The Fall of the Aztec
The Aztec religion is famous for their numerous, graphic, human sacrifices. ... The Aztecs passionate devotion to their polytheistic religion aided to the fall of their empire.
Aztecs believed that human sacrifices pleased the gods, especially the sun god, Huitzilopochtli, and the maize god. ... The Aztecs performed these daily sacrifices in hope for prosperity and the survival of their civilization.
Religion and the government of the Aztecs were inseparable. ... The tlatoani was in charge of numerous vital operations since the Aztecs thought all of operations were dependant on the pleasing of the gods. ... As a result of the government and religion being so closely linked, Aztecs started a type of warfare called the “flowery wars” started. ... Tlaxcala was one of the main archenemies to the Aztecs (Horcasitas 29). The Aztecs did not attack two types of people, the Tarascans and Huatstecs, since they thought the sun god “does not like those barbarous peoples” (Horcasitas29). ... While it can be said that the domineering actions of the Aztecs helped keep their civilization in control and sustained their empire, animosity between the city-states helped the Aztecs fall when Cortes and his armada arrived. If the Aztecs did not create animosity between the city-states, it was possible that the tribes would have joined together in the battle against the Spanish explorers. Cortes looked towards the Tlaxcallans for help to defeat the Aztecs (Berdan 166). ... The Aztecs were good at capturing prisoners, not killing them. “The Spaniards traditionally fought to vanquish, not capture, the enemy” which was a new fighting tactic for the Aztecs (Berdan171). ...
Aztecs, because of their religious beliefs, were very obedient. ... Conformity did not help the Aztecs when the Spanish came in the 1500’s. While many Aztecs believed that Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl, they did not go against their ‘god’ and obeyed Cortes. Eventually the Aztecs found out the Cortes was not a god when they saw him take Moctezuma prisoner, which led to his death.
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