Early Aztec History

The exact origins of the Aztec people are uncertain, but they are believed to have begun as a northern tribe of hunter-gatherers whose name came from that of their homeland, Aztlán (or "White Land"). The Aztecs were also known as the Tenochca or the Mexica. The Aztecs appeared in Mesoamerica (the south-central part of Mexico) in the early 13th century. Their arrival came just after, or perhaps helped bring about, the fall of the previously dominant civilization in that area, the Toltecs.

When the Aztecs saw an eagle perched on a cactus on the marshy land near the southwest border of Lake Texcoco, they took it as a sign to build their settlement there. They drained the swampy land, made artificial islands on which they could plant gardens and established the foundations of their capital city, Tenochtitlán, in 1325 A.D. Typical Aztec crops included maize (corn), along with beans, squashes, potatoes, tomatoes and avocadoes; they also supported themselves through fishing and hunting local animals such as rabbits, armadillos, snakes, coyotes and wild turkey. Their advanced farming system and a powerful military tradition would enable the Aztecs to build a successful state, and later an empire.

The Aztec Empire

In 1428, under their leader Itzcoatl, the Aztecs conquered a rival area and took control of more land and people. Itzcoatl's successor Montezuma (Moctezuma) I, who took power in 1440, was a great warrior who was remembered as the father of the Aztec empire. By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule over up to 500 small states, and 5 to 6 million people. Tenochtitlán (the capital of the Aztec empire) now had more than 140,000 inhabitants, and was the most densely populated city ever to exist in Mesoamerica.

The Aztec civilization was also highly developed socially, intellectually and artistically. It was a highly structured society with a strict caste system; at the top were nobles, while at the bottom were serfs and slaves. The Aztec beliefs shared many aspects with other Mesoamerican religions, like that of the Maya, including the rite of human sacrifice. In the great cities of the Aztec empire, magnificent temples, palaces, plazas and statues showed how the Aztecs worshipped many gods. The Aztec calendar was based on a solar cycle of 365 days and a ritual cycle of 260 days. The calendar played a central role in the religion and rituals of Aztec society.

European Invasion & Fall of the Aztec Civilization

In March 1519, Cortés landed at the town of Tabasco, where he learned from the natives of the great Aztec civilization, then ruled by Moctezuma (or Montezuma) II. Defying the authority of Velasquéz, Cortés founded the city of Veracruz on the southeastern Mexican coast, where he trained his army into a disciplined fighting force. Cortés and some 400 soldiers then marched into Mexico, aided by a native woman known as Malinche, who served as a translator. Due to problems within the Aztec empire, Cortés was able to become friendly with other native peoples who were then at war with Montezuma.

In November 1519, Cortés and his men arrived in Tenochtitlán, where Montezuma and his people greeted them as honored guests according to Aztec custom.  Though the Aztecs had superior numbers, their weapons were inferior, and Cortés was able to immediately take control of Tenochtitlán. The Spaniards then killed thousands of Aztec nobles during a ritual dance ceremony, and Montezuma died while in Cortés' control.  In all, 240,000 people were believed to have died in the city's conquest, which effectively ended the Aztec civilization. After his victory, Cortés burned Tenochtitlán and built Mexico City on its ruins; it quickly became the premier European center in the New World.

(History.com, 2012)