Chapter 4: The Rise of the Aztecs

The Valley of Mexico, also known as Anahuac, was a rich and fertile area that attracted nomadic groups from the arid north.

The Valley of Mexico was a place where different cultures met and exchanged ideas, goods, and customs, creating a rich and diverse environment.

The collapse of Tula (Toltec capital) in the 12th century led to a power vacuum in the Valley of Mexico, which attracted various groups of Chichimec people.

The Chichimec people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico gradually adopted the more advanced cultural practices of their settled neighbors.

The Valley of Mexico became increasingly crowded as new groups arrived, leading to increased competition for resources and land.

A group of people who migrated from the arid north of Mesoamerica and established themselves in the Valley of Mexico, known for their warlike nature and use of bows and arrows.

The founder and leader of the Tepanecs, who played a key role in their expansion and dominance in the Valley of Mexico.

The capital city of the powerful Tepanec empire, located on the western shores of Lake Texcoco.

A powerful Tepanec ruler who significantly expanded the Tepanec territory through violence and strategic marriages, making Atzcapotzalco the dominant force in the Valley of Mexico.

A group of Chichimecs who called themselves Mexica, eventually known as the Aztecs, who played a crucial role in the history of Mesoamerica.

The Aztecs, initially granted freedom by the Culhua, requested the Culhua lord's daughter to be their queen and treated as a goddess. This request was granted, a decision that would have tragic consequences.

The Aztecs sacrificed and burned the Culhua princess as an offering to their gods, showing their independence from the Culhua and their brutal practices.

The Aztecs, pushed out of the Valley of Mexico, settled in marshy areas near the lake, considered undesirable by others, but rich in resources like waterfowl and fish.

The Aztecs, facing adversity, united and built a city, Tenochtitlan, based on a prophecy of a serpent-eating eagle perched on a cactus, proving their resilience and determination.

With resources acquired through trade and ingenuity in forming land from dredged lake bottom, the Aztecs established a strong and permanent city, Tenochtitlan. They built causeways connecting to the mainland, serving as formidable defenses.