Page 48 - All About History - Issue 12-14

FALL OF THE AZTECS

not welcomed with gold, but warriors preparing converting Mayan into Aztec The Aztecs had ruled from
for war. Finding that diplomacy was of little use, language, and Aguilar Tenochtitlan for hundreds
Cortés deployed another devastating shock-and-awe translating from Mayan of years, subjugating
weapon: war dogs trained to kill and conquistadors to Spanish. Again, nearby tribes and ruling
mounted on horses. Cortés’ incredible luck over 10 million people,
The Aztecs had never seen beasts trained to meant he had another maintaining an iron grip
attack men before and this radically different form vital link in the chain over a great expanse
of warfare struck fear and chaos into the native of making good on of land. As a result, the
fighting groups. Powerless to take on Cortés’ men his desire to rule over Aztec ruler (or tlatoani),
and disturbed by the presence of the animals – South America. Moctezuma, had known
some of which they had never seen before – on Moving on across of Cortés’ approach long
the battlefields, the warriors were physically and the Gulf of Mexico, before the Spaniards
psychologically broken. the group encountered approached Tenochtitlan.
In defeat and supplication, the natives brought native people disgruntled Instead of sending warriors,
food, gold and 20 women for the Spaniards, at having to pay taxes to Piedra del Sol, the Aztec Sun they responded by sending an
including a woman known as La Malinche. Moctezuma and at giving up stone, played an important role in emissary to greet him, laden with
Crucially, she knew the languages spoken by both their people to make up the governing the Aztecs’ life gifts of gold that weren’t treasured by
Mayan and Aztec peoples, meaning Cortés was human sacrifices the Aztec the Aztecs, but seemed irresistible to
able to communicate to the Aztecs – with Malinche gods demanded. Cortés was able to take advantage the Spanish. As Cortés said of the precious metal:
of the misery and disgruntlement of the various “We Spaniards suffer from a disease of the heart,
ethnic groups, nine in total, that were part of the which only gold can cure”.
Aztec Empire, ruled from the unique island capital Knowing of the Spaniards’ lust for gold and
of Tenochtitlan. precious stones, Moctezuma offered these gifts on
The capital was built in the middle of a lake and the condition that Cortés stopped his march on
grid-lined with canals; simply put, it was one of Tenochtitlan. There was no chance of this, though,
the most awe-inspiring cities the world had ever and the gifts merely whetted his appetite for
seen. Over the previous 100 years, its population treasure. Cortés signalled that he intended to reach
had grown to 250,000 and the small island swelled the capital to pay tribute to Moctezuma. In reality,
as the Aztecs reclaimed land from the lake. It was his intentions were less benign, but Moctezuma
larger than any city in Europe at the time of Cortés’ wasn’t so naive that he wouldn’t have an idea of
arrival and twice the population of London. what the true intent of the conquistador was.
“ Cortés said of the precious metal: We
Spaniards suffer from a disease of the

heart, which only gold can cure”

Noble warriors
The noble warrior class made up the Plunder
special military elite units. These Many of Cortés’ men had doubts
were formed from warrior societies about the expedition but the lure of
such as the eagle and jaguar and gold and other bounties, as well as
warriors would dress accordingly. their leader’s strong character, had
driven them on.

Gold not valued
The Aztecs did not value
gold in the same way as the
Europeans, preferring to use
it decoratively rather than
as currency. They did not
fully understand the appetite
Cortés’ men had for it.
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