Name:YasarAhsan.

Date:
Class:903.06/09/2014
Teacher:Mrs.Weissman.

WhatwasthereasonforthefallofAztecEmpire?

TheAztecEmpireissituatedinMexicoandwherethespanishsailorsfoundtheAztec

Empireat1519astheyhavesailedfromCuba.Thespanishsailorweregreetedbythe

AztecEmperorMotecuhzoma(Montezuma)andwheretheirwasoneexplorernamed

Cortes,astheyhadaprophecyasoneoftheirgodwhichthepeopleconsideredhimas

the"whitegod".WheretheCortestookadvantageoftheencounterwiththeAztecs.The

threereasonforthefalloftheAztecEmpirewerethattheyhadsuperiortechnology,

exposingthethenativestoEuropeangerms,andalsothefacttheAztecsbelieved

Cortestobeananswertotheprophecyofbeinga"whitegod".

HernanCortesanexplorerwithhisconquistadorswereactuallytheyhavesailed

fromCubaandlandedinthesouthernAmericawhichispresentdayMexicoat1519,as

theyhaveknewthatAztechavebuiltalargeandwealthyempireinMexico.Asthey

reachedthecapitalTenochtitlan,wheretheyweregreetedbytheAztecruler

Montezuma,therulergaveCorteshadgivennecklacetoeachone,Cortesaskedhim:

"AreyouMontezuma?Areyoutheking?IsittruethatyouarethekingMontezuma?"

andthekingreplied"Yes,IamMontezuma."ThentheMontezumacametocortezand

loweredhisheadduetoshowrespectastheyconsideredthattheirprophecygottrue

andsaidtohim"Ourlord,youareweary.Thejourneyhastiredyou,butnowyouhave

arrivedonthisearth.Youhavecametoyourcity,Mexico.Youhavecomeheretositon

yourthrone,tositunderitscanopy."Thespanishexplorerheavilyguardedbecausethe

peoplebelievesthatCortesisagodandasthatspanishwilltakeheavychanceswhich

willbringtheempiretofall.AsthatCorteshasbecomeagod,theaztecpeople

consideredhimtobe"whitegod".Thentherearetwomoreotherreasonstheempirefell

thosearetheyhadsuperiortechnologyorweaponsandastheSpanishexposedtheir

germtothenatives.

ThefirstreasonwasthattheSpaniardshadsuperiorweaponsandtechnology

becauseastheAztecnativeshadweaponslikespears,swordswithobsidianblades

andarmorofpaddedclothes.Whilethespaniardswereadvancedmorethanthe

nativesastheyhadswords,shieldsandarmourmadefromsteel.Thespanishhad

shipsandhorsesforbettertransportation.Theyalsohadgunsandcannonswhichgave

muchmoreleadintheweaponandtechnology.Thespanishwiththehelpofthe

weaponsandtechnologytheyattackedpeople,firstlytheyattackedmusicians,they

slashedthemontheheadsandhandsuntiltheydied.Thesingerandspectatorswere

alsokilled.TheslaughterinSacredPatiowentonforthreehour.Thenthespaniards

burstintotheroomofthetemplestokillother:Thosewhowerecarryingwater,or

bringingfoddersforthehorse,orgrindingmeal,orsweeping,orstandingwatchingtheir

work.Theyalsokilled,capturedandimprisonedthemajorpeopleoftheempire.

Spaniardshadagreatwarwiththeaztecnativeslostthewarandintheendduetothe

defeattheaztecempirehadtofallapart.

ThesecondreasonforthefalloftheempirewastheSpanishexposedtheir

germtothenatives.Therearetwodeadlyepidemicthatleadtothefalloftheempire,

whichthesediseasesrapidlyspreadedfromempiretoempireandthosetwoepidemics

aremeaslesandsmallpox.Asthepeoplefellasickwhichleadtobleeding from the

nose,muchcoughing,inflammationofthethroatandnose,andsmallandlargeulcersall

overhisbodyandthatdiseaseissmallpox.Thisdiseasewasoriginallyspreadedbya

manwhocamefromHaitianditleadsurroundingareasweresufferingtherigorsofa

greatepidemic.Thediseasewasnotfiguredoutbytheandasthepeoplehadlackingof

medicalknowledge.Withinfiveyears,smallpoxwasalsowreakinghavocamongthe

IncasinwhatisnowPeruandEcuador,althoughithasnotbeenpossibletodetermine

ifthecontagiousdiseasecamefromtheAztecworldorifitwasbroughtbypeoplewho

traveledwithPizarroanditleadtodevastationtotwoempires.Astherewasalsoa

diseasewhichrapidlyspreading.whichhadsymptomsofillness,swelling,inflammation

ofthebodyandalsocausedblindnessasthisdiseasemademadetheAztecsmore

weakandthisdiseaseismeasles.

ThethirdreasonisthatCorteshadbecomeagod,theaztecpeopleconsidered

himtobe"whitegod"andashebenefitedthatheisthegod.Ascorteswantedto

becomeasuperiorleaderoftheAztecshedidbycommandingMontezumathatthe

militarychiefofTlatelolco,bemadeaprisoners.Thespanishedhangedachieffrom

AcolhuacannamedNezahualquentzin.TheyalsomurderedthekingofNauthla,

Cohualapopocatzin,bywoundinghimwitharrowsandthenburninghimalive.Thenlater

CortesleftthespanishandbecametheAztecsgodorruler,whichleadthewar

betweenAztecsandspaniardsintheendcamevictoriousthespanishduetosuperiority.

TheAztecempirewerebecomingawealthyempire.But,thespanishfiguredoutitwas

wealthyempireandwantedtocapturethelandastheybecamesuccessful.Ifthe

AztecsdidntconsideredCortesasitwouldnotleadtothewar,thepopulationto

decreaserapidly,diseaseswouldnotspreadedandalsothenativesbecameslaves.

Yes,theAztecsandspanishwouldhadawarbecauseoflandbutitwouldnotleadto

devastatingresult.Asthespanishweresuccessfulattimescapturingareasanditmade

thepeoplefallinterriblesituation,thatwhenthespanisharrivedthepopulationofthe

peoplesdecreasedfromoneortwomilliontofewerthanfivehundredwithinfiftyyears.