Summary of Grandeza de México | La importancia de México Tenochtitlán en Mesoamérica

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

This video discusses the importance of Mexico City in Mesoamerica and how it was important for the transport of feathers from faraway areas. It explains that the political games of alliances and rivalry turned into a weakness that was used by Hernán Cortés to destabilize Tenochtitlán without difficulty. This diversity of organizations allowed different groups to take different positions in relation to European colonization of Mesoamerica before the conquest.

• 00:00:00 The video highlights Mexico's importance to Mesoamerica and the various commemorations taking place in 2021 to commemorate the city of Tenochtitlán's flourishing. Tenochtitlán was a powerful metropolis during the Spanish colonization period and Moctezuma II controlled many regions with regular tribute payments. The city's wealth and influence attracted many people to its grandeur, and the city of Mexico sustained itself through alliances and conflicts with other Mesoamerican cultures. Many believe that the Tlacopan dynasty dominated Mesoamerica as never before and that Tenochtitlán was the center of the region, but this is not always accurate. For example, the Chichimeca migration from northern Mexico settled in the Valley of Mexico around 1200 AD, and at that time Tlacopan hegemony extended over what is now Waka'an, Jaltocán, and Xochimilco. Several Chichimeca groups migrated northward across Mexico, and among them were the Mexicas, descendants of a migration mentioned in the Classic Maya inscriptions. When the Mexicas arrived in the Valley of Mexico around 1200 AD, it was under the rule of various political entities. Tepanec hegemony was strong,
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the importance of Mexico's Tenochtitlan in Mesoamerica, highlighting its role as a militaristic and iconically militarist city with a rigid architecture, but also its influence on later, more dynamic cultures. The Toltec culture in particular is very deeply imbued with militarism, evidenced by its Atlanteans, which depict the idealized warrior. The different stelae and tombstones found at Tenochtitlán are also important, as is the case of Tula, for its development of the cult of Tezcatlipoca, the first Mesoamerican representation of the triune God. Tula is one of the few sites where one can visit the pyramid of the vedette, which is part of the Jorge Acosta Museum. The Mexica (Aztec) rulers appealed to a mythical past to legitimize their territorial and political conquest. They periodically sacked and burned some Toltec settlements, but always with the goal of acquiring valuable objects from the Toltec era. Tenochtitlán was located in 1519 by Spanish explorers, and for that reason it is often considered the city's "birth." Its development went back many centuries and it competed with Teotihuacan for influence in
• 00:10:00 Mexico was an important location in Mesoamerica for social and political cohesion. From the perspective of the Aztecs, the mining and processing of minerals within Tenochtitlán was essential for their society. There were different social groups within Tenochtitlán, and the sacred was an important place where ceremonies were held all the time. There were a lot of ritual activities, including religious ceremonies, which were held throughout each 20-day period. One of the most important ceremonies was the sacrifice of the gladiator, in which a captured enemy warrior was sacrificed. The mexicas were perfectly armed for this ceremony while the sacrificer only had a wooden staff. However, this ceremony was also commemorating a very important mythological event- the creation of the fifth sun. 400 divine beings were sentenced to death for neglecting their duty of providing food for the sun and earth. This event was celebrated with a ceremony in which the victim had to die in order to uphold the ritual. The feathers, cosmetics, and other luxury items imported from distant regions were also used in religious ceremonies to offer sacrifices to the gods in exchange for favors. The feathers and other rare items came from regions in the far north of the empire, including the Chiapas region
• 00:15:00 This video discusses the importance of Mexico City in Mesoamerica and how it was important for the transport of feathers from faraway areas. The 16th century was particularly difficult because of the long distance these feathers had to be transported, as well as taking care to protect them from animals. We know that some animals would steal feathers or use the seasonal change to take advantage of the feathers' molt. After being cleaned, the feathers would then be traded or sold in the market of Tlatelolco. Finally, the clip discusses the importance of the Triple Alliance between Tenochtitlán, Tlacopan, and Texcoco, which held political and economic power in Mesoamerica. After the independence of the various Mesoamerican kingdoms, Tenochtitlán formed part of a Triple Alliance with Azcapotzalco and Tetzcoco. This alliance ensured the political tradition of three different ethnicities cooperating together. Tlatelolco also formed part of a Triple Alliance with other surrounding towns, controlling large regions of tributary villages. Mesoamerican Triple Alliances were important for maintaining political and economic control over large areas of Mesoamerica. One of these alliances, between the Aztec king
• 00:20:00 The video discusses the importance of Mexico City, Tenochtitlán, in Mesoamerica, and the legacy of the Toltecs. It explains that the political games of alliances and rivalry turned into a weakness that was used by Hernán Cortés to destabilize Tenochtitlán without difficulty. This diversity of organizations allowed different groups to take different positions in relation to European colonization of Mesoamerica before the conquest. Mesoamerica was a mosaic of many cultures, societies, economic levels, political systems, and languages. This diversity was important, and it is reflected in the fact that the Toltec dynasty led by a hegemonic expansive institution known as the Triple Alliance was eventually overthrown. Afterwards, many other cultures moved in relation to the pre-established relationships with the Triple Alliance, which was what will happen with the conquest in the moment. Some groups will exploit the opportunity to gain power while others will wait for a more propitious moment to act. Tenochtitlán was eventually besieged and conquered, and the Toltecs were defeated. This led to the arrival of Spanish colonists, and the various indigenous groups that were conquered fought against each other in bloody conflicts. After the end of the Triple Alliance in