Social Structure Of The Aztec Empire

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Sergio hernandez Pre-Columbian civilizations The Aztec Empire was peopled by a group that was once nomadic, the Mexicas. After their long journey from Aztlán, they found themselves to be outsiders until their god Huitzilopochtli sent them a sign to build their city. Within a few years after they started to build their city, Tenochtitlan, it became one of the largest cities in the world and their power became greater. Their power became greater and stronger because they formed alliances with two other cities, they were known as the Triple Alliance. The Aztec Empire approximately ruled from 1325 to 1510 during which they depended on social structure, religion, and food to maintain their stability. The social structure of the Aztec Empire…show more content…
According to the Aztec religion it took the gods: Tezcatlipoca (jaguar), Nanauatl (sun), Ehecatl (wind), Quetzalcoatl, (feathered serpent) five tries to create the world because of fights that they were having. The earth was destroyed once by a jaguar (Tezcatlipoca), once by the wind (Ehecatl) and twice by a flood. The ancient Aztec religion was highly focused on keeping nature in balance. One false step could lead to natural disaster. In the sky was a constant battle between light and darkness, the weak sun could stop moving. Every 52 years, the people were horrified that the world would come to an end. People all over the empire would destroy their furniture and precious belongings and go into mourning to please the gods to prevent their fury. Also the world in the Aztec religion was divided up into four quadrants, and the city Tenochtitlán was the center. The heavens were divided into thirtheen ascending layers, and the underworld nine descending layers. The temple in Tenochtitlán was also the place where the forces of heaven and earth intersected. Therefore, there was a big concern in the Aztec religion that had to do with fear of the nature, and a fear of the end of the world. Aztec food was a rich combination of many foods that was cultivated in the Aztec’s land. The Aztec diet consisted of maize, beans, squash, chillies, tomatoes, limes, cashews, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and cocoa beans. Cocoa beans were used by the Aztecs to make a

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