TENOCHTITLAN: LOCATION on the MAP + SUMMARY of its history
On certain occasions, the importance of a city it is capable of surpassing a civilization, being capable of being relevant to more than one culture and surpassing the limits of conquests and changes of government. Possibly the most relevant city in all of America in this sense is Tenochtitlan, and therefore in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to offer you a summary of the history of Tenochtitlan and its location.
Index
- Location of Tenochtitlan
- Tenochtitlan Foundation
- Brief history of Tenochtitlan
- The fall of Tenochtitlan
Location of Tenochtitlan.
The first thing we must understand about the location of the city of Tenochtitlan is that its extension was varying over the years, its size not being the same at its foundation as with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers centuries later.
The city was first built on an island that was in the Texcoco Lake, being a form of water from Mexico's valley which is currently drying for various reasons.
The extension of the city according to various sources should be between 8 to 14 square kilometers. With current data, the city should be between the limits in the north with Tlatelolco up to a series of swamps that today would coincide with the so-called Bucareli Avenue.
Image: University of the soul
Foundation of Tenochtitlan.
To talk about the origin of Tenochtitlan, the great Mexican city, we must go to the sources of the Christian religious who arrived in the area after the European conquest, being the sources that we can best understand about its history due to the great studies they carried out on the history of the town.
It is said that centuries ago, the god Huitzilopochtli He asked the ancestors of the Aztecs to leave the lands they inhabited until then, and that they will seek a new region where they can found a city and prosper. This trip must have started around the year 1000, since depending on the sources consulted the year can vary but always being close to the beginning of the century according to our calendar.
According to myths, the Aztec god had asked them to They will look for a city where an eagle perches on a walnut tree while devouring a snake, serving as a symbol for the Mexica to know when they found their destination, and being a symbol used by Mexicans later.
The Mexica passed through important cities in the history of Mesoamerica and, on more than one occasion, stayed there for a time, but the obligation to find the island promised by their god made them not stop and continue with their search.
After traveling for years through the Valley of Mexico, serving as mercenaries for other towns in the area, the Aztecs finally found the city on an island in a lake, being the place where the priests saw the eagle sent by their god.
In 1325, the Mexica arrived on the island, being the moment in which the founding of the great city of Tenochtitlan took place, a key place for Mexican history.
Image: De10
Brief history of Tenochtitlan.
After founding the city, the Mexica felt that they needed an experienced leader and, for this reason, they asked the Culhuacan government to send them to a noble so that he could rule in the new city. The chosen one was Acamapichtli, Being the first Tlatoani of the Mexica and being the main driver that the Mexica began their invasions towards other Mesoamerican peoples.
After years of fighting he went with Itzcoatl, fourth Aztec leader, although for many the first real Tlatoani of the city, that the Mexica were able to become independent from the peoples of those who were servants. It was thanks to this that what we know asAztec empire, forming a great alliance with other peoples and conquering numerous regions such as Oaxaca, Guerrero or part of Veracruz.
The advance of the empire also through the north and center of the Mexican region turned the Mexica into the most powerful people of all Mesoamerica and the city of Tenochtitlan in one of the most relevant cities and powerful from all over the planet.
The increase in the population of the city during the years of influence caused that even the Spanish colonizers were surprised by its enormous size upon arrival. It is said that on a normal day the city could count on more than 60,000 canoes Due to the number of lakes that surrounded the city and the huge buildings in its center, they could surprise by their large size.
Image: ABC
The fall of Tenochtitlan.
To finish this summary of the history of Tenochtitlan, we must talk about the end of town and its conversion to the city that we know today and that is so important to Mexico.
In the 16th century, the Aztec people were the most powerful of all Mesoamerica, being the dominator of many of the peoples of the area who in many cases were envious of the Aztec power. In 1519 Hernan Cortes he arrived in Tenochtitlan, being received by the Tlatoani Moctezuma by an ancient prophecy that said that the end of the city would take place with the arrival of a white man with a beard.
Soon, Cortés took Moctezuma hostage to take the city, but the people of Tenochtitlan took up arms and forced Cortés and his men to escape the city in the so-called Tragic Night. After a while the Spanish returned with the help of many of the enemy peoples of the Aztecs, thanks to this Cortés managed to conquer the city of Tenochtitlan.
After laying waste to the city, turning it into little more than ruins after the great war, Cortés requested that Tenochtitlan be rebuilt to be the capital of the new region of Spain, being called Mexico City. That is why the great city of Tenochtitlan continues to be linked to Mexican culture, being the most important city in the nation even today.
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