The Aztec vs. Incas Civilizations
In history class, you have probably studied about the Aztecs and the Incas. But it seems that their histories are always in the same sentence that you cannot differentiate the two cultures distinctively. Now, you meet a history buff and you want to impress him/her with your knowledge. What to do then? Well, find out more about this topic of course.
The Aztecs and Incas civilizations are easily confused with each other for the simple reason that they both have a lot in common. Basically, what you need to realize is that the Aztec empire traces its roots to Mexico while the Incas trace their origins to where Peru is located today. Both empires reached their greatest during the early 16th century. The two empires dabbled in human sacrifice, they made technological advancements, and ultimately, they fell under the colony of Spain.
As for their distinction, the only thing that seems to remove them far from each other is geography. The Inca Empire controlled areas of Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia while the Aztecs set up their location thousands of miles north. To protect themselves against potential enemies, the Aztecs also built Tenochtitlan, their capital city, at the center of Lake Texcoco. Mexico City now lies on the ruins of this formerly great city.
But there are also subtle differences between the two cultures. In the years 1375 and 1521, the Aztecs have built a powerful empire who influence spanned the country of Mexico. They were also one of the first civilizations to require equal education for children, boys and girls alike regardless of their social class. It is important to note though that instead of reading and writing, the girls were taught how to raise their family. In 1521, the empire came to an end when Hernan Cortes, a Spaniard, defeated them by raising an army of indigenous people are by spreading smallpox on the area.
On the other hand, the Incas came from more humble beginnings. The empire started from a small tribe though it rapidly expanded in 1438. It eventually controlled most of the western part of South America. This empire was particularly impressive because of its diversity and it never came under a single political body. More than 700 languages were known in the Inca Empire. Despite their success, the Inca Empire never got the chance to rule for long because Francisco Pizarro, a Spaniard, showed up in 1532.
er. Pizarro was assassinated in 1541, and Cortés spent much of his later life suffering from bouts of insane paranoia.
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A nice starting place to better understand the two civilizations. Hoping you post more about these two cultures.
this was very helpful for my social studies project it boosted my grade by 60 points thank you