Mesoamerican civilization.
When used, Mesoamerica is a term that normally describes an assorted civilization that had common cultural characteristics in the geophysical areas of the modern-day countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Coast Rica. Mesoamerican has several well-known cultures which include Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Mixtec, and Aztec. Those countries experience high temperatures as they are humid tropical areas, with desert and high mountain terrain.
Socially, the Mesoamerican countries had cultures that they strictly followed and the pantheon of gods. Each of the Mesoamerican groups had their complex and different pantheon. However, those groups had similar deities which were a great deal of variation. Those deities were greatly honored as the played important roles in their social life. The deities included the storm or rain god. This god was also referred to as Tlaloc. Another deity was the feathered serpent which was named Quetzalcoatl. However different groups would use a different name to address the same deity. For example, the Maya referred to Tlaloc as Chaac. The two gods were believed to bring both protection and providence among the communities. They two gods were highly respected and feared as they were considered sacred.
Among all the other groups of Mesoamerica, Olmecs were the first to get involved in a ritual sport. The ritual sport was known as the ballgame. The game was not just played on any ground. It had to be a court located within the city and in a sacred precinct. The strictness was put to show more emphasis on how important the game was. The ball which was used in playing was made of solid rubber and the game had laid up rules. One of the rules was that you should not touch the ball with your hands. The ball was passed between players to hit them by within the markers. Those who got involved in the game were to wear protective garments so as not to get hit with the hardball. The ballgame had varied meanings to different groups. The ball would be used to symbolize some cosmological ideas like how the sun found its way underworld every night. Also, war captives played the game with the group which had won at war to signify their defeat to war. They also molded clay and painted pictorial codices which symbolized the ballgame. They love the game so much that they could choose it over going to war.
Politically, every group had its way of leadership and organization. The territories and need for power emerged after the war as the defeated had to be under the winning team. For this reason, there was a need for the kind of rules to be used. For example, Aztec was an empire comprised of city-states, and each one of them was called altepetl. Each of these city-states was under the control of supreme leaders known as tlatoani, a judge, and an administrator. Some supreme leaders also acted as emperor of the Aztec group. The tlatoani had the most responsibilities and ownership freedom. They were the ultimate owners of the whole city-state land in their group. They are also responsible for peacefulness and harmony in their regions. This was achieved by their efforts to preside over cases by passing judgment and hence resolve judicial disputes. In the days of the war, they led the army to fight their enemies. They also received tribute collected from the public and kept an eye on social meeting places like temples and marketing places…
Whenever a tlatoani was voted in, they held the position for the whole of their life. He would rule until they succumb to death. The tlatoani barely ruled the whole tribe by themselves. Below tlatoani was cihuacoatl. He was a nobility member. Cihuacoatl acted as the supreme judge and was responsible for the appointing of the lower judges in the court system. They have also appointed the task to manage the financial affairs of the altepetl. When there was a need for a new emperor, for example when the serving one dies, a high council of four nobles related to the previous emperor was responsible for selecting and authorizing the new leader. The newly elected has to fulfill the following requirements; be over 30 years of age, be an elite, have experience as a warrior, and be honest. The new emperor elect would, therefore, rule with the help of four appointed counselors and a senior advisor who the nobles choose for him.
Economically, Mesoamerican had sufficient ways to feed themselves and meet their need. a good example would be the Toltecs. This group took in agriculture as their first economic activity. The greatly relied on the cultivation of corn, chili, and beans. Others like Mixtec heavily depended on animal domestication. They domesticated ancient dogs and turkey which was their main source of meat. With the increased demand for food and less meat supply, the Mixtec started hunting to quench their thirst. Other activities like fishing also came up in this group to complement their diet. The Maya were also civilized and focused on agriculture and hunting of wild animals. They went a little mile by knowing the forest products and did consume them. The Tlaxcala also practiced trading during this era and were exchanging woodlouse and corn. Other products that were traded with included cocoa, wax, cotton, chili, tobacco vanilla, feathers, and honey.
Even if all this tribe existed a long time ago, their activities do reflect the modern-day happening. Today, we do trade to make money that we use to meet our needs. The governance used in those days does still appear in some countries like in Africa. the concepts used in solving disputes are getting used in the modern-day where the two stands before a court and a judge have the freedom and mandate to pass judgment according to the depth of the allegations of the prosecutor. The current economic, social, and political happening have ancient approaches as their basis.
Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who invaded Mexico in the year 1519. Cortes used so many tricks to win the people of Aztecs. The first trick he used is the spiritual approach. First, she won the heart of a woman called Malintzin who was a member of the Aztecs. By doing so, the lady befriended her and could easily learn Spanish. She, therefore, acted as his interpreter to the Aztecs. This helped us so many people were changed from their cultural religion to catholic religion. This helped him gain many followers who sided with him. There was also a prophecy by the Aztecs which foretold of the coming of the god called Quetzalcoatl. The coming of Cortes coincided with the prophecy and Aztecs welcomed him with gladness unaware of his intentions.
On November 1519, Cortes made another great move towards Spanish colonizing the Aztecs. He got his entry into Tenochtitlan which was the greatest city by then. During that time, the city had the largest number of people ever seen. Cortes used this chance and was exposed to the public and using his tactics, he was able to not only get but also controlled traffic. This was also the place where the altar of the foretold god Quetzalcoatl was kept. His entrance into the city assured the Aztecs that he is surely the god they have been waiting for. Another trick was the use of the broken spear narrative. Most Aztecs had developed fear and trust in Cortes. This is because he was educated and so they easily believed I every myth he could give. This myth was used to make the people of Aztecs feel so inferior to resist the Spanish rules.
Moctezuma’s meeting with Cortes was another threat to the Aztecs. It is believed that Moctezuma had ruled the Aztecs for so long and had a good relation with emperor Cortes. On meeting Cortes, Montezuma gladly accepted the gift from the emperor and welcomed him. He also gave the emperor a gift. It is believed that Moctezuma still believed the Cortes was still the god who was to come. He welcomed the emperor with the words “Our lord, you are very welcome in your arrival into this land” assuring of his belief in him as the prophesied god. This won Cortes even more followers.
During the war between the Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco, there was massive destruction and people could not be at peace. It is during this time that Emperor Cortes got chances and declared ownership of the city. The public could easily submit to the emperor as they were in need of peace at all costs. Cortes took advantage of their desperate state. The Emperor knew that whatever good comes in the midst must swallow a larger number. However, there still exist other reasons for Aztecs losing in the fight against colonialism. The Emperor finally managed to control Aztecs which also has different views on whether it brought more harm than good.
Some articles argue that Cortes ruling and culture was more preferable than the culture which was dominating Aztec at that time. Before his coming, the community used to offer a human sacrifice which was against human rights from even the biblical perspective. The people got transformed into catholic and people got more enlightened of how their beliefs were a hinderances to their own advancement. This later brought about the whole central Mesoamerican civilization indicating that even if Cortes might have tortured the Aztecs, he actually installed some discipline and knowledge in them.