03-09-2021, 07:28 PM
9. The Aztec Civilization
Civilization Name: Aztec civilization
Period: 1345 AD–1521 AD
Original Location: Southcentral region of pre-Columbian Mexico
Current Location: Mexico
Major Highlights: Nahuatl became the major language
![[Image: The-Aztecs-Pyramid.jpg]](https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Aztecs-Pyramid.jpg)
The Aztecs came on to the scene pretty much around the time when the Incas were emerging as powerful contenders in South America. Around the 1200s and early 1300s, the people in present-day Mexico lived in three big rival cities – Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. Around 1325, these rivals created an alliance and the new state came to dominate the Valley of Mexico. Back then, the people preferred the name Mexica to Aztecs. The rise of the Aztecs was within a century of the fall of another influential civilization in Mexico and Central America – the Mayans.
The city of Tenochtitlan was the military power base and became a spearhead for the conquest of new territory, but the Aztec emperor didn’t rule every city or region directly. Local governments remained in place and were forced to pay varying amounts of tribute to the Triple Alliance. In the early 1500s, the Aztec civilization was indeed at the height of its power. But then, the Spanish arrived. This led to a huge battle between the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors and the native allies they had assembled led by the famous (or rather infamous) Hernan Cortes in 1521. A defeat in this decisive battle eventually led to the fall of the once-famous Aztec Empire.
Civilization Name: Aztec civilization
Period: 1345 AD–1521 AD
Original Location: Southcentral region of pre-Columbian Mexico
Current Location: Mexico
Major Highlights: Nahuatl became the major language
The Aztecs came on to the scene pretty much around the time when the Incas were emerging as powerful contenders in South America. Around the 1200s and early 1300s, the people in present-day Mexico lived in three big rival cities – Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. Around 1325, these rivals created an alliance and the new state came to dominate the Valley of Mexico. Back then, the people preferred the name Mexica to Aztecs. The rise of the Aztecs was within a century of the fall of another influential civilization in Mexico and Central America – the Mayans.
The city of Tenochtitlan was the military power base and became a spearhead for the conquest of new territory, but the Aztec emperor didn’t rule every city or region directly. Local governments remained in place and were forced to pay varying amounts of tribute to the Triple Alliance. In the early 1500s, the Aztec civilization was indeed at the height of its power. But then, the Spanish arrived. This led to a huge battle between the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors and the native allies they had assembled led by the famous (or rather infamous) Hernan Cortes in 1521. A defeat in this decisive battle eventually led to the fall of the once-famous Aztec Empire.
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