Worldview in Conflict

By the end of this unit, you should be able to answer the following questions: 1. How did intercultural contact between the Spanish and Aztecs affect each other’s worldview? 2. Was conflict inevitable (had to happen)? 3. Why/How were the Spanish dominant? 4. How does Mexico today reflect the contact between the Spanish and the Aztecs?

Originally lived in northern Mexico Huitzilopochtli, their god, commanded them to move south Settled in the Valley of Mexico Called the land Tenochtitlan Began to build their empire Actual name: the Mexica. The name “Aztec” was created by historians to describe this people

The Aztecs believed that the mountains were literally closer to the gods, that’s why they built their temples on the top of them, and why they built buildings shaped like mountains (pyramids) The mountains served like walls of a fort for the Aztecs They also caused problems: 1. rain can run down mountains, causing landslides and flooding -To solve this problem, they built a dam

2. Mountains keep clouds away, which are needed for rain (and drinking water) -to solve this, Aztecs built an aqueduct: channelling water. This brought fresh water to the people

The city was also surrounded by Lake Texcoco, which provided safety from enemies They built 3 bridges leading to the city through the water In 200 years, the society went from a few thousand, to several hundred thousand Part of the way they did this, was by growing their own crops Read “Zoom In: The Floating Islands” on page 154, and look at the map of p.155 to see where Tenochtitlan was situated

Complete #1 a,b,c on page 157 for tomorrow

The Aztecs believed that their god chose the land for them to live on Gods controlled every aspect of Aztec life Some gods were more powerful than others; each had a role in the world *p. 159: list of gods

They developed sophisticated calendars: one was “sacred,” the other “solar” (having to do with the sun) Believed the Earth is on it’s 5 th “cycle” – was destroyed 4 times before The god Tonatiuh (god of the 5 th sun) was in the centre

Believed human blood nourished the gods; if they did not have blood, they would die, and so would humans Showed great devotion War was a great way to capture sacrifices Performed the ceremony of “new fire” every 52 years

Just like Christians believed the “Holy Land” was the centre of the world, Aztecs believed they were too They thought the earth was a flat disc, with their capital at the centre At the centre of everything was their great temple

The Aztecs expanded (grew) their empire mainly through 2 ways: 1. War 2. Trade

Since the city was built so high in the mountains, they couldn’t grow certain fruit which grew in the rainforest They would travel far distances to trade with other cultures around them. Slaves would carry the goods. The journeys may last months These trips were also spy missions: traders would draw maps of the places they visited, so they could later return and conquer them!

They believed their god told them: “We shall conquer all the people in the universe. I will make you lords and kings of every place in the world.” People had a great sense of responsibility to society: they were willing to give their own lives for the “greater good”

As soon as a boy was born, a tiny bow and shield was put in their hands Military service was compulsory: the law said every man had to serve Take a look at the “exploring sources” on page 167

When the Aztecs conquered another group, they would force the group to pay tribute: gifts or taxes They kept very good records of everything they received Cocoa beans (a.k.a. Chocolate) was very important. They made a drink from cocoa beans, chili peppers, and cornmeal which was supposed to give them power Cocoa beans were also used as currency (money)

Page 168: Complete #s 2(a), 3 (do #3 individually, not in a group)