Section 1
“ALTHOUGH the native culture of the Aztecs was portrayed as barbarous and uncivilised by the Spanish, the reality was that it was a highly sophisticated and complex culture.”
Before one may refer to a civilization as ‘barbarous’ or ‘uncivilised’, a definition is useful. ‘Barbarous’ refers to one who is primitive and savage, while ‘uncivilised’ is one who is savage and ‘without civilising influences’. Collectively, these terms define a crude, savage, primitive race, which, as will be proven, the Aztecs were far from.
Firstly, it is important to know why the Aztecs were supposed ‘bar1barous and uncivilised’ by the Spanish, The most supported theory is that the conquistadors were in need of an explanation for their large scale slaughter and enslavement of the Aztecs (to be described in Section 2), and thus brought back to their homeland tales of the wild and untamed ‘New World’.
To prove that the Aztecs were not crude savages, selected examples of architecture, technology, religion and society will be used as examples to verify the falsity of this statement. The city of Tenochtitlan, Aztec architecture in general, society and religion are proof of the high degree of sophistication in the South Americans.
Architecture
In comparison to other cultures in the same area as them at the same time, the Aztecs were the most advanced in terms of technology, which allowed them to dominate their civilisation. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that the Aztecs were the most powerful tribe of their time. Even the Spanish said of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan:
‘… we arrived at a broad Causeway and continued our march towards Iztapalapa, and when we saw so many cities and villages built in the water and other great towns on dry land and that straight and level Causeway going towards Mexico, we were amazed…on account of the great towers…and buildings rising from the water, and all built of masonry. And some of our soldiers even asked whether the things we saw were not a dream’
‘…for never was there seen, nor heard, nor even dreamt, anything like that which we then observed.’
‘When we arrived at the great market place we were astounded at the number of people…and the quantity of merchandise and the good order and control that was maintained…There is a street of game (partridges, turkeys, quail, pigeons, parrots, owls, kestrel)…There is a street of herb sellers…medicinal herbs…There are barber shops where you may have your hair washed and cut…traders…who sold great pieces of cotton…and articles of twisted thread…dealers in gold…and precious stones, feathers and feather mantles.’
If even the Spanish marvelled at the architecture of the Aztecs, then their skill in construction must have been incredible. According to one source, at one point 60,000 people would pass through Tenochtitlan daily, and it was supposedly the greatest city in the world. However, these comments made by Diaz on his journey actually cast the Aztecs into a positive light. As the mood of Diaz’ writings change later on, this supports the theory that the Spaniards were in need of an excuse and thus invented tales of savages. Nonetheless, it is possible that the Spaniards thought that the Aztecs were primitive due to some of the motifs they used in their architecture, including their skull racks (long rows of skulls impaled on stakes).
Examples of technology used or developed by the Aztecs are also evidence of their high degree of sophistication, including metallurgy, sculpting, calendar system, writing, farming and weaving.
Metallurgy
The Aztecs’ skill with metallurgy was first developed by their predecessors, the Toltecs, at around 10-12th AD. Their forebears utilised metals such as gold and copper to create intricate sculptures of their mythology. Despite their skill with precious metals, the Aztecs did not manufacture steel or iron weaponry and tools, so in comparison to European arms, Aztecs were somewhat ‘uncivilised’. Thus, in the view of the Conquistadors, the Aztecs and their weaponry were crude. This can be seen from what occurred during Cortes’ first landing, in which his small army of 600 men decimated thousands of natives.
Calendar System
A 365 day calendar system was also developed and utilised by the Aztecs. Divided into 20 ‘day signs’ that were each dedicated to a single god, it was used to define crop cycles for agricultural purposes. Another 260 day ‘sacred’ and ‘day count’ calendar known as the tonalpohualli was used also.
Aztecs Society
The society of the Aztecs was also far more advanced than that of others from their time periods. Divided into several castes, the Aztec society consisted of slaves (tlacotin), commoners (macehualli) and the nobility (pilli). Unlike European slavery several centuries after, Aztec slavery was surprisingly humane, with slaves having basic rights and able to purchase themselves to freedom. Additionally, slaves were not generally overworked. So unlike the ‘advanced’ Europeans, the Aztecs engaged in ‘sustainable slavery.’
Unlike Europe and much of the world at the time, the Aztecs enforced mandatory education for all children. It is also notable that this extended to children of any caste. It is highly unlikely that an ‘uncivilised’ people would have had such regards for education, further countering the Spanish claim.
Ironically, the Aztecs utilised an elective monarchy, unlike the absolute monarchy of the Spanish. The Emperor was therefore an elected official from his region. It is unforeseeable how an uncivilised culture could have been in possession of such a government. This is emphasised in a quote fromWilliam Hickling Prescott William Hickling Prescott: ‘The scheme of election, however defective, argues a more refined and calculating policy than was to have been expected from a barbarous nation.’
They also possessed a judicial system that was surprisingly advanced for a ‘primitive’ race. Each city possessed their own supreme judge, who had jurisdiction over all cases within his precinct. There were also lesser magistrates below the supreme judge, who arbitrated lesser disputes.
Finally, to prove that the Aztecs were indeed not barbarous or uncivilized, Aztec religion was extremely sophisticated. Their rituals used in sacrifices, temples and polytheistic religion alone assure that. As a brief example of Aztec ritual, one may observe the sacrificial process. The victim was led up the stairway to the pyramid top, at which point they were forced onto a sacrificial stone. This was a raised platform with a sloping tip, which forced the victim to arch their back. Taking an obsidian knife, a priest would slice open the victim’s ribcage and remove the palpitating heart. While this may have appeared extremely crude to the Spanish, it is more than likely that they did not notice the technology used in this ritual. The obsidian blades were crafted via pressure flaking and fracturing. The temples which served as a stage for sacrifices were also prime examples of Aztec architecture. Thus, Aztec religion was also highly advanced.
To conclude, while the Spanish may have though the Aztecs were ‘crude’ and ‘savage’, it is likely that the majority of sources concerning this Aztec barbarism were biased in order to defend the Conquistador’s subsequent massacre (see section 2). After all, they ‘…went there to serve God, and also to get rich.’
Sources:
http://books.google.com/books?id=gArcJwAIBdEC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=aztec+judicial+system&source=web&ots=cedQZ0uvuT&sig=k2xtiQmqwxq4sCJ14UJLYae97Tg#PPA23,M1
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Course_Pages/legal_systems_very_different_06/final_papers_04/andrade_aztec_04.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian_use_in_Mesoamerica
http://www.azteccalendar.com/azteccalendar.html
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/aztecs.htm
Booklet
The Conquistadors are Coming
First Contact Essay
- Part A -
“On these altars were idols with evil looking bodies, and that very night five Indians had been sacrificed before them; their chests had been cut opened, and their arms and thighs had been cut off. The walls were covered with blood. We stood greatly amazed and gave the island the name isleta de Sacrificios [Island of the Sacrifices].”
“They strike open the wretched Indian's chest with flint knives and hastily tear out the palpitating heart which, with the blood, they present to the idols. They cut off the arms, thighs and head, eating the arms and thighs at ceremonial banquets. The head they hang up on a beam and the body is given to the beasts of prey.”
After seeing such images, it is understandable why, at first the invading Spaniards would have seen the Aztec Culture barbarous, uncivilised and backward, but if they had taken careful observation of the culture they would have most definitely found otherwise, the Aztec were in fact a highly civilised, sophisticated and complex culture that created and utilised many things that are found today in our modern world.
I will be examining the fact that the Aztecs were in fact a highly civilised culture throughout this essay and will be making close reference to three subject areas.
• Religion
• Society
• Architecture
Religion
The Aztec had a highly complex religion that worshiped various gods, some examples of these types of gods are; The Sun God, Coatlicue (see pic 1.1), The God of Corn, Centeotl (see pic 1.2), The God of Lakes and Streams, Chalchiuhtlicue (see pic 1.3) and The Goddess of Food and Produce (and by extension fertility), Chicomecoatl, (see pic 1.4).
As well having gods for nearly everything, the Aztec priests created a 356 day calendar based on their religion, and the movement of the sun and the stars. This calendar consisted of eighteen months of twenty days, and if you have done your maths properly you will have found that there is five days leftover. These days were considered to be a bit like the Christian idea of Sunday, except these five days were supposed to be cursed and evil and this was the reason for a lack of work on these five days. These months had names like; Dog, Crocodile, Monkey, Wind, Vulture, Rabbit, Lizard, Flower and Death Head.
To make things even more complex within this calendar, they had periods that related to their past history or climatic conditions, they had periods such as Days of Growth (Spring), Says of the Descent of Water (Winter) Days of Dryness (Summer) and The Useless Days ( as mentioned earlier).
This begs the question, how can a civilisation that has created gods for nearly everything, and a calendar that makes close reference to both our modern-day calendar and to certain astronomical movement, be called un-civilised ad backwards, the answer is that they aren’t, the fact that they were called uncivilised and backwards is a gross misunderstanding and lie by the Spaniards.
Society
The Aztecs had an extremely complex and sophisticated system of society, everything from buying and selling of goods to their system of getting married.
The outstanding nature of these markets can be seen from a extract taken directly from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz de Castillo;
“The moment we arrived in this immense market, we were perfectly astonished at the vast numbers of people, the profusion of merchandise, which was there exposed for sale, and at the good police and order that reigned throughout.... Every species of merchandise had a separate spot for its sale. We first of all visited those divisions of the market appropriated for the sale of gold and silver wares. Of jewels, of cloths interwoven with feathers, and of other manufactured goods…”
“In this market-place there were also courts of justice, to which three judges and several constables were appointed, who inspected the goods exposed for sale. I had almost forgotten to mention the salt, and those who made the flint knives; also the fish, and a species of bread made of a kind of mud or slime collected from the surface of this lake and eaten in that form, and has a similar taste to our cheese. Further, instruments of brass, copper, and tin; cups, and painted pitches of wood; indeed I wish I had completed the enumeration of all this profusion of merchandise. The variety was so great that it would occupy more space than I can well spare to note them down in. Besides which the market was so crowded with people, and the thronging so excessive in the porticoes, that it was quite impossible to see all in one day.”
It is clear that the Aztecs had a highly sophisticated system of buying and selling goods and that was the markets of Tenochtitlan, as well as the immense variety of goods to be bought and sold, the Aztec had a way of organising the location of goods around the market place, a bit like modern-day isles in a supermarket, i.e. having all the valuables together etc. On top of this the Aztec then had people policing the markets, making sure that no sale was unfair or biased as well as judges, which inspected the quality of the goods for sale.
In addition to the complex nature of these markets, the Aztec has a sophisticated method of marriage, although slightly sexist, nothing with the same complexity was heard of in the time. The males make most of the choices here, not the females. The male choses the bride and then they ask and old woman to send the message to the bride’s family. They choose whether or not the couple can get married, if so the process goes on. The Groom then also needs to get permission to be married to the bride from your teacher. The wedding day is then chosen by making sure it is a ‘good’ or blessed day on the Aztec calendar (mentioned earlier). After the day is chosen there is a feast before the wedding which the female’s family organises. After the feast, the wedding occurs at night and the girl is taken to this on the back of an old women. The rest of the guests travel to the wedding from the feast by a torch lit procession, the couple are then joined together in marriage by tying the male’s cloak to the female’s blouse. Today this is still known as “tying the knot”. At long last there is a final feast in which there is alcohol to drink, although only people over thirty can drink.
It is very difficult to call the Aztecs barbarous and unsophisticated after being taught about this extremely complex procedure that must be followed when getting married.
Architecture
The Aztecs had amazing architecture throughout their whole empire but I will be making close reference to the amazing city of Tenochtitlan.
Tenochtitlan is a city that is built on the island in the middle of a large lake, the Aztecs built their amazing capital city on this lake and made man made bridges branching out from the island across the lake, once again this was very much unheard of in this time period. In the centre of this city, there were two great temples that looked over the whole city. (see pics 1.5, 1.6, 1.7).
“And when we saw all those towns and villages built in the water, and other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico, we were astounded. These great towns . . . and buildings rising from the water, all made of stone, seemed like an enchanted vision. . . . Indeed some of our soldiers asked whether it was not all a dream . . . It was all so wonderful that I do not know how to describe this first glimpse of things never heard of, seen, or dreamed of before”
It was clear that when the Spaniards came across the marvellous and aesthetically pleasing city it was something they had never before seen in their western world.
The city of Tenochtitlan was divided into four zones or campan, each of these campan were then divided up into twenty districts or calipullis, and each of the calpaulli was then crossed by streets or tlaxilcalli. There were three main streets that crossed the city, each leading to one of the three causeways that led out of the city to the mainland. The calpulli were also divided into channels used for transportation, with wood bridges that were removed at night.
After learning about the marvel of the urban planning of Tenochtitlan, it extremely difficult to call the Aztec unsophisticated and backward.
It is because of the Aztecs Sophistication and complexion of their Religion, Society and Architecture that the claims by the Spanish that they were backward and uncivilised are completely ludicrous and unsubstantiated
Resources
Deary, T. & Brown M. (1997). Angry Aztecs. London, UK: Scholastic.
(2004). Aztec Gods & Godesses . Retrieved August 11, 2007, from Crystal Links Web site: <http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html>
All Quotations from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz de Castillo
Pic 1.1: http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html
Pic 1.2: http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html
Pic 1.3: http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html
Pic 1.4: http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html
Pic 1.5: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/c/cc/400px-Tenoch2A.jpg
Pic 1.6: http://www.delange.org/TemMayor/Dsc00358.jpg
Pic 1.7: http://www.salomart.com/images/tenochtitlan-2.jpg
- Part B -
It is said that the Conquistadors left an indelible scar on the native cultures of the Americas. I will be proving this correct by making close reference to the Native Cultures of America. I will do this by making close reference to the Columbian exchange, not only of food but also diseases and animals. I will also consider that substantial population changes in the Americas and the barbaric nature of the conquistadors.
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange (see table 2.1) is the exchange of everything from diseases to animals; this affected the native cultures and the Spaniards in both harmful and non-harmful ways.
The mass slaughter of Indigenous peoples by the Spaniards wasn’t the only reason for a massive population loss in Central America, what also needs to be taken into account is that fact that when the Spaniards invaded Mexico that brought with them many new diseases that had never been heard of in Mexico. Some of these diseases were; cholera, Bubonic Plague, Smallpox and many others. This however this did not work only one way, by invading, the Spaniards had opened a pathway for Syphilis into the Old World. Although exchanges of diseases happened on both sides of the exchange, the diseases that were brought into the new world were the ones that had the most harm and effect.
Not only were diseases exchanged but many, other animals were exchanged also, these include the introduction of animals such as Goats, Horses, Pigs and Cattle. It is the introduction of these hard-hoofed animals that has, in the long term, led to the desertification of most of Central America. The soft, Central American soil cannot cope with these types of animals and thus has lead to the destruction of many thousands of hectares of what used to be rich framing land.
The Final part of the Columbian Exchange was not so harmful to either side, this was the exchange of plants, this includes the introduction of plants such as; beans, cabbage, garlic and onion into the new world, as well as the introduction of maize(corn), chilli, chicle (chewing gum base) and cocoa into the old world.
Through the Columbian Exchange it is evident that the invasion of Central America by the Spanish Conquistadors not only harmed the native cultures of Mesoamerica but also destroyed the land.
Population Loss
When the Spaniards moved across Central America, they killed many thousands of indigenous peoples in the process, it is quite ironic of the Spaniards to call the Aztecs barbaric after there conquest into the new world.
“They ran among the dancers and attacked the man who was drumming and cut off his arms. They cut off his head and rolled it across he floor. Then they attacked the dancers, stabbing them, spearing them, and striking some with their swords. They attacked from behind and theses fell instantly to the ground with their entrails hanging out. Some attempted to run away but their intestines dragged as they ran; they seemed to tangle their feet in their own entrails. Others they beheaded; they cut of their heads or spilt their heads into pieces. No matter how they tried to save themselves, they could find no escape.”
It is the barbaric slaughter like this, coupled with the Spaniards upper-hand in weapon technology (gunpowder) that led to the extreme population loss of the indigenous people of Central America.
As well as the barbaric slaughter of the Aztecs by the millions (see table 1.2 & 1.3), it was the diseases that the Aztecs had no immune system against that the Spaniards brought to central America with them (as mentioned earlier). It was the diseases malicious diseases like bubonic plaque and cholera that absolutely thrashed the indigenous peoples of Central America to pieces. Only forty years of settlement, over nine and a half million indigenous people were slaughtered. It is possible, some historians and scholars alike have stated that these statistics could have been much smaller if it weren’t for the introduction of these new diseases.
TYPE OF ORGANISM OLD WORLD LIST NEW WORLD LIST
DOMESTICATED ANIMALS • Camel
• Cattle
• Fowl (a few species)
• Goat
• Horse
• Pig
• Rabbit
• Sheep • Alpaca
• Fowl (a few species)
• Guinea Pig
• Racoon
• Llama
• Turkey
DOMESTICATED PLANTS • Bananas
• Barley
• Beans
• Black Pepper
• Cabbage
• Coffee
• Cotton (short staple)
• Citrus
• Garlic
• Hemp
• Lettuce
• Oats
• Onion
• Peach
• Pear
• Rice
• Rye
• Sugarcane
• Turnip
• Wheat • Amaranth
• Avocado
• Beans
• Cashew
• Chia
• Chicle
• Chilli Pepper
• Cocoa
• Cotton (Long Staple)
• Maize
• Manioc
• Papaya
• Pecan
• Pineapple
• Potato
• Quinoa
• Rubber
• Squash
• Sunflower
• Strawberry
• Sweet Potato
• Tobacco
• Tomato
• Tomato
• Vanilla
INFECTIOUS DISEASES • Bubonic Plague
• Cholera
• Influenza
• Malaria
• Measles
• Scarlet Fever
• Sleeping Sickness
• Smallpox
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever • Chagas’ Disease
• Syphilis
• Yaws
• Yellow Fever
Table 2.1
Table 2.2
Table 2.3
RESOURCES:
Deary, T. & Brown M. (1997). Angry Aztecs. London, UK: Scholastic
"Original Peopling of the Americas." Wikipedia. 2007. Wikimedia. 29 Aug. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas#Original_peopling_of_the_Americas>
Quotation taken from the Codex Florentine compiled by Friar Bernardino de Sahagun
Table 2.1: http://www.reference.com/search?q=columbian%20exchange
Table 2.2: Deary, T. & Brown M. (1997). Angry Aztecs. London, UK: Scholastic
Table 2.3: Year 8 Aztec Sources Handbook
ALTHOUGH the native culture was portrayed as barbarous and uncivilised by the Spanish, the reality was that it was a highly sophisticated and a complex culture.
# 1“They strike open the wretched Indian's chest with flint knives and hastily tear out the palpitating heart which, with the blood, they present to the idols. They cut off the arms, thighs and head, eating the arms and thighs at ceremonial banquets. The head they hang up on a beam and the body is given to the beasts of prey.”
# 2 “Cortez told them of their blindness and great vanity in worshipping many gods and making sacrifices of human blood to them, and in thinking that those images, being mute and soulless, made by the Indians with their own hands, were capable of doing good or harm.”
The Conquistadors (the Spanish army) under the rule of Hernan Cortes and Bernal Diaz largely claimed that the Aztecs were barbarous and uncivilised; explained in the above quote. This statement could not further from the truth. The word Barbarous according to the “Macquarie Dictionary online” means to show immense amounts of cruelty. The term uncivilised is a term used to describe a civilization as backward or technologically impaired. The Aztecs were however, a highly sophisticated and complex culture; meaning, that they were knowledgeable about the ways of the world, as well as up to date with technology. This is able to be proved by the society that the Aztecs lived in, the architectural designs of their cities as well as their religion and rituals that were followed.
The society that the Aztecs lived in was a strange and wonderful place; with many fascinating buildings, complex cities and the highly sophisticated educational system. The Aztec society was divided into two very clear social classes. The bottom class were the Macehualles or commoners. The Macehualles were usually the farmers and the workers on the land. At the top of social classes were the Pilli or nobility, these were people who were priests, people with great skill as wells as persons who showed bravery in war. The social classes of the Aztecs were different to that of Europe, because in Europe your social class could not be changed on the contrary; the Aztec social classes were however not imbedded at birth. In the Aztec society men were far more superior to women. Women were not aloud to attend any government or religious functions. To show the extent of this; one of the ceremonies (The snake Women) was always performed by a man.
The Aztecs were one of the only civilizations were all male children went to school; no mater of what social class they were from. All male children at the age of fifteen went Telpuchalli (house of youth). This was a school where the boys learnt the history of their culture and the religion of their culture. They learnt how to fight and what it meant to fight under the Aztec reign; the trade of craft as well as the basic principals of everyday citizenship.
Due to the success of the social system and the educational system the Aztecs in their society were a highly and sophisticated and complex culture because they had schools, two very efficient social classes.
The religion of the Aztecs was a highly complicated and complex one. This was mainly due to the fact that the Aztecs inherited most of it from cultures that have been conquered previously. The Aztecs took great pride in their culture and religion, which is demonstrated in their many sacrifices. Their sacrifices to most people seemed barbaric and inhumane, but they were far from that. Their sacrifices were a tribute to their many Gods and Goddesses, who in return granted them prosperous harvests, a new day as well as the life they lived. The Aztecs had many Gods and Goddesses to whom all had different sacrifices performed; these include: The God of Rain, Tlaloc; to which a very poor child would be sacrificed by a firing squad of arrows. If they performed this sacrifice and the beginning of each harvest Tlaloc grant them with a prosperous harvest. They believed that the blood of the child would act as a fertiliser if the God Tlaloc was pleased with the offering. The special festival of Tezcatlipoca, the creator of the world, would involve a sacrifice. Before the festival of Tezcatlipoca a brave Aztec warrior would capture a handsome young man, chosen because of his perfect body and looks. The prisoner would be trained to follow out the duties of Tezcatlipoca and the people of the city would have to treat him like a God, by giving him flowers, gold and food. When the day of the sacrifice came the young man would be stripped of his fine clothes and brought across the lake to the temple. The young man was escorted up the side of the temple to a stone table. His body was stretched out over the stone by five priests holding his arms and legs. The sixth priest wore a red cloak and then cut open the young mans’ chest with a sharp razor blade and pulled out his beating heart and showed it to the sun, Tezcatlipoca. This was to have given the people another good year if Tezcatlipoca was happy with the offering. These two examples of Aztec Sacrifice although seemed barbaric were in fact rather sophisticated because it was there way of life. When Cortes saw these images he thought they were uncivilised and barbaric because it was not what he was use too. In a sense he was scared of this new found race.
The architecture that the Aztecs designed could be regarded as some of the world’s greatest pieces of sculpturing and design ever! The architecture of the Aztecs was very similar to that of the ancient Egyptians, such as the great pyramids. The difference between the Aztec pyramids and the Egyptian pyramids was that the Aztec pyramids did not have a pointed top but instead flat top. These great Aztec temples, when built had to be the biggest out of all the cities. So in many cases some archaeologists would find five or six smaller temples under the main one. Each temple had added features to make it unique from all the others. Things like this may have included statues at the entrance of corridors. No mater what type of added features the temple had each temple was more magnificent than the next.
The homes of the Aztecs were all very similar from peasants to nobles; the only difference was the type of decorations and the size of it. The house had to main components to it: the main home and the steam bath. The main home was made out of adobe (dirt and water) with a thatched roof. There was only one room to the main home, so it was divided up to four separate sections. There was a eating area, sleeping area where the whole family slept, kitchen area where food was prepared and a area for a family shrine for loved ones, ancestors and Deities.
The other part of the building was the steam bath. They allegedly very therapeutic, so each house had one. The steam bath area would have a fire and burning chimney next to the outside of the steam room walls. The walls would become hot due to the burning fire outside and steam would form if the persons applied water to the walls. This may have been the first ever steam room as we know them today. This inventive way of thinking proves that the Aztecs were a highly sophisticated and complex culture.
The Conquistadors (the Spanish army) under the rule of Hernan Cortes largely claimed that the Aztecs were barbarous and uncivilised. This statement could not further from the truth. The Aztecs were in fact a highly sophisticated and complex culture. Their society, religion and culture as well as their architecture proves and backs up this statement. To prove this the Aztecs designed probably the first sauna or steam room and it was in all homes. Their architecture is regarded as some of the world’s best in history. Their religion was complicated with many Gods and Goddesses, to whom all had sacrifices dedicated to them. In their society they had two very clearly shown social groups and unlike the Europeans; you class was not permanent. They were one of the only civilizations where all boys went to school no mater their economic status. All these points are superb reasons to why the Aztec civilizations was far from Barbarous and uncivilized as Cortes stated but actually a sophisticated and complex culture.
Quotes:
# 1: The Conquest of New SpainBernal Díaz del Castillo (1492 or 1493 – 1581
# 2: http://michaelnewdow.com/HernandoCortez.htm
Bibliography:
http://intranet.kings.edu.au/infoServices/assignments07/07lcl/history/his08_firstContact.htm
http://library.advanced.org/10098/aztec.htm
Odijk, Pamela, the Ancient World: The Aztec, Dnglewood Cliffs, Silver Burdett, 1989
Wood, Tim, See Through History: The Aztecs, New York, Viking, 1992
http://aztecology.pbwiki.com/comments+from+Cortes+and+Diaz+on+the+Aztecs
The following statement “the conquistadors left an indelible scar on the native cultures of the Americas.”
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/aztec.html\
Effects of Spaniards on Aztecs
The Conquistadores did leave an indelible scar on the Aztec culture. They wiped out most of their population, destroyed their cities, destroyed their culture and also took over the land that was once theirs. In this essay I will be taking an in depth look at the impacts that the Spanish made on the Aztec population, cities, culture and land.
The Spaniards made an irreparable indentation on the Aztec population. They wiped out an estimated 24 million people. This estimated figure goes over a 50 year period. This shows that even though the battle went for less than a year, the diseases and aftermath of the event caused a huge plunge in the population of Native Americans. The two main diseases that caused these huge numbers of deaths were “smallpox” and “measles”. Smallpox began to ravage the Aztec population around 1520 and Measles in 1531. Malaria also came with the Spanish and caused a reasonably large number of casualties. These diseases caused these huge plunges in the Aztec population because they had never been exposed to these diseases before, thus causing the people to have no part of their immune system to fight the disease off. Another reason for the loss of population was the fighting between the Spanish and the Aztecs. A quote by an Aztec civilian was that “The Spaniards are contemptible who killed brave warriors from a distance with their guns.” They also tortured and killed many of the Aztecs to find and claim valuable metals. How could they possibly say that they didn’t leave an indelible scar on the Aztec culture when they had wiped out two thirds of the population?!
Another huge indentation that the Spaniards made on the Aztecs was the destruction of their beloved cities. This symbolized that the empire had really ended and a new nation was on the rise. A quote by Cortez himself states “In what way I could strike them with dread so that they should come to knowledge of their error, and of the calamities we should bring upon them; with this view I decided to burn and demolish the towers of their idols and their houses.” This left an indelible scar on the Aztecs because it took away their architectural art and it meant that it would be almost impossible to reconstruct. The destruction of their beloved cities not only destroyed their architecture, it destroyed the Aztec beliefs and culture that lived inside them. By destroying the Aztec buildings the Spaniards destroyed an integral part of Aztec culture, religion, art, customs and music. In the Aztec version of events handed down, it was said “We have torn our hair with grief. Our heritage is gone!” among the most insightful observers was “Fernando de Aemelories” who wrote “We cannot conceal the great paradox that a barbarian like “Huayna Capac” kept such excellent order that the entire country was calm and all were well nourished, whereas today we see only infinite deserted villages on the road to the kingdom”.
Another reason that the Spaniards left an indelible scar on the Aztec civilization was the claiming of the Aztec land and position. This was considered a huge blow to the remaining Aztecs because the Spaniards not only claimed their land, but the very rare and expensive things it produced. These included gold, silver, bronze and many other precious resources. This made the Spanish even richer and it made the Aztecs even poorer. By the 1900’s the indigenous peoples had been almost been completely dispossessed of their land. The good farming land had been converted into “haciendas” or large plantations-farms producing such commodities such as coffee and tobacco. The remaining Aztecs were left with poor quality land on which they could not support their families. The Aztecs were then forced to work on the “haciendas” to supply food for their families (they usually had very low wages). The sight of these “haciendas” lead to an Aztec civilian quote: “My heart burns as if it has been washed in chilies, to see these people working under Spanish control.” The conquest of the Aztec land not only leads to the Aztecs getting poorer and the Spaniards getting richer, it also leads to the economic control of the Aztec civilization.
The Spanish left an indelible scar on the Aztec civilization. They wiped out over two thirds of their population due to war, diseases and torture. They destroyed their buildings and cities, with the most important being “Tenochtitlan”. They destroyed their culture and religion by knocking down their shrines and temples and introducing them to Christianity and then also took over their land and the precious resources it contained. The Spanish took the agricultural land for themselves and left the indigenous peoples with uninhabitable land on which they could not support their families. Today, many of the descendents of the Aztecs are poor and have little land. Although the land is no longer under Spanish control the ‘scars’ of the Spanish influence are still very evident and still being felt by these peoples today!
Source: http://aztecology.pbworks.com/f/Section_1_Anthony_Chu.doc
http://aztecology.pbworks.com/f/Essay.doc
http://aztecology.pbworks.com/f/The+following+statement.doc
http://aztecology.pbworks.com/f/Effects+of+Spaniards+on+Aztecs.doc
Web site to visit: http://aztecology.pbworks.com
Author of the text: indicated on the source document of the above text
If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly. Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. Examples of fair use include commentary, search engines, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship. It provides for the legal, unlicensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author's work under a four-factor balancing test. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use)
The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.
The texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.
All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes