Aztecs in Mexico

Almost simultaneously in the 15th century CE, Latin American and Andean communities each united politically in an empire that covered most of the region. In each region, the establishment of the kingdom was carried out by a new community, from which this new community expanded its political dominion. One of these new communities is the Aztecs.

The Aztecs are known to have high civilization, with artificial floating islands to support their agriculture. Apart from having advanced agriculture, the Aztecs were also known through their cruel human sacrificial ceremonial traditions.

The emergence of the Aztecs
The Aztecs were originally a mob of barbarian smugglers who entered the Telaga District (a refugee area after the collapse of the Toltec Kingdom in the 12th century). In this region they received cultural influences from other refugees, between the art of war and the ritual of human sacrifice.

In the last quarter of the fourteenth century, they began settling on several uninhabited islands in the northwestern bay of Lake Texcoco, Mexico. By the Aztecs this new, inhospitable environment was transformed into a habitable area by cutting down layers of lush vegetation and making this new environment accessible. Plant waste is then converted into artificial floating islands for farming.

With a strong will, the Aztecs became skilled urban and agricultural planners. Furthermore, they also became long-distance traders, who combined trade with military-savvy works.

The Aztecs made their way to military and political power through dedication as mercenaries to the rule of the Tepanec kingdom. In 1428, the Aztecs from Tenochtitlan, one of the two Aztec cities, seized the Tepanec empire in the lake-districts they helped build as mercenaries.

The leading figure in the Aztec movement was Tlacaelel, who survived as a political adviser to three successive Tenochtitlan rulers. Tlacaelel began the movement by annexing and combining the twin Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, and its close north neighbor, Tlatecoli. He also allied with other local city states located around Lake Texcoco, namely the state of Acolhua Texcoco, and Tlacopan. This centralization of power under the Tenochtitlan government allowed the Aztecs to establish an empire on the plains of Mexico in 1428 AD with its first emperor, Itzcoatl (1427-1440).

Under the leadership of the second emperor, Moctezuma I (1440-1469), the Aztec was made a strong political and cultural unit with Tenochtitlan as its capital. The Aztecs reached the height of their glory in the Ahuitzotl government (around 1486-1502), which multiplied the territory of the Aztecs. At that time the Aztec region stretched across Latin America, from coast to coast, covering the tip of the Atlantic and also the tip of the Pacific.

The Aztec Kingdom cannot be denied having a large area, but the vast territory is not comprehensive. People who fell under Aztec domination found the rigors of life. The residents were partly depressed because of the placement of permanent garrisons in their area. Under coercion, they were forced to pay high tribute, including boys and girls for sacrifices in addition to food, textiles, stones, and precious metals.

Aztec Life
For the Latin American region at that time, the Aztecs could be said to have high civilization. Aztec residents meet their food needs, by relying on food crops cultivated on a number of Chinampas (artificial islands). The floating islands were built on Danua Texcoco.


The food supply was also supported by agricultural products from the Aztec conquered land, which produced corn, beans, cocoa, cotton, and mining products such as gold, silver and nephrite.

The Aztecs marched around Mexico to what is now the United States, and south to Colombia. They sell high-value goods made by craftsmen such as clothing, jewelry, household furniture, and ceremonial equipment. Traders bought turquoise stones from the Pueblo Indians in the north. From the south a brightly colored bird feather was brought in to make a coat, fan, headdress and shield decoration.

Aztec society is composed militaristically. All young men must serve in the army from the age of 17 to 22 years. Some of them serve longer, if he really has the ability.

The Aztecs took over the Latin American calendar system accurately, and they combined their ancestral religion with the religion of the previous settlers, so as to create a pantheism and complicated rituals such as Hinduism.

They also made manuscripts composed of pictograms and phonemes of word plays, which were more practical than traditional Latin American pictographs, and they produced some very introspective poetic works.