In 1168, the Aztec ruler led his people from the island of Aztlan in search of a new homeland. According to legend, the Indians wandered for about 200 years without choosing a place where they could settle. But still, they settled on two small islands in Lake Texcoco. Here they replenished their strength and supplies, after which they went to the more fertile lands of the Mexico Valley.
Founding a second homeland, the Aztecs began their new history. They were a prosperous nation, which constantly and systematically developed. But the end of their story came quickly and unexpectedly.
Historical and political background
The Aztec Empire until 1440 practically did not develop. She is literally mired in battles and battles with local tribes. But in 1440, Montezuma I came to power, who carried out a series of reforms, both political and economic. With his help, the empire becomes known throughout the Mexican valley. The power of her army is truly intimidating. And so much so that some tribes themselves come to become part of the Aztecs,surrender without a fight.
The state grew, new lands were added. During this period, the Aztec ruler clearly understands that a number of administrative and political reforms need to be carried out. Sacrifice rituals are gaining momentum. Of course, even during this period, bloody wars do not stop, but they are diluted with diplomatic relations. For example, the leaders invited neighboring rulers to watch battles between prisoners. Usually they ended with the death of both, but the spectacle was really terrifying and interesting.
Montezuma Senior
The Aztec ruler Montezuma I the Elder comes to power in 1440. His reign sets a new stage in the development of the empire. There are a few things that have become major during his time in office.
Firstly, sacrifices are becoming popular, carried out in the form of fights between prisoners. The battle ended with the death of one of them, while the second was killed by people specially designed for this. However, the Aztec who captured the most powerful enemy was given different gifts.
Secondly, almost all sacrifices take on a political context. Neighboring chieftains are invited to enjoy the bloody spectacle. It is also done to instill fear in the neighbors.
And thirdly, mass executions are gaining popularity. But they are, rather, a psychological intimidation for the Aztec people, so that people can see what punishments will await them if they decide to disobey the high priest orruler (later these titles will merge together).
Montezuma the Younger and his features
In 1502 Montezuma II the Younger became the ruler of the Aztecs. The years of his reign were not remembered for the special replenishment of the territories. Conquest missions, of course, were carried out, but they actually did not bear fruit. For almost the entire period of his reign, Montezuma the Younger was forced to maintain authority on existing lands: uprisings were suppressed, rebels were eliminated.
Like its predecessors, this leader failed to conquer the Tarascos and Tlaxcalans. The latter completely surrendered under the full responsibility of the Spanish conquistadors, providing them with everything they needed. Moreover, this was done only in order to annoy the hated Aztecs.
The memory of Montezuma II remained as the greatest diplomat of his time. The political system of military expansion continued, but the regime was somewhat relaxed. Bloody rituals and sacrifices faded into the background, and attempts to bring all the peoples of the empire to the economic position of the state came forward. There were no conquests, but mutually beneficial alliances were concluded.
The reign of Montezuma II
During the reign of Montezuma II, there are several notable historical events. These include not only those bloody wars waged by the new Aztec ruler, but also others that do not affect the battles of the incident.
For example, in 1509 a tribe is watching a comet. This was a terrible sight for the Aztecs, as they could not explain the reason.the appearance of a luminous object in the sky. The priests also could not decipher the message, although everyone was sure that these were the words of the Gods.
In the period 1512-1514. several natural disasters occur in the empire, which begin with the strongest earthquakes and end with a global drought. Many people and crops perish, the time of famine comes. Wars are suspended for several years, as there is no strength and desire to gather soldiers for new military campaigns.
In 1515, for the first time, a rumor spread throughout the state that bearded white people appeared on the mainland. Priests interpret this as a human manifestation of the Gods. Therefore, Montezuma does not plan to defend against the invaders, he is going to welcome them with open arms.
Death of Montezuma II
When the Indians first heard about aliens from other continents, the Aztec ruler sent his messengers to them. Upon their return, they had to talk about the culture of new people, as well as draw pictures of them. After reviewing the information received, it was decided that Hernan Cortes is a hero and God. Therefore, Montezuma the Younger instructs that the Indians meet the Spaniards cordially and friendly.
For the first few days, friendship between two different peoples is maintained. But, as it turned out, the Spanish mission did not have clear goals. The Europeans seemed to the Indians greedy for gold, as they plundered all the treasures, took away gold items, plundered shrines and tombs. The patience of the Aztecs came to an end, they changed mercy to anger.
When Montezuma went to the square to calm the crowd, they threw stones at him. There are two versions of his death. According to the first, he died from injuries received from his fellow tribesmen; according to the second, he was killed by the Spaniards, whom he decided to fight back.
Treasures of Montezuma
The Spaniards found several places where the treasures of the Aztecs were hidden. Initially, when they were still on friendly terms with the Indians, they discovered fresh brickwork in the walls of the government castle. Naturally, they decided to see what was hidden behind it. There was a lot of jewelry, gold. Assuming that the Indians might be hiding other treasures, the Spaniards showed no sign of knowing anything.
But Montezuma was smarter. He saw that the masonry was moving. Therefore, the ruler offered the Spaniards the treasures they had found as a gift. He asked them to take all the gold to the Spanish authorities, thinking that they would leave the empire. But the enemies remained, wanting to find more gold.
The treasures of the Aztecs were almost completely looted. However, there is an opinion that some treasures have remained intact until today.
Conclusion
It is believed that the last emperor of the Indians was Montezuma II. But in reality this is not so. During the battle with the Spanish conquistadors, the siege of the capital of the Aztec empire was carried out. The detachment of Cortes constantly received reinforcements. Within two months, it was possible to achieve complete exhaustion of the Indian city, in fact, all of them weredestroyed.
Before the complete fall of the state on August 13, 1521, the Spaniards captured a boat on the lake, where noble people were. They tried to flee. Here was Cuautemoc - the last emperor of the Aztecs, who married the youngest daughter of Montezuma. He was tortured to find out the places where other treasures were hidden. But even after several days of grueling bullying, Cuauhtemoc said nothing.
