Aztecs + Spaniards Flashcards
(41 cards)
What were the key elements of the worldview of the Aztec civilization before contact with the spanish
a. Religion: Worshiped a pantheon of gods and practiced elaborate rituals including human sacrifice.
b. Knowledge: had two schools that separated social classes. They did not have written language but had glyphs and oral tradiation
c. Time: believed in a cyclical view of time and the universe, with multiple epochs and the necessity of maintaining cosmic balance.
d. Society: Society was highly stratified, with a ruling elite, nobles, priests, warriors, and commoners.
e. Value: Engaged in frequent warfare for territorial expansion, resources, and captives for sacrifice (religion).
f. Economy: Had extensive trade networks, including tribute systems with subjects states. They used cacao beans as currency.
g. Geography: Lived on an island. Depended heavily on agriculture, particularly maise(corn), and developed sophisticated farming techniques like chinampas (floating gardens)
How did the Aztec civilization worldview influence the Aztecs choices, decisions, and customs?
a. RELIGIOUS MATTERS: Human sacrifice was central to maintaining the favor of the gods, influencing decisions such as warfare and captive acquisition.
b. SOCIAL HIERARCHY: Governed political and economic decisions, with the ruling elite holding significant power.
c. AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES: Shaped farming techniques and the allocation of resources.
d. MILITARY EXPANSION: Guided by the belief in territorial expansion and the acquisition of tribute.
What key elements of Spain’s worldview led to the desire to expand the spanish empire?
God: Motivated by Catholicism and the desire to spread Christianity to non-christian lands.
Gold: Seeking wealth, resources, and trade routes to Asia
Glory: Aspiring to compete with other European powers and establish dominance
Feudal Mentality: Echoing medieval feudalism, with the monarch at the helm of a hierarchical society.
In what ways did factors such as technology and disease contribute to the dominance of the Spanish over the Aztec civilization?
a. TECHNOLOGY: Superior weaponry such as guns, cannons, and steel armor gave the Spanish a military advantage.
b. DISEASE: Europeans unwittingly brought DISEASE like smallpox, which devastated Aztec populations, leading to social disarray and weakening resistance.
To what extend were the divergent worldviews of the Spanish and Aztecs factors the dominance of one nation over the other
a. Religious conflict: The clash between the Aztec polytheism and the Spanish Catholicism led to cultural and religious tensions.
b. Social hierarchies: Contrasting views on societal organization and government influenced power dynamics and resistance.
c. Perception of the other: Misunderstandings and prejudices based on cultural differences contributed to conflict and exploitation.
Aztec seven worldviews
SOCIETY
a. Highly stratified with a rigid social hierarchy consisting of rulers, nobles, priests, warriors, and commoners.
I. Feudal Pyramid: Reflects the hierarchical structure of the Aztec society, with the ruler at the top, followed by nobles, warriors, priests, artisans, and farmers.
Economy:
Primarily agrarian-based economy, with maize as the staple crop. Tribute system from subject states played a significant role in the economy.
Trade and money: Extensive trade networks existed, utilizing a barter system with cacao beans serving as currency.
Geography
The Aztecs settled in central Mexico, where they founded their capital, Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco.
Knowledge
Aztec education focused primarily on transmitting practical skills, religious teachings, and cultural values. Education was primarily conducted through schools called calmelacs and telpochcalli.
Time
Calendars: utilize a complex calendar system, including the 260 day ritual calendar (tonalpohualli), and the 365 solar day calendar (xiuhpohualli)
Beliefs and Religion
Polytheistic religion with a pantheon of gods, led by Huitzilopotchli, the sun god and patron deity of the Aztecs. Religious rituals and ceremonies were centralized to daily life.
I. Important Gods: Besides Huitzilopotchli, other significant gods included Quetzalcoatl ( feathered serpent god), Tlaloc ( rain god), and Tezcatlipoca ( God of destiny and sorcery)
Rituals and ceremonies
Included elaborate are religious rituals like human sacrifice conducted to appease the gods to maintain cosmic balance. Festivals, daces, and ceremonies were also integral to Aztec culture.
Spanish worldviews: Exploration
I: The “three Gs”, encapsulate the primary motivations behind Spanish colonization, Gold, God, glory
ii: God represents the pursuit of wealth and material riches, particularly through the extractib of precious metals like gold and silver from the Americas.
III: Glory refers to the quest for prestige, power. and honour, as Spanish explorers and conquistadors sought to expand the Spanish empire and secure their place in history
IIIi: God reflects the religious mission of the Spanish crown, as the Catholic monarchs sought to spread Christianity and convert indigenous populations to Catholicism.
B. Spanish Reconquest
I. The Spanish Reconquest, also known as the Reconquesta, was a centuries-long campaign by Christian kingdoms to retake the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule.
ii. It fostered a sense of national identity and unity among the Christian kingdoms of Spain, fueled by religious fervor and the desire to reclaim lost territory.
III. The Reconquesta culminated in the capture of Granada in 1492, marking the end of Muslim rule in Spain and paving the way for the Age of Exploration.
Spanish inquisition
I: the Spanish inquisition was a powerful institution established by Catholic monarchs Ferdinand ad Isabella to enforced religious orthodoxy and combat heresy in Spain.
ii: It employed methods of investigation , interrogation, and punishment to root out percieved threats to Catholicism, including Jews, Muslims, and converses (converts from Judaism or Islam)
III: The Spanish inquisition played a significant role in shaping Spanish society and politics, fostering fear and suspicion while also consolidating royal authority and not promoting religious uniformity.
D. Spanish Conquest
I. CONQUISTADORS FORMULA
1. The conquistadors formula refers to the strategies employed by the Spanish conquistadors to conquer and colonize the Americas.
2. This included exploiting divisions among indigenous people, forging alliances with indigenous groups opposed to Aztecs or Inca rule, and using Superior military technology such as, firearms and horses, to gain an advantage in battle.
3. The conquistadors also utilized psychological warfare tactics, such as the capture and execution of indigenous leaders, to instill fear and subdue resistance.
Conquistadors formula: Step 1: Scouting and reconnaisnace
- Conquistadors conducted thorough reconnaisnace and scouting missions yo gather intelligence on the terrain resources, and indigenous populations of the target area.
- This involved fathering information on local alliances rivalries, vulnerabilities, and potential allies among the indigenous groups
Step 2: establishment of Alliances
- Conquistadors sought to exploit existing divisions and rivalries among indigenous groups by forming strategic Alliances with those opposed to the dominant power.
- They often leveraged rivalries between indigenous kingdoms, tribes, and city-states to gain support and military assistance in their conquests.
Step 3: Psychological warefare
- Conquistadors used Psychological tactics to intimidate and demoralize indigenous populations, often through displays of prowess and brutality
- This included capturing and executing indigenous leaders, public displays violence, and the destruction of religious and cultural systems to instill fear and submission.
Step 4: Military Superiority
- Conquistadors relied on their technological Superiority, including firearms, cannons, metal armor, and war horses, to gain a decisive advantage in battles against indigenous forces.
- They utilized tactics and strategies honed through years of warfare in Europe to defeat later indigenous armies and conquer forfeited cities and settlements.
Step 5: establishment of colonial rule
- After military conquest conquistadors established the colonial administration to govern newly acquired territories.
- They imposed Saish authority though the establishment of colonial governments, economienda systems, and the conversion of indigenous populations to Christianity.
- This phase involved the exploitation of indigenous labor, resources enriching the Spanish crown and colonists, leading to the economic, social and cultural transformations of the conquered territories.
Spanish Colonization
- Spanish Colonization involved the establishment of colonial governments and institutions aimed at exploiting the resources and labor of indigenous populations.
- The ecomienda system granted Spanish settlers land and indigenous labor in exchange for their responsibilities to Christianize and “civilize” the native population
- Spanish colonization propounded impact on indigenous societies, leading to population decline, cultural assimilation, and the loss of autonomy and traditional ways of life for many indigenous communities.
