History of the Aztec Empire :: Pre-Columbian History Culture

History of the Aztec EmpireThe center of the Aztec civilisation was the Valley of Mexico, ahuge, oval basin ab out(p) 7,500 feet above sea level. The Aztecs were formedafter the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians cametowards Lake Texcoco. In the swamplands there was only oneness piece of landto farm on and it was totally surrounded by more than marshes. The Aztecfamilies somehow converted these disadvantages to a mighty empire know asthe Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeplybelieved fabrication. As the legend went, it said that Aztec people would construct an empire in a swampy place where they would see an bird of Jove eating asnake, while perched on a cactus, which was growing out of a rock in theswamplands. This is what priests claimed they saw when entering the newland. By the year 1325 their capital city was finished. They called itTenochtitlan. In the capital city, aqueducts were constructed, bridgeswere built, and china pas were made. Chinapas were pocket-size islands formed bypilled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew their food. The Aztec Empireincluded some(prenominal) cities and towns, especially in the Valley of Mexico. Theearly settlers built log rafts, accordingly covered them with mud and plantedseeds to create roots and develop more solid land for building infrastructures inthis marshy land. Canals were also hop-skip out through the marsh so that atypical Aztec home had its back to a canal with a canoe tied at the door.In the early 1400s, Tenochtitlan joined with Texcoco and Tlacopan, twoother major cities in the Valley of Mexico. Tenochtitlan became the mostpowerful member of the alliance. Montezuma I ruled from 1440 to 1469 andconquered huge areas to the east and to the south. Montezumas successorsexpanded the empire until it extended between what is now Guatemala andthe Mexican State of San Luis Potosi. Montezuma II became emperor in 1502when the Aztec Empire was at the crown o f its power. In 1519, the Spanishexplorer Hernando Cortes landed on the East bank of Mexico and marchedinland to Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards were joined by many of the Indianswho were conquered and forced to pay gamey taxes to the emperor. Montezumadid not oppose Cortes because he thought that he was the God Quetzalcoatl.An Aztec legend said that Quetzalcoatl was driven away by another rival beau ideal and had sailed across the sea and would return some day. His returnwas predicted to come in the year Ce Acatl on the Aztec Calendar.