Aztec
Historical Perspective
Montezuma II
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The Aztecs began as a
nomadic tribe called the Mexica. During the
twelve-century A.D. they moved into the central Mexican
basin. They were a crude people and were driven from
place to place before they finally found refuge on a
marshy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. The native
inhabitants of the region could not be bothered to
settle there, on account of its miserable state. Yet
the indomitable will of the Aztecs eventually
transformed this poor piece of land into an impressive
city which when the Spanish arrived 200 years later, in
1521 A.D. thought it could rival any of the great
cities they had seen in Europe. It was from this city
that the Aztecs based their empire. They waged
ritualistic war against their neighbors to take captive
for their religion of human sacrifice, which they
believed was required to prevent the end of the world.
However their world did end with the arrival of the
Spanish. The Spanish had only a few hundred men, but
they were armed with weapons for which the Aztecs were
ill prepared for. These were guns, horses, smallpox and
legions of native allies. For in the years that the
Aztecs achieved empire, they created a lot of enemies
who resented their dominance. So it was in 1521 A.D.
that the last of the Aztec Emperors surrendered the
city and its empire to Hernando Cortez.
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According to legend, the Aztec god of the Sun
and War, Huitzilopochtli commanded the Mexicas to make
a pilgrimage to find and settle in the first place they
saw an eagle with a snake in its beak, sitting on a
cactus. So in the year 1168 A.D. the Mexica people
(later called the Aztecs) started moving south into
central Mexico from what is believed to be the four
corners area of the present day United States, and
called Aztlan by the Mexica. The area they tried to
settle in was however already occupied by a number of
native tribes and city-states, which most likely were
the remnants of the Toltec civilization. The Mexica
themselves spoke the same Nahuatl language as these
groups. However the Mexica were a crude people with
religious practices that even offended the blood
religion of these earlier Mezo-American peoples. So
they were not welcomed into the area readily. In 1248
A.D. they managed to find a place where they were
allowed to settle on. This was an island in the middle
of Lake Chapultepec. However, conflict between them and
their neighbors (the Tepanecs, the Culhuas, and the
Xochimilcas) eventually arose. These tribes then allied
against the Mexicas and drove the survivors to a marshy
island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Thus in 1325 A.D.
the birth of the Aztec Capitol, Tenochtitlan began. The
Mexica's warlike nature made them good warriors and so
in this period they served as mercenaries for the
various city-states that existed around the region.
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Huitzilopochtli
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By 1428 A.D. the Mexicas came into their own as the
century of serving as the hired soldiers of other city
states made them more and more powerful and militarily
skilled. It was then that they began to develop their
city with great fervor. Building great temples,
causeways, roads and even aqueducts to supply the needs
of the growing city. This period also saw the Mexicas
develop culturally assimilating the Gods of the other
Mezo-Americans in the region into their own. They
created more sophisticated structures of government and
religion. Under king Itzacoatl, the Mexica began on the
path to Empire by conquering the various tribes and
city-states of Central America. They also formed what
was called the "Triple Alliance" with two other
city-states, Tezcoco and Tlacopan. By the end of the
next century they extended their sphere of influence
from a small island to an Empire that stretched from
the Gulf coast to the Pacific and as far south as
Guatamala. They also began to call themselves Toltecs,
which in the Nahuatl language means "wise ones" or
"craftsmen", and the culture that dominated the peoples
of the empire was called Aztec.
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Aztec Temple Ruins
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Depiction of Ritual Sacrifice
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The culture of the Aztecs was indeed a rich if
bloody one. They possessed a highly advanced calendar
that was even more accurate then the modern calendar.
They had a thriving trade economy, and developed
advanced farming techniques that transformed swarmy
land into productive agricultural terraces and gardens.
The Aztecs were divided into two main social classes,
"commoners" and nobility. One could advance their
station by displaying great skill and bravery in war.
The nobility was taught governing or priestly duties
and rituals. While all male children were taught Aztec
religion, history, a trade or craft, civics, and the
art of war and combat. The warriors strove to the ranks
of the Elite Eagle or Jaguar Warrior.
Three gods dominated the Aztec religion.
Huitzilopochtli "Hummingbird Wizard", the Aztec
patron deity and god of the Sun and War. Tezcatlopoca
"Smoking Mirror", the god of darkness and
destruction. Qeutzalcoatl "Plumed Serpent", the god
of light and good. The predominant aspect of the
Aztec religion was human sacrifice. It was believed
that the gods would only nourish humanity with the
riches of the earth if they were in turn nourished by
the blood and flesh of human sacrifices. It was
further believed that there are gods in conflict with
each other, and the gods of the creation needed to be
kept strong to ward off the destruction of the world.
Throughout Mezo-America, the practice of bloodletting
and mutilation (of self and of sacrificial victims)
were common, but the Aztecs also believed the hearts
of the sacrificial victims provided the gods with the
most nourishment. Their religious beliefs thusly lead
the Aztecs to go on widespread campaigns of conquests
and ritualistic warfare.
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The Aztec conquests were thus initiated to
create a regional hegemony for the purpose of obtaining
a pool of victims for their religious sacrifices, and
to exact tribute. However they did not purposely try to
obtain any particular sense of loyalty from these
conquered peoples towards the Aztec Empire. It was for
this reason that when the Spanish arrived in 1519 A.D.,
they were able to find native allies among these
subject peoples, in particular the Tlaxcaltecas to join
them against the Aztecs Empire. Indeed even the Tezcoco
who were of the "Triple Alliance" defected to the
Spanish when they were converted to Christianity
en-masse, many willingly and others by force.
The Aztec Emperor Montezuma II, upon hearing of the
arrival of the Spanish sent forth many missions to
find out more about the nature of these strange
visitors, and to somehow deter them from coming to
Tenochtitlan, with gifts or by magic spells. But with
each mission, what he learned terrified him, and he
believed them to be gods. So when the Spanish finally
arrived at the Aztec capitol, Montezuma gave them a
warm welcome hoping to appease them. They entered the
city, installed themselves at Montezuma's palace and
placed him under guard, demanding of him treasures
and provisions. It was the time of the Aztec
celebration in honor of their patron deity, during
the height of the celebration, the Spanish massacred
the participants. This resulted in a siege of the
palace, and the death of Montezuma. The Spanish
eventually tried to escape the siege and many of them
and their Tlaxcaltecas allies died in the process but
their escape was successful nevertheless. The Aztec
convinced that the Spanish would not return conducted
life as usual, now under their new king Cuitlahuac,
who had warned not to let the Spanish enter the
city.
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Statue of Eagle Warrior
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Soon however a great plague struck the city and many
perished. After almost a year, this time the Spanish
returned and besieged the Aztec capitol. The fighting
was furious with the Spanish making incursions from
their ships, which they had brought into Lake Texcoco
to aid in the siege. Each time the Aztecs would try to
capture them and their Tlaxcaltecan allies for the
sacrificial altars and to this end they did succeed.
Capturing and sacrificing more then 50 of the Spanish,
great numbers of their native allies and forcing them
to retreat many times. However, each incursion by the
Spanish also downed many of the Aztec warriors.
Eventually the siege was proving to be successful
causing much misery for the inhabitants, and more and
more of the city came under Spanish control. Of the
300,000 warriors who defended the city, only 60,000
were left. Eventually the Aztecs were forced to
capitulate and surrendered the city, indeed the Empire
to Cortez.
This is how the Aztec Empire passed into history,
creating what became New Spain, its people and land
being exploited ruthlessly. In 1821 A.D. Mexico
finally gained its independence. This was not the end
of the turmoil for these descendents of the Aztecs,
but by the late 20'th century, it is a democracy with
important trade relations with its neighbors.
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Statue of Jaguar Warrior
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Overall Strategy for Players Using Aztecs
Painting of Aztec War Party
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The player using Aztecs should try to capitalize
early from their ability to gain resources from enemy
units they destroy. Rushing will most definitely be
something the Aztec player should try to master. This
should be done almost immediately as the game starts
since military units will also contribute to the Aztec
economy to keep the machinery of the Empire going. If
one is unable to finish off an enemy outright with a
rush, keeping the pressure on with constant harassment
and raids is advisable, in particularly outlying enemy
settlements and trade units where you can do your
damage with as little risk to yourself as possible. So
attack often and attack early. They should use their
military to keep their enemies in check while enriching
their own economy. In the later ages the Aztecs have
the best infantry in the game, but they will be
vulnerable to anti-infantry units. So attacking the
enemy economy units and areas that supply resources
(like Petroleum) that gives these units is vital. This
will leave the powerful Jaguar Infantry to mop up
against enemy infantry knowing they wont meet too many
units such as tanks or aircrafts which the Aztecs do
not have any advantage in. The civilization will
definitely not be for someone who like to play
defensively, but should be good for people who like to
attack, and let the computer run their economy for
them.
When playing against a computer opponent that is
using Aztecs. The computer AI will not be very
amicable to peace, as they depend on war to survive.
However, if one is able to obtain an Aztec ally they
will be good for doing a lot of the dirty work while
you ramp up your own economy for the long game.
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Aztecs as modelled in Rise of Nations
Unique units
Unique powers (Power of Sacrifice)
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Receive free Light Infantry whenever you build a new
Barracks,
one at start, two with classical and a military
research,
three with gunpowder age and 3 military research
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Receives 15 bonus resources per age up to 60 for each
enemy killed
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Plunder from enemy buildings increased 100%
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Start with 1 level of Military Tech already researched
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Written By: One Dead Angel
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References
Acoyauh's Aztec
Lore, Washington
State University, CrystalLinks.com.
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cheaper, faster, deadlier version of
slinger.
