Compare And Contrast Inca And Aztec Civilization

In history we the people have found to realize that the Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture was one of the most incredible findings of their accomplishments. The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations were really smart in topics of engineering, writing, agriculture and astronomy. Also all three had their beliefs, and good with agriculture. All three cultures used great technologies in their agriculture like slash and burn, terrace farming. They all hunted for religion, they had a huge belief with the people spread throughout each region. They all had a lot of interest in the use of chocolate in the region, and cultivation. They all were pretty much the same just different beliefs.

The Aztec and Incan empire in Mesoamerica and the Andean Regions differed in their religious, cultural, and political traditions. Although both empires were located in the area of Mesoamerica, they were only similar in few ways. These two cultures were very influential to the nurturing of Mesoamerica and the Andean Regions.

The Aztec and Inca Empires arose 1000 to 1500 century C.E. in Mesoamerica and South America. The Aztecs arrived in central Mexico approximately the fifteenth century. The Incas settled in the region around Lake Titicaca about mid-thirteenth century and by the late fifteenth century, the Incas had built an enormous empire stretching more the 4,000 kilometers. Both empires were enormous, the Incan Empire ended up being the largest state in South America. Neither empire had developed a written language, but they did come up with a way to remember things and keep records.

Among many things given to the Spaniards during the first few days of contact with the Aztecs was a large chest of gold figures along many other expensive things. This gesture of good will by the Aztecs would eventually lead to their downfall. The moment Cortez started receiving all these wonderful items his mind was most likely made up that he would do whatever it took to plunder every valuable item of the Aztec kingdom. As Cortez gradually moved deeper into Aztec territory he steadily received more gifts from the Aztecs and from other city-states that surrounded Tenochtitlan. Each time Montezuma requested for Cortez and the Spaniards to return back to the coast and conduct meetings and trade from there. However, with each gift received just gave Cortez additional incentive to move towards Tenochtitlan. By the time the Spaniards were in Tenochtitlan the Aztecs saw their true colors and it was too late.

Everyone knows that the Maya, Aztec, and Inca were advanced societies. These empires were able to make great developments in their time. Some of their most impressive contributions include the growing of crops, master craftsman and tradesman, system of communications, and a hierarchical ruling system. The text states in Source 1 ‘’The Maya cities grew their own food, but they also shared goods with each other including salt, shells, cotton, and corn’’.

The spaniards met with the Aztec emperor Montezuma and then started moving inland to the capital of the empire, Tenochtitlan. To assist with their conquest, the spaniards captured Montezuma in order to disrupt the social structure throughout the Empire. Montezuma was killed in battle and was succeeded by his brother, Cuitlahuac who decided to revolt against the spaniards occupation of Tenochtitlan. Cortes managed to survive the chaos, which allowed him to create an army of the remaining spaniards and the natives who had feuds with the Aztecs. The Aztecs continued the rebellion but were unable to overcome the strength of the enemy.

The Aztecs were warrior people who lived in the Valley of Mexico, with the capital at Tenochtitlan, during the 1400s. Under their authoritarian state, the Aztecs worshipped their patron god, Huitzilopochtli, among other deities. Despite their warrior tactics and developed belief system, the Spaniards conquered them in 1519. The Incas (or Inkas) were the people who lived throughout the Andes Mountains from southern Peru to central Chile. With a society based on agriculture, the Incas farmed the terrain of the Andes Mountains west of their capital at Cuzco. The Incas suffered a fall to the Spaniards in 1532. The Aztecs from the Valley of Mexico in the 1400s and the Incas from throughout the Andes Mountains during the 1400s are similar and different because of their ideological and intellectual values, their rise and fall by conquest of their empires, and the way they applied the characteristics of their economies to their lifestyles.

In 1522 Cortes conquered Michoacan, a territory near the volcano. By 1526, he had conquered all of present-day Mexico

In 1519 the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés fought and subdued the Tlaxcaltecas. Aware of their rivalry with the Aztecs, Cortés then persuaded them to join an alliance against the Aztec empire, centered at Tenochtitlán to the west. In exchange for their support, he promised not to levy taxes on them or confiscate their land. In 1521 the alliance succeeded, firmly establishing Spanish control of central Mexico. Afterward, the Tlaxcaltecas continued to aid the Spaniards, fighting against other indigenous tribes and settling the newly conquered territories.

From 250 A.D. to the late 1500’s A.D., three civilizations, the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas controlled Central and South America. Their decline happened for many different reasons. The Spanish conquistadors was one of the most common and deadliest, due to their advanced weapons and diseases they brought. It seems that wherever the Spanish went, bad things always happened. Innocent people were killed for no reason, cities were massacred and civilizations were destroyed.

The Spanish had better weapons, This was a huge advantage because it really scared the Aztecs a lot. The horses were a great weapon for the Spanish. You can’t compare cannons, and spears. The armor was also a huge advantage for the Spanish because the Spanish had metal, and the Aztecs had feathers. A great advantage that the Spanish had was that they had horses. You would normally think that horses are not a huge deal, but these horses totally freaked out the Aztecs. And finally a huge mental weapon that Cortéz had, was that the Aztecs speculated that he was a god.

So, as stated before in this essay, the Incas and Mayans had quite a few things in common but they were much more different than similar. Although both civilizations failed, at one point they flourished greatly. They were intelligent and paved the way for things liken mathematics, architecture,

groups and political leaders and allowed variation from one group to another. As long as Inca or

In the past, many different civilizations have made amazing achievements. Three of the many civilizations have made quite interesting fulfillments. In the past, people were astonished at what humans in the America's had accomplished! The Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations each had something that impressed people that came from different cultures. The Aztec's had a very impressive capital, the Mayan's had stunning pyramids, and the Incan's made a advanced way on how to farm.

Cortes prepared for this expedition. However, Velasquez became regretful of his decision. He thought Cortes wanted to conquer the Mayans for his own personal gains. Velasquez attempted to change his orders, but it was too late. Cortes set sail and continued to put his fleet together. In 1519, Cortes explored the Yucatan coastline. Landing in Tabasco, Cortes captured the natives. Although, Tabasco people possessed little of value, they told Cortes of the great treasures of the Aztec Empire. Cortes moved his troops northward and conquered the port of Vera Cruz. In addition to, Cortes was making plans to advance against the Aztecs. He took a Tabasco woman and enlisted her help to supplement his army. Cortes used her to translate the native language to Aguilar. Aguilar was another Spaniard that had been shipped wreck at the port of Vera Cruz. He had learned the language of the natives. Aguilar translated the language to Cortes troops. They learned about the traditions of the Aztec people in Tenochtitlan. Cortes used this information he gathered to defeat the Aztecs. Finally, he convinced the native tribes to fight with him against the Aztecs. He knew he needed these allies to conquer the Aztec empire. With the knowledge of a myth about a white god, he was able to betray Montezuma II. “Quetzalcoatl was an Aztecan god. His name means “the feathered serpent” in the Nahuatl language. Quetzalcoatl was the patron of priests and the inventor of