The Aztec Empire was established in 1325 in Mexico, growing to a population of 5-6 million people ruled from their capital of Tenochtitlan, a large island city connected to the mainland by causeways. They conquered neighboring peoples and extracted tribute, developing an advanced urban civilization with extensive agriculture, trade networks, and an economy that supported large populations and significant public works projects. However, they engaged in frequent human sacrifice of war captives to appease the gods. In contrast, the Inca Empire spanned a vast Andean region, assimilating conquered peoples through relocation, education in the Quechua language, and obligations to the state instead of tribute, with an emphasis on centralized bureaucratic control rather than war

1. The World of the 15th Century
Strayer Chapter 13
Part IV: The Americas

2. The Aztec Empire
• Established on Lake Texcoco in Mexico in
1325
• Developed a large military
• Population 5 to 6 million people
• Capital city: Tenochtitlan

3. • Conquered neighboring people and created
a Tributary Empire collecting
– Textiles
– Military materials
– Animal products
– food stuffs
– Building materials
– Rubber
– Paper
• Suffered frequent rebellions

4. • Innovated floating gardens called
Chinampas to grow food for a large urban
population

5. • Tenochtitlan contained numerous public
works: canals, dikes, causeways, and bridges
• A Spanish soldier described the city by
saying
“Gazing on such wonderful sights, we did not
know what to say, or whether what appeared
before us was real, for on one side, on the land
there were great many cities, and in the lake ever
so many more, and the lake was crowded with
canoes, and in the causeways were many bridges
ay intervals, and in front of us stood the great
city of Mexico.”

6. Aztec Economic Activity
• Traded locally and over long distance
• Markets like Tlatelolco grew to support ever
growing urban populations
• Professional merchants (pochteca )
dominated trade and used wealth to move up
in society
• Pochteca exchanged goods, and provided
slaves for ritual sacrifices

7. Aztec Beliefs
• Human sacrifices were carried out to keep
the gods content
• Cyclical understanding of the world, focused
on sun, moon, seasons, planets, etc
• Belief that the world hovered on the brink of
disaster and that human blood would help
the gods prevent it
• Therefore, the most important job of the
state was to provide blood for the gods

8. More Aztec Culture
• Philosophy and poetry that examined the
fragility of human life.
• Poem by Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472) poet
and king.
Truly do we live on Earth?
Not forever on earth; only a little while here
Be it jade, it shatters.
Be it gold, it breaks.
Be it a Quetzal feather, it tears apart.
Not forever on earth; only here a little while.

9. The Inca Empire
• Located in the Andes
Mountains; modern day
Chile and Peru
• Drew inspiration from
earlier Andean people like
the Chavin, Moche,
Nazca, and Chimu
• Controlled 25 thousand
miles
• Ruled over 10 million
subjects

10. Inca and Aztec Compared
AZTECS
• Aztec collected tribute
from conquered people
• Believed the Emperor
could communicate with
the gods
INCAS
• Inca created a complex
bureaucracy to govern
and assimilate
conquered people
• Believed their emperor
was a god, ruled with
divine right. He was
the son of the Sun
• Both carried out human sacrifice, though
it was far less frequent in the Inca Empire

11. How the Inca Ruled
• That state owned all land and
resources
• Empire divided into 80
provinces, each with their own
governor
• Subjects were grouped into
units and ruled by local
officials
• Inspectors kept track of
births, deaths, marriages,
taxes, military service and
labor using Quipus

12. • Conquered people were taught to
speak Quecha  assimilation
• Their sons were moved to the capital,
Cuzco, for education
• Conquered people could keep their
gods, but were also expected to worship
major Incan gods.

13. • Every household was expected to give
service, physical labor called a mita instead of
tribute
• In return the state provided elaborate feasts
and protection
• The government had much more control over
the Incan society and economy than the
Aztec government did

14. Aztec and Inca Similarities
• Both had “gender parallelism” separate male
and female spheres that were equally valued
• Men women participated in public religious
rituals
• However, men held top government offices
• Women lost status in both as the role of the
military grew

15. Questions and Review
1. What distinguished the Aztec
and Inca empires from each
other?
2. How did Aztec religious
thinking support the state?
3. In what ways did Inca
authorities seek to integrate
their vast domains?