Purépecha, were the main producers of copper axes. The main administrative contribution of the Aztecs was the system of communications between conquered cities.

In Mesoamerica, there were no draft animals or wheeled vehicles, and roads were built for travel on foot. Usually the construction of roads was part of the tribute. The roads were constantly monitored so that even women could travel alone; travelers could rest, eat, and even visit the restroom every 10-15 kilometers. Also, messengers (Painani) constantly traveled along these routes, keeping the Aztecs informed of the latest events.

The creation of the Aztec empire led to one of the largest demographic explosions - the population of Mesoamerica increased from 10 to 15 million people and by the time of the Conquest, the Aztec state occupied the territory from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, from the mouths of the Balsas and Panukodo rivers to the Mayan lands. Separate colonies existed on the lands of Guatemala. On the other hand, the city-state of Tlaxcala in the north of the Pueblo Valley did not submit to the Aztecs.

The most important official of the government of Tenochtitlan, Europeans usually call the Aztec emperor. From the Nahuatl language, the title of the emperor is Huey Tlahtoani (Akt. HueyTlahtoani) roughly translated as “Great Orator”. Tlatocque (at. tlatoque- “orators”) were the aristocracy, the highest class of society. The Tlatoani's power grew with the rise of Tenochtitlan. By the time of Ahuizotl's reign, the title "tlatoani" can already be considered an analogue of the imperial one, but, as in the Holy Roman Empire, it was not inherited.

From 1397 to 1487, the empire was led by Tlacaelel ( Tlahcaé lel from Nahuatl - “brave heart”). He could become Tlatoani, but chose to remain in the shadow of the jaguar's mat. Tlacaelel was a nephew Tlatoani Itzcoatl and brother of Chimalpopoca and Motecuzoma Ilhuicamina, and bore the title "Cihuacoatl" (after the goddess Chihuacoatl, the equivalent of an advisor). As it is written in Ramirez's manuscript: “what Tlacaelel ordered was carried out as quickly as possible.” He was a tough reformer, he created a new structure for governing the country, ordered the burning of most Aztec books, claiming that they were all lies, and rewrote the history of the Aztecs. In addition, Tlacaelel reformed the religion, placing the tribal god Huitzilopochtli on the same level as the ancient gods Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. His exploits include (perhaps exaggerating) the introduction of the custom of “flower wars” and the establishment of constant human sacrifices so that the Sun continued to move across the sky.

Traditionally, society was divided into two social strata, or classes: the macehualli, or peasantry, and the pilli, or nobles. Initially, the status of the nobility was not inherited, even among sons pilly had better access to resources and training, so it was easier for them to become pilly. Over time, social status began to be inherited. In a similar way, Aztec warriors became pilly thanks to his military achievements. Only those who took captives in war could become permanent warriors, and over time, military glory and the spoils of war made them pilli. Once an Aztec warrior captured four or five captives, he was called tekihua, and he could achieve the rank of Eagle or Jaguar. Later he could gain rank tlacateccatl or tlacochcalcatl. To become Tlatoani, it was necessary to capture at least 17 prisoners. When a young man came of age, he did not cut his hair until he captured his first captive. Sometimes two or three young men united for this purpose, then they were called yak. If after a certain time - usually three battles - they could not take a prisoner, they became masehualli. It was considered a disgrace to be a warrior with long hair, signifying the absence of prisoners, but there were also those who preferred to be macehualli.

The rich spoils of war led to the emergence of a third class that was not part of the traditional Aztec society - post office, or traders. Their activities were not exclusively commercial; the Poste were also good spies. The warriors despised them, however, one way or another, they gave them the loot in exchange for blankets, feathers, slaves and other goods.

Slaves, or tlacotin, also formed an important class distinct from prisoners of war. This slavery was also very different from what was observed in the European colonies, and had many similarities with the slavery of classical antiquity. Firstly, slavery was personal, not inherited, the children of a slave were free. A slave could have personal property, and even his own slaves. Slaves could buy their freedom, and slaves could be freed if they were able to prove that they had been mistreated, or had children with their owners, or were married to their owners. Typically, upon the death of the owner, those slaves whose work was highly valued were freed. The remaining slaves were passed on as part of the inheritance.

An Aztec could become a slave as punishment. A murderer sentenced to death could be given as a slave to the widow of the murdered man at her request. A father could sell his son into slavery if the authorities declared his son disobedient. Debtors who did not pay their debts could also be sold as slaves. In addition, the Aztecs could sell themselves as slaves. They could remain free long enough to enjoy the price of their freedom - about a year - after which they went to a new owner. This was usually the lot of unlucky gamblers and old "auini" - courtesans or prostitutes. Although it was possible to drink pulque, a fermented drink with a low alcohol content, the Aztecs were forbidden to get drunk before reaching the age of sixty. Violation of this prohibition was punishable by death.

As in modern Mexico, the Aztecs were passionate ball players, but in their case it was tlachtli, an Aztec version of the ancient Mesoamerican game ulama. This game was played with a solid rubber ball the size of a human head. The ball was called "ollie", where the Spanish "ule" comes from. hule), meaning rubber. According to other sources, the ball was made of stone, and playing it was characterized by extraordinary cruelty - the weight of the ball was so great that it was a big problem to throw it into a special ring located high enough without causing physical harm to oneself. A good "incentive" to play was the fact that members of the losing team were sacrificed.

Aztec cities usually had two special complexes for this game. Players could hit the ball with their hips. The goal of the game was to throw the ball through a stone ring. The lucky player who managed to do this was given the right to take away the audience's blankets, so victory was accompanied by running, screaming and laughter. People bet on the results of the game. The poor could stake their food, the pillis could stake their wealth, the "tekutli" ( owners) could put their concubines or even cities on the line, and those who had nothing put their freedom on the line and risked becoming slaves. The ritual ball game ended with the sacrifice of the best player or captain of the winning team (however, according to other sources - the captain and players of the losing team).

In Mesoamerica and South America, during the heyday of the Aztec state, sacrifices were widespread; however, the Aztecs practiced them on a special scale, sacrificing people on each of the 18 holidays of their sacred calendar. It should be noted that a person was not always sacrificed. Animal sacrifices were frequent, for which the Aztecs bred a special breed of llamas. They also sacrificed things - they broke them in honor of the gods. The cult of Quetzalcoatl required the sacrifice of butterflies and hummingbirds. Self-sacrifice was also practiced; during special ceremonies, people inflicted wounds on themselves, performing ritual bloodletting, and wore special thorns that constantly wounded the body.

Blood was central to Mesoamerican cultures. There are many myths in which the Nahua gods sacrifice their blood to help humanity. In the myth of the Fifth Sun, the gods sacrifice themselves so that people can live. (All sacrifices are to maintain the energy of the sun, which, according to the Aztecs, gives them life).

All this prepared people for the highest sacrifice - human sacrifice. Usually the victim's skin was painted with blue chalk (the color of the sacrifice); then the victim was brought to the top platform of a huge pyramid. Here the victim was laid on a stone slab, the victim’s stomach was cut with a ritual knife (it is difficult to open the chest with an obsidian knife), after which the victim’s heart was taken out and raised up to the Sun. The heart was placed in a special stone vessel - kuauchikalli or chak-mool, and the body was thrown onto the stairs, from where the priests dragged it away. The sacrifice was considered (and, as a rule, was) voluntary, but not in cases of prisoners. If faith was not enough, drugs could be used. Then the body parts were disposed of in various ways - the entrails were fed to animals, the skull was polished and displayed in tzompantli, and the rest was either burned or cut into small pieces and offered as gifts to important people. Recent (2005) archaeological evidence indicates the removal of muscle and skin from some of the remains discovered in a large temple complex.

There were other types of human sacrifice, including torture. The victim was shot with arrows, burned or drowned. It’s difficult to keep track of the measure here. Aztec chronicles describe how some 84,400 captives were sacrificed over four days to build the main temple. However, it is unclear how the city's population of 120,000 people was able to capture, house and dispose of so many captives, especially considering the fact that Ahuizotl sacrificed them with his own hands. This equates to 17 sacrifices per minute for four days. Some scholars believe that the number of casualties could not have exceeded 3,000 and that the number of deaths was inflated for war propaganda purposes.

The Aztecs led the so-called « flower wars » (Spanish) guerrasfloridas) - special raids to capture captives, to perform sacrifices, which they called neshtlahualli - this was a kind of “debt payment to the gods” so that the sun could shine during the next 52-year cycle. The human soul-heart and soul-blood are necessary so that the world does not collapse - this idea underlay the practice of capturing people in subjugated lands, and the population was ordered to meet warriors with flowers in their hands (one of the reasons that gave the name “flower wars”).
It is not known whether the Aztecs performed sacrifices before they came to the Anahuac Valley, or whether they absorbed this custom as they absorbed many other customs and cultures. The sacrifices were originally dedicated to Xipe Totec, a northern Mesoamerican deity. Aztec records state that human sacrifice began during the reign of Tisoc. During the reign of Tlacaelel, human sacrifice became an integral part of Aztec culture, not only for religious but also for political reasons.

There is little information regarding Aztec cannibalism. There are only a few reports of cannibalism since the Conquest, none of which involve widespread ritual cannibalism. In his book, Juan Bautista de Pomar states that after the sacrifice, the body of the victim was given to the warrior who captured the victim, and then the warrior boiled it so that it could be cut into small pieces in order to offer them as gifts to important people in exchange for gifts and slaves; but this meat was rarely eaten, since it was believed that it had no value; it was replaced with turkey or simply thrown away.

After the capture by the Spaniards, the Aztec civilization practically ceased to exist, cities and temples were destroyed, and books were burned...

The activities of the Aztecs, a civilization that left many mysteries and secrets, were very diverse. There remains a lot of evidence of the existence of this people, which has come down to us through jewelry and weapons, pottery and weaving. What did the Aztecs do, what was most important to them? Let's try to find the answers in this article.

Aztecs: a brief historical background

Among the most American continents there are three: Incas, Mayans and Aztecs. Much knowledge about what activities of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas were the most popular has unfortunately been lost. But there are still many archaeological finds that help solve some of the mysteries of the ancient inhabitants of planet Earth.

Aztecs are the name of several peoples who lived in a valley called Mexico City until the Spanish conquered Mexico in 1521. The peoples who inhabited the valley spoke the Nahuatl language. Their territories were divided into states, they built cities ruled by royal dynasties.

Aztecs: their life and activities

It is quite difficult to briefly present the topic. left a very big mark on history. Thanks to archaeological finds, research by scientists and historians, we can now draw conclusions about how these people lived, find out what was significant for them and what activities of the Aztecs were the most important.

The civilization consisted of about 60 thousand people, and this people, without false modesty, could be proud of themselves. It took the Aztecs only 2 centuries to transform from an ordinary tribe of nomads into formidable warriors who ruled the territory of the Valley of Mexico.

From this, historians conclude that the most important occupation of this people was military craft. In addition, it is known that these people were highly educated. Medicine, astronomy, music, legal history and religion were studied and practiced. The art of farming and various crafts were developed at a high level. Let's look at all these Aztec activities in order.

Military craft

These people loved to fight. The military craft was very well developed, so it is not surprising that the Aztecs were famous as conquerors of new lands. During the existence of this civilization, the territory of residence of the people was greatly expanded due to constant wars and the conquest of new territories.

The captured new lands, according to Aztec law, were distributed among the warriors who became most famous on the battlefield. Accordingly, conquered tribes automatically turned into slaves. This led to the emergence of many wealthy slave owners among the Aztecs, whose thirst for profit forced them to conquer more and more lands.

Farm

The Aztecs' occupations concerned different spheres of life. The basis of the economy was agriculture.

Archaeologists discovered farmers: sticks with pointed and widened ends. The second option is a prototype of a modern shovel.

It is known that these people knew how to irrigate and fertilize the soil. Among the various crops, preference was given to corn, pumpkin, beans, peppers and squash. The Aztecs went down in history as the people who were the first to cultivate cocoa beans and tomatoes. They also grew tobacco.

Also, the main activities of the Aztecs included the cultivation of several types of cotton.

Among the features of their agriculture, the presence of floating gardens should be noted. This is due to the fact that the city of Tenochtitlan itself was located on the island. The limited amount of land has led to the emergence of floating vegetable gardens. These vegetable gardens were built on rafts of fertile soil attached to piles driven into the ground.

Hunting and fishing

The occupations of the Aztec population included hunting and fishing. This people did not have a tradition of keeping domestic animals. The only animals were dogs, and sometimes they were eaten.

Meat supplies were replenished during the hunt. Hunters obtained food with bows and arrows, throwing darts were widely used, and special animal traps were also in use.

The hunter's prey could include rabbits, deer and wild birds.

The peoples who lived on the shores of the lakes were successful in fishing.

Culture

The culture of this people was at the highest level. It should be noted that for the male population, schooling was a mandatory activity. There were two types of schools: for the rich and the poor. Schools of the first type trained future priests, military leaders and dignitaries. Boys from ordinary families learned to be farmers, warriors and artisans.

Science, literature, philosophy and astronomy are the main occupations of the residents. The Aztecs were revered as a highly developed civilization.

This people developed a star map of the sky. The Aztec calendar is widely known, which, taking into account the location and movement of the celestial stars, served to meet the needs of agriculture.

Unfortunately, during the conquest of this territory by the Spaniards, many examples of culture and art were destroyed. Nevertheless, archaeologists have recently discovered buildings that give us the opportunity to gain knowledge about how developed the field of architecture was among the Aztecs.

One of the attractions is the temple in Malinalco, which was completely carved from a single rock. Archaeologists say that this people had no other tools other than stone ones. Imagine how much effort it took to build this temple.

The main temple of the Templo Mayor was discovered by archaeologists completely by accident. This happened in the 80s of the last century during an earthquake. This find made it possible to see figurines of gods carved from stone, as well as ceramics and jewelry. It should be noted that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifices to their gods. The handles of sacrificial knives were decorated with a mosaic pattern of turquoise and shell fragments.

Thanks to these finds, we can accurately determine how the Aztecs lived, whose occupations were distinguished by their diversity and highly developed culture.

End of story

This civilization remained unsolved until the end. This is due to the fact that the cultural heritage of the Aztecs was partially destroyed during the conquests. Having reached cultural heights, the Aztec people were unable to survive and preserve most of their achievements for history. On the ruins of the Aztec capital, a new city grew up - Mexico City, which went down in history as the center of the colonial possessions of the new conquerors from Europe.

Origin of the Aztecs

The Aztecs arrived in Anahuac, in the Valley of Mexico, in 1168. This event, recorded in their ideographic chronicles, was correlated with our calendar; no one has yet doubted this date.

The Tenoch Aztecs were landless wanderers, a "needy" tribe who came from northern Mexico (some say from what is now the southwestern United States, but there is no evidence for this). Their native language was Nahuatl, which was also spoken by the Toltecs. The Aztecs had nothing; they wandered the earth, sometimes settling briefly in one place, then going off to wander again and trying to pinch off the edges of foreign lands until an armed conflict occurred; after which the wanderings resumed. The date “1168”, of course, does not tell us with certainty that it was then that the Aztecs began settling Mexico, but only informs us that at that time, as Dr. Vaillant believes, the Aztecs, who were nothing from a cultural point of view, , began to use a calendar that had been in common use for thousands of years. Who were the Aztecs and where did they come from? The answers to these questions are given by their mythological chronicles. Like all other similar myths about their origin, such stories differ in details, but not in the main content. The Incas came out of the caves, the Greeks were helped out of their dark refuge by the divine autologos; In Christian myths, grottos inhabited by the divine spirit abound. So are the Aztecs. In some cave they found the Hummingbird Sage, the famous Huitzilopochtli (the Spaniards never learned to pronounce this name and called him Huichilobos - “witch-wolf”). This idol gave them advice. It was good advice: travel, seek lands, avoid major armed conflicts, send pioneers ahead, let them plant corn, and when the crop is ripe, come and gather it; keep me, Huitzilopochtli, always with you, carry me like a banner, feed me with human hearts torn from the chests of the sacrificed... And the Aztecs accomplished all this.

We do not know even approximately how many people the Mexica-Tenoch tribe numbered when it came to Anahuac. It was very small: maybe it numbered a thousand people, maybe five thousand - hardly more. At least in such a densely populated region as the Anahuac Valley, they played such a minor role that their appearance on the shores of the lakes went completely unnoticed, and there is no record of their appearance in the dense forests of Chapultepec during the lifetime of the generation living around 1250. All this can be understood. No one considered events that occurred within other tribes to be “historical.” The story moved vertically rather than horizontally, and there were no cross-references. During these “years of wandering,” the Aztecs absorbed the culture of their neighbors. Their tribe grew. They have enemies. The Aztecs began to expand their possessions. Since there were too few women in their clans, they began to steal women from other tribes, and now their neighbors throughout the valley learned about the Aztecs for the first time. They were attacked. One part of the tribe was enslaved, the other was saved on one of the swampy islands of Lake Texcoco. Those who remained participated in the wars waged by the people who captured them. During these wars they showed such courage that when they were asked what reward they wanted, they asked for the chief's daughter to be given to them, so that with her help they could create a respected family. Their request was granted, but they sacrificed this beautiful girl, tore off her skin and put it on their chief priest so that he could personify the goddess of nature. When the leader of their captors, the girl's father, arrived in splendid attire, he naturally expected to be present at the wedding ceremony. Instead, he found the above. His anger is easy to understand. Those shadows who escaped during the massacre carried out by his warriors fled and joined their fellow tribesmen on the second island of the lake.

Rice. 12. Aztec temples and houses; the Aztec ruler is on his way to them. Footprints indicate movement. From the Aztec Codex

Tenochtitlan, an island city-state, began its history in 1325. There were five lakes on which the nascent capital of the Aztecs lay and which were as shapeless as freely moving protoplasm. They were located in the Anahuac Valley, which was a plain located at an altitude of about 2300 m above sea level. From the high snow-capped mountains that surrounded it, rushing streams flowed down, which filled these lakes - in fact, one lake, which was about 80 km in length, a surface area of ​​​​about 1300 km 2, surrounded by tall and thin marsh grass. The lakes were deep in some places and shallow in others, especially around the islands on which the city of the Aztecs arose. The immediate need for them at that moment was housing. First, mud huts with roofs made of reeds and marsh grass were built. Later that same year (1325), the Aztecs opened their first temple. At first, by agreement with the tribes that lived along the shores of the lakes, they received permission to use the border lands for growing plants. They expanded this land through agriculture chinampa(chinampa). The method was to make artificial floating islands from branches and twigs, tow them to the islands, anchor them in shallow water and fill them with earth. The Aztecs grew their crops in these baskets. Thus, Mexico City-Tenochtitlan was created by hand.

From 1403 to 1455 (the third Aztec period), the growing city-state, concluding alliances and waging wars, experiencing periods of decline and growth, overcame a primitive stage of development and opened up new, broader cultural horizons. After this, the Aztecs found themselves at the center of events in the Mexican arena and became the main characters in control of life in the Anahuac Valley and beyond. They expanded their possessions, as all nations do, as life itself lives at the expense of other lives and other peoples; it is fair, understandable and natural.

Techniques developed slowly. Metal processing moved slowly from South America to the north, not directly, but through trade, and appeared in Mexico around the 11th century. Although the people of Central America were advanced in many respects, they did not yet have the wheel, hand mill, or draft animals. Mexico City in 1519, according to Berland, “was at the same stage of development as Sumer and Egypt were in 3500 BC.” e." However, this comparison is not entirely accurate, and not everything is clear.

At the same historical moment in the year 1100 when the Incas in Peru were emerging from similar obscurity to become a true empire, the Aztecs, driven by the same imperial aspirations, were gradually becoming masters of Mexico.

Thus, between 1168 and 1521, the Tenoch Mexica, who were called the Aztecs, achieved their goal.

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Our origins The birthplace of our culture is Sparta, Athens, Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinople. We will use the term “European” in relation to our civilization due to established tradition. It would be more correct to talk about “Mediterranean”

City-states of Central Mexico. Central Mexico has long been inhabited by many tribes who spoke different languages. They were skilled farmers and artisans. The natives of Mexico created their first states early on. Archaeologists believe that they were similar to the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia. Major urban centers were Teotihuacan, Cholula, and Xochicalco. Their temples and palaces still amaze with the perfection of proportions and elegance of decoration. The Indians reached heights of skill in sculpture, making vessels and other artistic products.

At the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia AD. changes have taken place in the life of the region. Most city-states ceased to exist under the onslaught of newcomers, often called barbarians. The conquering settlers, advancing mainly from the northern regions of Mexico, became acquainted with the cultural achievements of the local residents, adopting many of them.

Aztecs. By the beginning of the 16th century, when Europeans invaded America, as mentioned above, the Aztecs (lit. “people of Aztlan”) were the main ones in Central Mexico. They were the last to come from the northern regions to the Anahuac Valley (Central Mexico). For more than two centuries, the future rulers of Mexico moved from place to place, from the service of one ruler to another, trying to gain a foothold in these parts. Finally, in 1325, they settled on the barren islands of Lake Texcoco, where they founded their capital, Tenochtitlan.

Initially, the warlike Aztecs were less cultured than neighboring peoples. But, wandering through the central regions of Mexico, they learned a lot from the locals. They began to make “floating gardens” and plant tomatoes, peppers, flowers and other crops on them. The Aztecs experienced a shortage of drinking water. They first delivered it by boat, and then built a water supply system. Even later, beautiful, wide causeway roads connected Tenochtilan with other cities and settlements located on the huge lake. Pyramids and temples, palaces and public buildings were erected in the city, new streets and canals were laid.

Daily life of the Aztecs

Aztec stone cutters and jewelers, mosaic makers and feather jewelry makers, potters and weavers were famous for their highest skill. The city flourished. There was brisk trading in the markets. People came there to buy and sell from all over Mexico and Central America.

Nobles, ordinary warriors, slaves. The top of Aztec society was the nobility: people who became famous in wars, and people who came from ancient families. A commoner who accomplished feats in war also became a noble person. The situation of slaves - prisoners of war and criminals - was pitiful. Many of them ended their days on the sacrificial stone, giving their blood to the cruel Aztec gods.

Education and culture. The Aztecs devoted most of their time to military training. But children and teenagers also studied history and astronomy, religious chants and mathematics. Not only brave warriors, but also poets and orators who won competitions gained fame and honor among the Aztecs. The sages held conversations on philosophical topics. The priests made complex calendar calculations.

Information concerning the life of Aztec society was recorded in chronicles using pictographic (picture) writing. The Aztecs made very long and wide “pages” from leather, paper and fabric. Recordings were made on them and folded like an accordion.

Religion. The Aztecs had many gods. Having captured a city or people, they annexed its gods to their own. The conquerors introduced the conquered to their gods. Therefore, the Aztecs had several sun deities, several water deities, several earth deities. Many gods, according to Aztec legends, lived in the underground kingdom. The Aztecs did the same with myths. Stories about the gods worshiped by their neighbors and predecessors are closely intertwined with Aztec legends.

The ancient gods, who were revered by the predecessors of the Aztecs, personified the elements. The God “Making Growth” was considered the lord of rain, thunder and lightning, as well as all edible plants. The goddess - “Eater of Dirt” was revered as the deity of the earth, fertility, and the patroness of sinners. The goddess, “Wearing a skirt of snakes” - Coatlicue - was called by the Aztecs the Great Mother of all gods. The Indians addressed prayers to the god of young corn, to the “Mother of young maize,” to the goddess of salt or to the god of spring vegetation, love and flowers, to the divine patrons of plants and animals, crafts and agricultural works. The Aztecs offered prayers to the gods, personifying the Sun and Moon, stars and planets. The stern god of war was especially revered.

To appease the gods, the Aztecs brought them gifts (sacrifices): flowers, branches, jewelry, beautiful items made of clay and fabric. And - a lot of people. The Aztecs believed that the favor of the gods depended on how much blood was donated to them. If the gods are not fed with blood, then they will die, and all living things will disappear with them.