OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL

Department of History

CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the

Atlantic World

Module 1: Indigenous Society

AZTEC AND INCA EMPIRES

A state is defined as a political community under one Government. An empire is a

large group of states under a single authority and this authority is often supreme; for

example, the Tlatoani in the Aztec empire and the Sapa Inca in the Incan Empire.1

Brief History and Geographical location of the Aztec and Incan Empires

Aztec Geographical Location:

The Aztec Empire was in the Valley of Mexico or Central Mexico. It was an

extensive civilisation that contained approximately 15 million living in 500 towns and

cities. Their main city or capital city was called Tenochtitlan which had a population

of about 300,000 people.2

Inca Geographical Location:

The Incan Empire was in the Andean Region of South America. Its population

was between 5 and 71/2 million Incans.3 The extent of this empire reached from the

Cuzco region to areas between present day Ecuador and the Maule River in Chile. The

Empire was divided into four provinces. These were called ‘Tawantinsuyu’ meaning

land of the four paths.4

Brief Aztecan History

Aztec rise to Prominence

1
Oxford dictionary
2
George Vaillant, Aztecs of Mexico: Origin rise and fall of the Aztec Nation, (New York: Doubleday
and Company, 1950) p 4.
3
Ibid p4.
4
Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco, History of the Inca Realm (United Kingdom: Cambridge
University Press, 1999) pp137-162

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 OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Department of History

CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the

Atlantic World

Module 1: Indigenous Society

The Valley of Mexico consisted of many different indigenous cultures, some

agrarian in nature and some organised in such a way that facilitated military

expansion.5 There were two such groups in the Valley, the Tepanecs and the Mexicas

(who were soon to become the Aztecs. These groups survived by a policy of

collaboration and alliances to facilitate strength and superiority in the Valley.6 This

was called the Chichimec Alliance of which the Tepanecs were the dominant ones.

Naturally, the militaristic cultural group would rise to dominance in this alliance.

Thus, the Mexicas were seen as a threat and were isolated by the Tepanecs on the

Lake Texcoco. There, after many years of isolation, they developed their culture,

developed their own major city in 1325 called Tenochtitlan and finally, developed a

powerfull alliance/coalition with two neighbouring groups, the Tlacopans and the

Texcocans.7 It was this alliance that proved detrimental to the Tepanecs who lost

control of the Chichimec alliance and subsequently their dominance in the Valley.

The capital city of the Tepanecs, Atzapotalco, was overthrown in 1428 and

Tenochtitlan established as the main city.8 From this point until the conquest in 1519-

1521, the Mexicas developed an expansionist policy based upon military might. Thus,

they urgently eradicated their former allies and took control of the entire Valley of

Mexico under the leadership of King Moctezuma I (1440-1468).

Brief Incan History

5
Hilary Beckles and Verene Shepherd, Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave
Systems, (United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004) p22.
6
Jenny Jemmott, Aleric Josehps and Kathleen Monteith, The Caribbean, The Atlantic and Global
Tramsformation
7
ibid
8
Dr. Michael E. Smith, Aztec culture: An overview, (USA: Arizona State University, 2006) p3.

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 OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Department of History

CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the

Atlantic World

Module 1: Indigenous Society

The Incan rise to prominence in the Andean Region was due mainly to their

militaristic might and expansionist agenda, much like the Aztecs. The Incas were

eager to expand their territories and borders and the extent of their empires. The

superb continuity of expansion can be credited to the good leaders produced

throughout the history of the Peruvian Empire.9 The two most famous emperors were

Pachatui (1433-1471) and his son Topa Inca (1471-1498) who were able to

consolidate power and to take control of the Highlands and lowlands which consisted

of the vast coastal plains. By the time the empire was at its zenith, a third ruler

Huayna Capac (1498-1525) was able to expand the empire to conquer areas in

present day Ecuador.10 The Inca were keen on nationalism and cultural identity.

Conquered peoples were assimilated into Inca society, and the Inca borrowed from

their talents, culture and skill.

“Middle America (Aztec and Maya) and the Andean Region (Incas) were

...two centres of intense agricultural development...”11 These Empires typified the

“...peak of Indian social, and material culture,”12 which had an over arching ideology

of expansionism and military might.

Political Organisation

9
Helaine Silverman and William Harris Isbell eds, Handbook of South American Archaeology, (New
York: Springer Science and Business, 2008) pp 137-162
10
George Vaillant, Aztecs of Mexico: Origin rise and fall of the Aztec Nation, (New York: Doubleday
and Company, 1950) p 5.
11
Vaillant, Aztecs of Mexico p6
12
Vaillant, Aztecs of Mexico p6

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 OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Department of History
CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the
Atlantic World
Module 1: Indigenous Society
i) Principle of Hierarchy
ii) Absolute Power
iii) Hereditary Rule
iv) Expansionism
THE KING
THE IMPERIAL CENTRE OF
GOVERNMENT
REGIONAL
GOVERNMENT13
LOCAL GOVERNMENT14
13
Smith, Aztec Culture p4
14
Maria Rostworowski de Diez Canseco, History of the Inca Realm (United Kingdom: Cambridge
University Press, 1999) pp137-162
v) Imperial organisation
vi) Political Elite
vii) Militaristic Nature
viii) Tribute System
AZTEC INCA
Tlatoani Sapa Inca
Council of Four- instituted Four Capac Incas to administer
by Huey Tlatoani the ‘four paths’ or regions that
Ahuitzotl (1486-1502) to the empire was divided into.
consolidate state power
and centralise decision
making power.
Pipiltin- Nobles and lords of different
Nobility/military/Priestly dispositions and status. All were
class. Capac Incas or from royal
Altepetl- Government bloodlines.
officials placed in the
different regions to ensure Priests
that the Aztec culture was
practiced. Warriors were also part of the
Pochtecas- were political elite.
merchants who had some
privilege in society and Finally, merchants were also
also served as spies for the part of the political elite.
government.
Leader of the Calpulli The Ayllus - basic family unit
Calpulli unit- entrusted with the sole purpose
economic/production unit; of farming the land given by the
basic agricultural Sapa Inca and additional lands
processes of the empire. for food storage in the empire.
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 OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Department of History

CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the

Atlantic World

Module 1: Indigenous Society

Both empires had a ‘principle of hierarchy’ as both the Aztec and the Inca states had a

distinctive political system. Each empire had tiers and each tier had different levels of

decision-making power withing the empire. There was evidence of a centralisation of

power; final decisions being made by the Tlatoani and the Sapa Inca respectively. There

was also evidence of a delegation of power by the kings to trusted nobles of these

Empires.

In addition, the rulers were also ‘absolute’ leaders, but more so in the Incan

Empire as the Sapa Inca was seen as the chief descendant of the Sun god or ‘the son of

the sun’.15 It was not until the ascendance on King Moctezuma II16 (1502-1521) to the

Aztec throne, that the empire saw a divine ruler; a descendant of the god Huitzilopochtli.

Hereditary rule was also a feature common in both Empires. It followed naturally in the

Incan Empire that the ruler had to be from the bloodline of the Sun god. So, the Sapa

Inca ruled until death, thereafter, his eldest son would inherit the title and the throne. In

the Aztec Empire, transference of power was not as in the Inca territory, the position of

Tlatoani was one that was selected by a group of nobles, the pipiltin who were a

hereditary class. He was chosen based on military prowess and knowledge of the

empires’ history. Also, both Empires had political elites which were, often than none at

all, in support of the King and was the ruling class. That is, a smaller more important

15
Hiram Bingham, Lost City of the Incas (Peru: Harwthorn Books Inc, 1948) p4.
16
Cape book

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 OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
Department of History

CAPE History Lecture Notes/Summary – Unit 1. The Caribbean in the

Atlantic World

Module 1: Indigenous Society

group of persons in favour of the leadership of the empire was evident in both empires.

Emperor Ahuitzotl established this in the Aztec empire as a means of consolidating power

in the empire. It was the notions of expansionism and a militaristic nature that helped the

indigenes to rise to a status and grandeur that they were. Their military might and will

helped them to exceed their boundaries rapidly. The ore they expanded, the more they

needed systems of control to ensure power was consolidated, and taxes and tributes were

paid. This typified the nature of their imperial organisation, they needed to expand to

grow and they did this by constant conquest of weaker nation-state around them.

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