Collapse
The recognised date that the Aztecs fell from power was in early 1521 but the series of events that led up to this was just as important as the eventual collapse. It began with the arrival of the Spanish, led by Conquistador Hernan Cortes, in 1519. At this time, the Aztec people were at the height of their power, their people numbered close to five million across Mesoamerica and the capital city of Tenochtitlan had a population of approximately 200,000 people. But they also had many enemies, sick of being stuck under the thumb of the Mexica people and the Spaniards used this to their advantage.
As Cortes and his men travelled through Mesoamerica, they heard tales of a great city in the middle of a lake where the emperor ruled out of. He knew that if he were to be able to conquer the nation he would have to start there, so the Spanish set off towards Tenochtitlan encountering civilisation after civilisation so wonderful and different from the home they came from. One of these places was Tlaxcala, in the time that Cortes was there, he struck an alliance with the Tlaxcalan’s against the Aztecs and these warriors would eventually help him sway the tides and defeat the mighty Aztecs.
…show more content…
The Spanish were welcomed into the grand city and were shocked at the hospitable nature of the Mexica people, who they had heard horrible tales of. The Spanish men stayed in Tenochtitlan as guests until tensions rose after a massacre of Aztec nobles at a sacrificial ritual. Over the following days and weeks, Moctezuma was arrested and taken prisoner while in the city, chaos broke loose. The emperor died while in captivity although it is unknown whether it was on behalf of the Spaniards as warfare or his own people in anger at his passive attitude towards Cortes and his men and unwillingness to fight for his