Tenochtitlan Influence On The Aztecs

The Aztecs were a great Mesoamerican civilization with advancements abound. They were a strictly organized and powerful society with a lot of influence on their citizens. A busy market and plenty of resources also contributed to their blossoming economy. Notorious for their sacrifices, the Aztecs are also mainly known for their religious ceremonies, though the underlying cause is often overlooked. Though they’re often painted as cold and brutal, the Aztec’s should be renowned for their power, economy, and religious concerns.

Power is an often noted aspect of the Aztecs since they wielded at as one of their most recognizable traits. First, the Aztecs were able to support their capital Tenochtitlan, which at the time was the largest city in

For example, the Aztecs were able to adapt to their environment and knew how to use it well, helping them get their necessary crops (Brady 9). Early on, the Aztecs developed basic farming tools similar to the ones we use to ease their labor (Brady 9). From this, one could infer that the Aztecs were very inventive for their time and knew what would benefit their agricultural needs better. In addition, in Tenochtitlan markets were spread out everywhere, along with having a main market in the center (New World Encyclopedia). Sources say that each district in each of Tenochtitlan’s quadrants would have an individual market, along with a larger central market in suburbs of Tlatelolco (New World Encyclopedia). Given that one quadrant of Tenochtitlan would have twenty districts (totaling at about eighty districts within the city), we can conclude that trade was essential and efficient way of getting everyday goods (New World Encyclopedia). Furthermore, chinampas (or little, artificial islands) were used to provide crops for the civilization (Brady 8). On chinampas alone, the Aztecs could reap four corn crops annually (along with other plants) and provided the food supply for the empire (Brady 8). This goes to show that not only were the Aztecs ingenious in farming, but they were also very lucrative and actively sought out ways to support their ever-growing empire. All in all, the Aztec economy was very

For one,the Aztecs made sure to worship each deity in their due order (Berdan 897). In an encyclopedia article, it is stated that the Aztecs believed in many gods, each one with their own important domain, their own temples, priests, and rituals (Berdan 897). From this, one can reason that the Aztecs wanted to make each of their gods feel worshiped, if only out of fear what disasters could entail their neglect. Also, around the same that they speculated that catastrophe would strike according to their carefully calculated religious calendars, they’d perform even more elaborate sacrifices (Berdan 897). According to the Aztecs, earthquakes would destroy the fifth sun (the present world), and since they estimated that it would most likely happen at the end of every fifty-two years, their ceremonies became more extravagant - some of which involved gory mass human sacrifice, extraction of hearts, and blood bathed stairs (Berdan 897; Brady 6). Using this as evidence, one can construe that he Aztecs showed their loyalty and devotion through religious ceremonies. Lastly, in their civilization, dying through sacrifice was considered very honorable (Frank). Though death by sacrifice and war were both venerable, often sacrifice would be held up as more superior than death by warfare (Frank). With this, we can say that though religious ceremonies were very grave, the Aztecs held the gods’ pleasure as their top priority and