Worldview in Conflict
Jan 16, 2016
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 MexicoHuitzilopochtli, their god, commanded them
to move southSettled in the Valley of MexicoCalled the land TenochtitlanBegan to build their empireActual 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 lifeSome 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 5th “cycle” – was destroyed 4 times before
The god Tonatiuh (god of the 5th 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 devotionWar was a great way to capture sacrificesPerformed 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.War2.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)