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The Aztec Empire

Acamapichtli


                                               a name

                                                      "Reed Fist"
                                                          1372-1391


The first king of the Aztecs was Acamapichtli. Hassig (1988) gives us a few reasons why the Aztecs not only abandoned their own decentralized system, but also chose a tlahtoani from a different city. Firstly, it was militarily superior to have one leader rather than many competing calpolli heads. Secondly, the Culhuacanos claimed direct descent from the royal Toltecs. Any leader from that lineage would provide legitimacy to the new empire. This legitimacy was important because the Aztecs needed to establish good relations with lakeshore cities in order to gain access to agricultural products.

After Acamapichtli became king he married the daughters of the twenty calpolli leaders, thereby establishing a noble class (Hassig 1988). It was this nobility that would carry on the royal blood and someday rule the Aztec empire.

At this, the beginning of the Aztecs’ rise to power, the city Tenochtitlan was subordinate to Tetzotzomoc, the king of the Tepanecs. They were required to fight battles with the Tepanecs and to pay tribute to them. In return they were granted protection and access to the Tepanec markets. After conquests, the new city would be granted trade, spoils, free passage, and even political control over conquered areas (Hassig 1988).

The first was that Acamapichtli fought was against Chalco. It started in 1375 and lasted for twelve years. Hassig (1988) tells us that this war was “flowery,” but what does that actually mean? Flowery war is often misunderstood, believed by many to be a war that is fought solely for the purpose of gaining sacrificial victims. Hicks (1979) expands this idea and writes that although flowery wars were fought at least in part for the gaining of sacrificial victims, there were other reasons for these wars such as gaining honor and glory and training young soldiers to be warriors. Hassig (1988) gives us another reason for flowery war: the flexing of two armies’ muscles in a precursor to actual war.

The actual war against Chalco erupted after about eight years. However, there was no decisive winner and war against Chalco would be inevitable in the future (Hassig 1988).

At the same time the Aztecs were fighting flowery war against Chalco they were also fighting other wars alongside the Tepanecs. During the reign of Acamapichtli, the Aztecs helped conquer Xochimilco, Mizquic, Cuitlahuac, Chimalhuacan, and Cuauhhuacan (Hassig 1988). It is clear that they were establishing themselves as a powerful military power in the basin.