Short response paper on Aztecs in progress final
Diego Duran’s Credible Descriptions of the Aztec Civilization (Question # two) The Aztec civilization of Mesoamerica rose to be a politically unified framework with immense power and wealth during the 15th C. The Aztec civilization began in 1325, when the Mexica semi-Nomad people migrated south to form Tenochtitlan, their capital city and present day Mexico City. Through 100 years of aggressive military conquest, the Triple Alliance formed the Aztecs of Mesoamerica into a loosely structured, unstable conquest state. Population grew rapidly to 5-6 million people, with frequent rebellions by subject peoples. Rulers collected tribute from conquered people and the Tenochtitlan population grew to 200,000. Agriculture flourished and metals and goods provided local and long distance trade. The Spanish conquered the Aztecs in the 16th century and their civilization was short lived (Strayer, 580-583). Aztecs did not use their written language to document descriptive details and information about their culture for historians. However, conquering Spanish peoples such as Diego Doran, years later, wrote and recorded details and descriptions of Aztec culture (doc 12.1, 593). Although Doran was not an Aztec and did not live during the peak of the Aztec civilization, he was able to credibly record and describe features of the Aztec civilization. This paper will first discuss why Doran’s descriptions of the Aztecs was indeed credible. The discussion will then look at Doran’s writings in document 12.1 “Diego Duran on the Aztecs”. Part 1 of the document is “Laws, Ordinances, and Regulations “, 1450- King Moctezuma l. Part 2 is “Book of Gods and Rites”, by Diego Duran, 1574-1576. Duran provided strong details regarding his description of the Aztecs, their social classes and features, social mobility, and finally the process of the fall to slavery. This paper uses those details as evidence of Doran’s credibility. A Spanish Dominican friar,