(TGT) Meso-American Societies (500-1500) Lesson

Meso-American Societies (500-1500) Lesson

American societies during the postclassical era remained isolated from other civilizations. The societies continued to show great diversity, but there were continuities. American civilizations were marked by elaborate cultural systems, highly developed agriculture, and large urban and political units. Columbus' mistaken designation of the inhabitants of the Americas as Indians implies a nonexistent common identity. The great diversity of cultures requires concentration on a few major civilizations, the great imperial states of Mesoamerica (Central Mexico) and the Andes, plus a few other independently developing peoples. Visit the websites under the "Meso-America" title in the sidebar to learn about the Meso-American civilizations you will be studying this unit.

 

Geography

Look at these two maps of Meso-American Civilizations. How much contact do you think the civilizations might have had with one another?

 

 

Meso-American Civilizations

 

Postclassical Mesoamerica, 1000-1500 C.E

The collapse of Teotihuacan and the abandonment of Mayan cities in the eighth century C.E. was followed by significant political and cultural changes. The nomadic Toltecs built a large empire in central Mexico. They established a capital at Tula in about 968 and adopted many cultural features from sedentary peoples. Later peoples thought of the militaristic Toltecs as givers of civilization. The Aztecs organized an equally impressive successor state.

 

The Toltec Heritage

The Toltecs created a large empire reaching beyond central Mexico. Around 1000, they extended their rule to Yucatan and the former Mayan regions. Toltec commercial influence extended northward as far as the American southwest, and perhaps to Hopewell peoples of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys. Many cultural similarities exist, but no Mexican artifacts have been found.

 

The Aztec Rise to Power

Northern nomadic invasions probably caused the collapse of the Toltec Empire around 1150. The center of population and political power shifted to the valley of Mexico and its large chain of lakes. A dense population used the water for agriculture, fishing, and transportation. The region became the cultural heartland of postclassical Mexico. It was divided politically into many small competing units. The militant Aztecs (Mexica) migrated to the region during the early fourteenth century and initially served the indigenous inhabitants as allies or mercenaries. Around 1325 they founded the cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco on lake islands. By 1434, the Aztecs had become the dominant regional power.

 

The Aztec Social Contract

The Aztecs were transformed by the process of expansion and conquest from an association of clans to a stratified society under a powerful ruler. Central to the changes was Tlacaelel, an important official serving rulers between 1427 and 1480. The Aztecs developed a self-image as a people chosen to serve the gods. The long-present religious practice of human sacrifice was greatly expanded. The military class had a central role as suppliers of war captives for sacrifice. The rulers used sacrifice as an effective means of political terror. By the time of Moctezuma II, the ruler, with civil and religious power, dominated the state.

 

Religion and the Ideology of Conquest

In the Aztec religion, little distinction was made between the world of the gods and the natural order. Hundreds of male and female gods representing rain, fire, etc., were worshiped. They can be arranged into three major divisions. The first included gods of fertility, the agricultural cycle, maize, and water. The second group centered on creator deities: Tonatiuh, warrior god of the sun, and Tezcatlipoca, god of the night sky, were among the most powerful. The third division had the gods of warfare and sacrifice, among them Huitzilopochtli, the tribal patron. He became the paramount deity and was identified with the old sun god; he drew strength from the sacrifice of human lives. The Aztecs expanded the existing Mesoamerican practice of human sacrifice to an unprecedented scale. Symbolism and ritual, including ritual cannibalism, accompanied the sacrifices. The balance between sacrifice motivated by religion and sacrifice motivated by terror is still under debate. The Aztecs had other religious concerns besides sacrifice. They had a complex mythology that explained the birth and history of the gods and their relation to humans. Religious symbolism infused all aspects of life. The Aztecs had a cyclical, fatalistic view of history; they believed the world had been destroyed before and, despite the sacrifices, would be again.

 

Tenochtitlan, the Foundation of Heaven

The Aztecs believed their capital to be a sacred space. The great metropolis of Tenochtitlan had a central zone of palaces and temples surrounded by residential districts and markets. Its design, craftsmanship, and architecture were outstanding. By 1519, the city covered five square miles and had 150,000 residents. The island city was connected to the lakeshores by four causeways and was crisscrossed by canals. Each city ward was controlled by a calpulli (kin group) who maintained temples and civic buildings. Tribute and support came to the imperial city-state from allies and dependents.

 

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