Aztec Empire
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| - | '''Conquistadors''' were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the [[New World]] by [[Christopher Columbus]] in 1492. The two perhaps most famous conquistadors were [[Hernán Cortés]] who conquered the [[Aztec Empire]] and [[Francisco Pizarro]] who led the conquest of the [[Incan Empire]]. They were second cousins and both of them were born in [[Extremadura]] as well as many of the conquerors who were from Spain. | + | The '''Aztec Empire''', or the '''Triple Alliance''', began as an alliance of three [[Nahua peoples|Nahua]] "[[altepetl]]" city-states: [[Tenochtitlan|Mexico-Tenochtitlan]], [[Texcoco (altepetl)|Texcoco]], and [[Tlacopan|Tlacopan]]. These three city-states ruled the area in and around the [[Valley of Mexico]] from 1428 until they were defeated by the combined forces of the Spanish ''[[conquistador]]es'' and their native allies under [[Hernán Cortés]] in 1521. |
| - | == Notable conquistadors== | + | The Triple Alliance was formed from the victorious faction in a civil war fought between the city of [[Azcapotzalco (altepetl)|Azcapotzalco]] and its former tributary provinces. Despite the initial conception of the empire as an alliance of three self-governed city-states, [[Tenochtitlan]] quickly became dominant militarily.< By the time the Spanish arrived in 1519, the lands of the Alliance were effectively ruled from Tenochtitlan, while the other partners in the alliance had taken subsidiary roles. |
| - | * [[Hernán Cortés]] ([[Mexico]], 1518–1522, [[Baja California]], 1532–1536) | + | |
| - | * [[Pedro de Alvarado]] ([[Mexico]], 1519–1521, [[Guatemala]], [[El Salvador]] 1523–1527, [[Perú]], 1533–1535, Mexico, 1540–1541) | + | The alliance waged wars of conquest and expanded rapidly after its formation. At its height, the alliance controlled most of central [[Mexico]] as well as some more distant territories within [[Mesoamerica]], such as the [[Soconusco|Xoconochco province]], an Aztec [[exclave]] near the present-day [[Guatemala]]n border. Aztec rule has been described by scholars as "hegemonic" or "indirect". The Aztecs left rulers of conquered cities in power so long as they agreed to pay semi-annual [[tribute]] to the Alliance, as well as supply military forces when needed for the Aztec war efforts. In return, the imperial authority offered protection and political stability, and facilitated an integrated economic network of diverse lands and peoples who had significant local autonomy. |
| - | * [[Francisco Pizarro]] ([[Perú]], 1509–1535) | + | |
| - | * [[Pedro de Candia]] ([[Panama]], 1527, [[Colombia]] and [[Ecuador]], 1528, [[Peru]], 1530) | + | The [[state religion]] of the empire was [[polytheism|polytheistic]], worshiping a diverse pantheon that included dozens of [[deities]]. Many had officially recognized cults large enough so that the deity was represented in the central temple precinct of the capital Tenochtitlan. The imperial cult, specifically, was that of [[Huitzilopochtli]], the distinctive warlike patron god of the Mexica. Peoples in conquered provinces were allowed to retain and freely continue their own religious traditions, so long as they added the imperial god Huitzilopochtli to their local pantheons. |
| - | * [[Francisco Vázquez de Coronado]] (United States, 1540–1542) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan de Oñate]] ([[New Mexico, United States]], 1598–1608) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan Vásquez de Coronado y Anaya]] ([[Costa Rica]]) | + | |
| - | * [[Diego de Almagro]] ([[Perú]], 1524–1535, [[Chile]], 1535–1537) | + | |
| - | * [[Vasco Núñez de Balboa]] ([[Panamá]], 1510–1519) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan Ponce de León]] ([[Puerto Rico]], 1508, [[Florida]], 1513–1521) | + | |
| - | * [[Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca]] (United States, 1527–1536, 1540–1542) | + | |
| - | * [[Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón]] (United States, 1524–1527) | + | |
| - | * [[Sebastián de Belalcázar]] ([[Ecuador]] and [[Colombia]], 1533–1536) | + | |
| - | * [[Gonzalo Pizarro]] ([[Perú]], 1532–1542) | + | |
| - | * [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar]] ([[Cuba]], 1511–1519) | + | |
| - | * [[Diego de Ordaz]] ([[Venezuela]], 1532) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan Pizarro (conquistador)|Juan Pizarro]] ([[Perú]], 1532–1536) | + | |
| - | * [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (Yucatán conquistador)|Francisco Hernández de Córdoba]] ([[Yucatán]],1517) | + | |
| - | * [[Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)|Francisco Hernández de Córdoba]] ([[Nicaragua]],1524) | + | |
| - | * [[Hernando Pizarro]] ([[Perù]], 1532–1560) | + | |
| - | * [[Diego Hernández de Serpa]] ([[Venezuela]], 1510–1570) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan de Grijalva]] ([[Yucatán]], 1518) | + | |
| - | * [[Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada]] ([[Colombia]], 1536–1537, [[Venezuela]], 1569–1572) | + | |
| - | * [[Francisco de Montejo]] ([[Yucatán]], 1527–1546) | + | |
| - | * [[Nikolaus Federmann|Nicolás Federmann]] ([[Venezuela]] and [[Colombia]], 1537–1539). | + | |
| - | * [[Pánfilo de Narváez]] ([[Spanish Florida]], 1527–1528) | + | |
| - | * [[Diego de Nicuesa]] ([[Panama]], 1506–1511) | + | |
| - | * [[Cristóbal de Olid]] ([[Honduras]], 1523–1524) | + | |
| - | * [[Francisco de Orellana]] ([[Amazon River]], 1541–1543) | + | |
| - | * [[Hernando de Soto]] (United States, 1539–1542) | + | |
| - | * [[Inés Suárez]], ([[Chile]], 1541) | + | |
| - | * [[Martín de Ursúa]], ([[Petén]], [[Guatemala]], 1696–1697) | + | |
| - | * [[Pedro de Valdivia]] ([[Chile]], 1540–1552) | + | |
| - | * [[Pedro Menéndez de Avilés]] ([[Florida]], 1565–1567) | + | |
| - | * [[Alonso de Ribera]] ([[Chile]] 1599–1617) | + | |
| - | * [[Alonso de Sotomayor]] ([[Chile]] 1583–1592, [[Panamá]] 1592–1604) | + | |
| - | * [[Martín Ruiz de Gamboa]] ([[Chile]] 1552–1590) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan Garrido]] (Multiple campaigns 1502–1530, [[Hispaniola]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Cuba]], [[Florida]], [[Mexico]]) | + | |
| - | * [[Miguel López de Legazpi]] ([[Philippines]], 1565–1572) | + | |
| - | * [[Juan de Salcedo]] ([[Philippines]], 1565–1576) | + | |
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | * [[Tercio]] | + | * [[Flower war]] |
| - | * [[Bandeirantes]] | + | * [[Aztec philosophy]] |
| - | * [[Libertadores]] | + | * [[Mesoamerica]] |
| + | *[[List of Tenochtitlan rulers]] | ||
| + | *[[List of rulers of Texcoco]] | ||
| + | *[[List of Tlatelolco rulers]] | ||
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The Aztec Empire, or the Triple Alliance, began as an alliance of three Nahua "altepetl" city-states: Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. These three city-states ruled the area in and around the Valley of Mexico from 1428 until they were defeated by the combined forces of the Spanish conquistadores and their native allies under Hernán Cortés in 1521.
The Triple Alliance was formed from the victorious faction in a civil war fought between the city of Azcapotzalco and its former tributary provinces. Despite the initial conception of the empire as an alliance of three self-governed city-states, Tenochtitlan quickly became dominant militarily.< By the time the Spanish arrived in 1519, the lands of the Alliance were effectively ruled from Tenochtitlan, while the other partners in the alliance had taken subsidiary roles.
The alliance waged wars of conquest and expanded rapidly after its formation. At its height, the alliance controlled most of central Mexico as well as some more distant territories within Mesoamerica, such as the Xoconochco province, an Aztec exclave near the present-day Guatemalan border. Aztec rule has been described by scholars as "hegemonic" or "indirect". The Aztecs left rulers of conquered cities in power so long as they agreed to pay semi-annual tribute to the Alliance, as well as supply military forces when needed for the Aztec war efforts. In return, the imperial authority offered protection and political stability, and facilitated an integrated economic network of diverse lands and peoples who had significant local autonomy.
The state religion of the empire was polytheistic, worshiping a diverse pantheon that included dozens of deities. Many had officially recognized cults large enough so that the deity was represented in the central temple precinct of the capital Tenochtitlan. The imperial cult, specifically, was that of Huitzilopochtli, the distinctive warlike patron god of the Mexica. Peoples in conquered provinces were allowed to retain and freely continue their own religious traditions, so long as they added the imperial god Huitzilopochtli to their local pantheons.
See also
- Flower war
- Aztec philosophy
- Mesoamerica
- List of Tenochtitlan rulers
- List of rulers of Texcoco
- List of Tlatelolco rulers
