Transcript Aztec, Incan, Mayan People

Aztec, Incan, and Mayan
People
Aztec Empire Map
Aztec
Often the term "Aztec" refers exclusively to
the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan (now the
location of Mexico City), situated on an island
in Lake Texcoco, who referred to themselves
as Mēxihcah Tenochcah [meːˈʃiʔkaʔ
teˈnot͡ʃkaʔ] or Cōlhuah Mexihcah [ˈkoːlwaʔ
meːˈʃiʔkaʔ].
Sometimes the term also includes the
inhabitants of Tenochtitlan's two principal
allied city-states, the Acolhuas of Texcoco
and the Tepanecs of Tlacopan, who together
with the Mexica formed the Aztec Triple
Alliance which controlled what is often
known as the "Aztec Empire".
According to Aztec legend, in 1323, the
Mexicas were shown a vision of an eagle
perched on a prickly pear cactus, eating a
snake. This vision indicated that this was the
location where they were to build their
home. In any event, the Mexicas eventually
arrived on a small swampy island in Lake
Texcoco where they founded the town of
Tenochtitlan in 1325.
Aztec Fashion
Aztec Cities
Incan Empire Map
Incan
The Inca Empire, which was centered in
what is now Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and
southern Colombia and lasted from 1438 to
1533 AD, represented the height of this
civilization. The Inca state was known as the
Kingdom of Cusco before 1438. Over the
course of the Inca Empire, the rulers used
conquest and peaceful assimilation to
incorporate in their empire a large portion of
western South America, centered on the
Andean mountain ranges.
The official language of the empire was
Quechua, although hundreds of local
languages and dialects of Quechua were
spoken. Many local forms of worship
persisted in the empire, most of them
concerning local sacred Huacas, but the Inca
leadership encouraged the worship of Inti—
their sun god—and imposed its sovereignty
above other cults such as that of
Pachamama. The Incas considered their king,
the Sapa Inca, to be the "son of the sun."
Incan Fashion
Incan Cities
Mayan Empire Map
Mayan
The Maya were centered in one
geographical block covering all of the Yucatan
Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala; Belize
and parts of the Mexican states of Tabasco
and Chiapas; and the western part of
Honduras and El Salvador. This concentration
showed that the Maya remained relatively
secure from invasion.
The Maya were deeply religious, and
worshiped various gods related to nature,
including the gods of the sun, the moon, rain
and corn. At the top of Maya society were
the kings, or “kuhul ajaw” (holy lords), who
claimed to be related to gods and followed a
hereditary succession. They were thought to
serve as mediators between the gods and
people on earth, and performed the
elaborate religious ceremonies and rituals so
important to the Maya culture.
Mayan Fashion
Mayan Cities