The Empire
The Aztecs weren't one group but instead they were the Xochimilca, Chalca, Tepaneca, Colhua, Tlahuica, Tlaxcalteca, and Mexica tribes. They are considered one indian group because they all came from the same place (they called it Aztlan) and all spoke Nahuatl. The last of the tribes to arrive was the Mexica. They arrived in about 1250 and found an island with an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus, just like their priests prophesied. That island become Tenochtitlan, which grew to become to capitol of the Aztec Empire.
In 1428 Tenochtitlan formed a strategic alliance with the Texcoco and Tlacopan city-states known as the Triple Alliance. It was created to ensure a system of equitable tribute from territories that they conquered …show more content…
Most of them were calpolli. They helped take care of all of the land that was owned by the nobles. At the bottom were slaves called tlacotin. Commoners couldn’t become nobles but by being successful on the battlefield could gain privileges.
Laws
The complex Aztec legal system was designed to maintain order and respect.Their laws were passed down from generation to generation and were based on custom and traditions. In various court systems Aztec judges interpreted and applied these laws. Major laws for written down as pictographs for the judges while more customary laws were passed down. The Aztecs began to convert their laws to written form but the spanish made sure to destroy the little legal records that they had created. This makes it very difficult for us to learn about their laws, so we have little information on them. …show more content…
They were more like spirits or forces. Clay or stone sculptures would become an incarnation of a god by dressing it like it. To make it even more confusing, most deities were different versions of each other. Some of the more important gods were their creator god Tezcatlipoca, their rain god Tlaloc, and Quetzalcoatl the god of priest and learning.
The Aztec people believed that the gods gave their life to create the world, so the Aztec believe they need repay the god’s sacrifice with their own sacrifices and offerings. it was common for priests to cut or pierce themselves, and then burn their blood on paper strips.
We know that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice, but because the spanish greatly exaggerated the numbers, we have no idea how many people they sacrificed. Usually, they would cut open the chest and sometimes remove the heart.and throw the body down the pyramid steps. Before being sacrificed the victim would be treated like a god; they would be dress like them, eat like them, live like them. Wooden racks called tzompantlis displayed the skulls of sacrificial victims in public
The Aztecs weren't one group but instead they were the Xochimilca, Chalca, Tepaneca, Colhua, Tlahuica, Tlaxcalteca, and Mexica tribes. They are considered one indian group because they all came from the same place (they called it Aztlan) and all spoke Nahuatl. The last of the tribes to arrive was the Mexica. They arrived in about 1250 and found an island with an eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus, just like their priests prophesied. That island become Tenochtitlan, which grew to become to capitol of the Aztec Empire.
In 1428 Tenochtitlan formed a strategic alliance with the Texcoco and Tlacopan city-states known as the Triple Alliance. It was created to ensure a system of equitable tribute from territories that they conquered …show more content…
Most of them were calpolli. They helped take care of all of the land that was owned by the nobles. At the bottom were slaves called tlacotin. Commoners couldn’t become nobles but by being successful on the battlefield could gain privileges.
Laws
The complex Aztec legal system was designed to maintain order and respect.Their laws were passed down from generation to generation and were based on custom and traditions. In various court systems Aztec judges interpreted and applied these laws. Major laws for written down as pictographs for the judges while more customary laws were passed down. The Aztecs began to convert their laws to written form but the spanish made sure to destroy the little legal records that they had created. This makes it very difficult for us to learn about their laws, so we have little information on them. …show more content…
They were more like spirits or forces. Clay or stone sculptures would become an incarnation of a god by dressing it like it. To make it even more confusing, most deities were different versions of each other. Some of the more important gods were their creator god Tezcatlipoca, their rain god Tlaloc, and Quetzalcoatl the god of priest and learning.
The Aztec people believed that the gods gave their life to create the world, so the Aztec believe they need repay the god’s sacrifice with their own sacrifices and offerings. it was common for priests to cut or pierce themselves, and then burn their blood on paper strips.
We know that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice, but because the spanish greatly exaggerated the numbers, we have no idea how many people they sacrificed. Usually, they would cut open the chest and sometimes remove the heart.and throw the body down the pyramid steps. Before being sacrificed the victim would be treated like a god; they would be dress like them, eat like them, live like them. Wooden racks called tzompantlis displayed the skulls of sacrificial victims in public