Aztec Origins and the Founding of Tenochtitlan

The origins of the Aztec Empire are part legend, part archaeological and historical fact. When the Spanish conquistador Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s arrived in Basin of Mexico in 1517, he found that the Aztec Triple Alliance, a strong political, economic and military pact, controlled the basin and indeed much of central America. But where did they come from, and how did they get to be so powerful? The Origins of the Aztecs The Aztecs, or, more properly, the Mexica as they called themselves, were not originally from the Valley of Mexico but rather migrated from the north. They called their homeland Aztlan, The Place of Herons., but Aztlan is a location which has not as yet been identified archaeologically and was likely at least partly mythical. According to their own records, the Mexica and other tribes were known as a group as the Chichimeca, left their homes in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States because of a great drought. This story is told in several surviving codices (painted folding books), in which the Mexica are shown carrying with them the idol of their patron deity Huitzilopochtli. After two centuries of migration, at around AD 1250, the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico. Today, the Basin of Mexico is filled with the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City; but underneath the modern streets are the ruins of Tenochtitlà ¡n, the site where the Mexica settled, and the capital city for the Aztec empire. Basin of Mexico Before the Aztecs When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, it was far from an empty place. Because of its wealth of natural resources, the valley has been continuously occupied for thousands of years, the first known substantial occupation established at least as early as the second century BC. The Valley of Mexico lies ~2,100 meters (7,000 feet) above sea level, and it is surrounded by high mountains, some of which are active volcanoes. Water coursing down in streams from these mountains created a series of shallow, marshy lakes that provided a rich source for animals and fish, plants, salt and water for cultivation. Today the Valley of Mexico is almost entirely covered by the monstrous expansion of Mexico City: but there were ancient ruins as well as thriving communities when the Aztecs arrived, including the abandoned stone structures of two major cities: Teotihuacan and Tula, both referred to by the Aztecs as the Tollans. Teotihuacà ¡n: Almost a thousand years before the Aztecs, the huge and carefully planned city of Teotihuacà ¡n (occupied between 200 BC and AD 750) flourished there. Today Teotihuacan is a popular archaeological site a few miles north of modern Mexico City that attracts thousands of tourists each year. The word Teotihuacà ¡n is a Nahuatl (the language spoken by the Aztecs) word meaning The Birthplace of the Gods. We dont know its real name, but the Aztecs gave this name to the city because it was a sacred place associated with the legendary origins of the world. Tula: Another city that developed in the Valley of Mexico before the Aztecs was the city of Tula, the early post-classic capital of the Toltecs between AD 950 and 1150. The Toltecs were considered by the Aztecs to be the ideal rulers, brave warriors who excelled in the arts and sciences. Tula was so revered by the Aztecs that the king Motecuhzoma (aka Montezuma) sent people to dig up Toltec objects for use in the temples at Tenochtitlà ¡n. The Mexica were awestruck by the massive structures built by the Tollans, considering Teotihuacan to be the sacred setting for the creation of the current world or Fifth Sun. The Aztecs carried away and reused objects from the sites: more than 40 Teotihuacan-style objects have been found in offerings within Tenochtitlans ceremonial precinct. Aztec Arrival in Tenochtitlà ¡n When the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico about 1200 AD, both Teotihuacà ¡n and Tula had been abandoned for centuries; but other groups were already settled on the best land. These were groups of Chichimecs, related to the Mexica, who had migrated from the north in earlier times. The late-coming Mexica were forced to settle on the inhospitable hill of Chapultepec or Grasshopper Hill. There they became vassals of the city of Culhuacan, a prestigious city whose rulers were considered the heirs of the Toltecs. As acknowledgment for their assistance in battle, the Mexica were given one of the daughters of the King of Culhuacan to be worshiped as a goddess/priestess. When the king arrived to attend the ceremony, he found one of the Mexica priests dressed in the flayed skin of his daughter: the Mexica reported to the king that their God Huitzilopochtli had asked for the sacrifice of the princess. The sacrifice and flaying of the Culhua Princess provoked a ferocious battle, which the Mexica lost. They were forced to leave Chapultepec and move to some marshy islands in the middle of the lake. Tenochtitlà ¡n: Living in a Marshland After they were forced out of Chapultepec, according to the Mexica myth, the Aztecs wandered for weeks, searching for a place to settle. Huitzilopochtli appeared to the Mexica leaders and indicated a place where a great eagle was perched on a cactus killing a snake. This place, smack dab in the middle of a marsh with no proper ground at all, was where the Mexica founded their capital, Tenochtitlà ¡n. The year was 2 Calli (Two House) in the Aztec calendar, which translates in our modern calendars to AD 1325. The apparently unfortunate position of their city, in the middle of a marsh, actually facilitated economic connections and protected Tenochtitlà ¡n from military attacks by restricting access to the site by canoe or boat traffic. Tenochtitlà ¡n grew rapidly as both a commercial and military center. The Mexica were skillful and fierce soldiers and, despite the story of the Culhua princess, they were also able politicians who created solid alliances with the surrounding cities. Growing a Home in the Basin The city grew rapidly, with palaces and well-organized residential areas and aqueducts providing fresh water to the city from the mountains. At the center of the city stood the sacred precinct with ball courts, schools for nobles, and priests quarters. The ceremonial heart of the city and of the whole empire was the Great Temple of Mexico-Tenochtitlà ¡n, known as the Templo Mayor or Huey Teocalli (the Great House of the Gods). This was a stepped pyramid with a double temple on top dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, the main deities of the Aztecs. The temple, decorated with bright colors, was rebuilt many times during Aztec history. The seventh and final version was seen and described by Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s and the conquistadors. When Cortà ©s and his soldiers entered the Aztec capital on November 8, 1519, they found one of the largest cities in the world. Sources Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press.Healan D. 2012. The Archaeology of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico. Journal of Archaeological Research 20(1):53-115.Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.Van Tuerenhout DR. 2005, The Aztecs: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO Inc.

Family Assessment Essay - 1694 Words

FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT My family health assessment was conducted using the 11 Gordon functional health pattern. Marjorie Gordon’s functional health pattern is a guide for establishing a comprehensive nursing date base, using the 11 categories enable nurses determines the following aspects of health and human function (Gordon 1987). The Gordon 11 functional health patterns are health perception/health management, nutrition, elimination, activity/exercise, cognitive, sleep/rest, self perception/self concept, roles and relationships, sexuality and reproduction, coping and stress tolerance, values and belief. This paper will summarize the findings of each health pattern as well as the family based nursing†¦show more content†¦They behave appropriately at school and their teachers like them and always acknowledge them for good behavior, conduct, participation and performance in class. The family also has good relationship with other families in the neighborhood. When it comes to roles and relati onship, both parents are employed and they both manage the finance of the family. Every member of the family has his / her own task. The house chores are divided amongst the children based on seniority, while the parents go to work and take care of the financial obligations of the family. They also help the children with cleaning, cooking, laundry, and school assignments. Both couples are sexually active when it comes to sexuality-reproduction, and they both express satisfaction to some extent in their sex relationship. On work schedules, father works from 9am to 7-8pm, and mother works 11pm-7:30am. Even with the rough schedules, they still communicate and find time for each other and also for the children. After being blessed with five children, intra-uterine device (IUD) is used by mother as a form of birth control method. The coping-stress pattern assesses the family’s ability to handle and manage stress effectively. 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Security Studies an Introduction and Facts about the Development

Question: Discuss about the Security Studies an Introduction and Facts about the Development Answer: Preparation: In preparing for the tutorial a few facts about the development of the world as it stands today got focused. Whenever people talk about my country or my nation, the basic thing that gets conveyed is that I or we jointly own this piece of land mass and you people who stay on this land mass are my subjects. Well that was the traditional outlook. With democracy setting in and politics taking a shape where there are no definite dynasties of rulers, the statement is almost saying the same thing but a little sugar coated. It is now said This piece of land belongs to all of us. Hence let us jointly exploit it, for which it will have to be protected against hazards. While the people are said to be the owners of the land a smaller group calls the cards. Anything that jeopardizes this stand is essentially a security hazard. Reflections: In the tutorial titled Security Studies an Introduction and authored by Paul D. Williams this concept has been suggested - in different words though. Security is stated to mean different to different people and that politics plays an important role in defining and thereby shaping public opinion. This works mentions that security id the safety of real people in real places and that sets the tone of the composition that it is going to beat about the bush, since it is slightly difficult to visualize unreal people and place. During the course of discussion it mentions about four basic questions which are, first, what is security, second is whose security, third, what makes a security issue and fourth and final is how to achieve security. Security is said to be the process of removing the threat to values that are cherished and if the threat strikes then these cherished values are lost. Regarding the question of whose security it states in very round-about way that it is the nation which may have many ethnic groups and/or classes within it. It speaks of not only external security but also internal aspects like economy, health and environment aspects Is major war obsolete? Preparation: Wars have been around ever since the beginning of the civilized society. External forces have always tried to take away the harvests of hard labor from the country which worked for it. In order to protect their wealth every nation always keeps itself ready to meet the external threats. Large scale war involving many nations is not conceivable today since the armory of the entire world is sufficient to destroy the world many times over. That should not be construed as the urge to take possession of others property by some means not only brutal force has been eliminated. Large scale war is no longer possible but then large scale aggression economic, industrial, social and cultural is very much prevalent to this day. Instead of chopping off the heads of the rival army personnel the emphasis has shifted to starvation, deprivation and humiliation. Reflection: In the article Is major war obsolete? written by M. Mandelbaum the start off is posing the same question and proceeding with the idea that wars are just means of mass destruction to life and property. It goes on to create the impression that war is no longer a viable option and uses many terminologies to defend its theory. It has recounted many aspects and has used many unusual terms which do not add value to the basic proposition of whether war is possible today or not. Conceptually the cost of war both direct and indirect or long term has become so huge that the international community is against it. With the rise of democratic forces the concept of war is slowly but surely going into oblivion. However, it may be reminded that the article is meaning wars in which one country fires against another for usually economic benefits in the long run. Most countries are born out of a war or at least strife. It is very pertinently noted that such countries which have come into being as a fall out or result of a war themselves go to war on various purposes. Reasons for war vary but the result is the same. Thus what has been so far called war gets changed to mean aggression of any kind launched by one nation on another to get hold of their economic resources has replaced war. Wars, which in the past, meant killing by way of use of weapons has been replaced by killing by taking away the source of lively hood of the population. This kind of war continues today and has become a trend under various names like globalization and economic reforms. The method of killing has only changed, the fact remains same. Thus wars will now take a different form and thoughtless blood-shed is on the way to become a thing of the past. Nuclear Zero the Best Option Preparation: The concept of going totally nuclear free is a utopian concept in todays world. No sensible leadership would even think of trusting the only super power of today i.e. United States of America about their stand of creating a nuclear free world. The smaller and less significant nations know the very old saying that Preparation for war is the way to achieve peace and they will keep themselves ready to be able to create a dent in case America was to rake up any unhealthy issue. Nations go to fight on apparently very flimsy ground and America is no exception. They have been launching offensives in the Middle East and Far East apparently on very flimsy and untenable grounds. The war in Vietnam which cost America a tidy fortune is a wealth of experience for the smaller countries of the world. Each nation must be in readiness for facing any offensive from the super power and this super power has the strength to ask others to go non-nuclear but they would like to remain the only one who is un questionable. The terrorist groups have a very huge power to inflict injuries on the super power though they may not be in a position today to take over the country. The loss of life and property to America by way of terrorist attacks create very strong public opinion against the state and therefore are best avoided. Reflections: The debate whether Nuclear Zero the Best Option has focused both views for and against the motion. While what is been stated in the agreements in favor of the motion recalls the various announcements by various head of state of United States of America about moving towards a nuclear free world they have not been able to substantiate with facts of this nuclear super power starting any activities for ensuring non proliferation of nuclear arms. The arguments presented by the people who have spoken against the motion appear more logical. That this super power has in the past been responsible for launching offensives against smaller and weaker nations on some pretext or the other gets mentioned in no uncertain terms. They want disarmament only to serve their own purpose of remaining free from the fears of any nuclear strike by especially the terrorist groups. Terrorist groups are quite capable of launching a nuclear strike only to flex their muscles. This is not what America would be re ady to accept. New Weapons for Old Problems: Conventional Proliferation and Military Effectiveness in Developing States Preparation: The developing nations which are not really in the category of serious threats to the already developed countries are very fast acquiring weaponries for making themselves stronger and fitter to resist any military aggression by their neighboring countries. It is a known fact that developing countries like India and Pakistan keep strengthening their arsenal only to ensure that they are safe from their neighbors. This is also seen in the Middle East, where acquiring arms is not anything unheard of. Reflections: This article with the heading New Weapons for Old Problems: Conventional Proliferation and Military Effectiveness in Developing States written by Christopher S. Parker delves in the issues of preparation for war in the under developed countries. These multiple countries which all have some economic or social or geographical strength are ever on logger heads for variety of reasons. The arms dealers are active in these areas and in quite a few cases the arms deals are clouded in mystery. If the super powers want the arms race to stop then the arms and ammunition manufacturing organizations have to be restricted and that is unspeakable in the global economy of today. From kadesh to Kandahar Military theory and the future of war Preparation: The under developed countries which are outside the super power block is arming themselves alarmingly. Does the western and advanced countries actively contribute to this situation is a question which comes to the mind. Reflections: A very pertinent question has been tried to be answered by the author and that question is that can the future of wars be predicted especially within the context of the present economic pressures on the advanced countries which has neared the saturation point. The most important idea that has been stated here is that however localized a conflict may be with the help of information technology it soon takes the size of a global issue. Thus this article is exposing the chances of regional conflicts escalating into wars where the super power block may have to get involved due to social pressure created by the dissemination of information by the global media and information technology. Cavalry to computer The pattern of military revolution Preparation: These are days when the war is fought with knowledge, wisdom and technology. Innumerable number of wars and battles has been lost due to the superior technology deployment of the adversary. This has been the trend in warfare as is evident from the history of mankind. Previously the war was fought on the muscle power of the soldiers but slowly the emphasis got placed on technique and support from non human fighters. This included guns, rifles, cannons etc and now the nuclear bomb. Frankly speaking why a country has to maintain an army at all, since in case they are attacked just launch an offensive by throwing a few nuclear bombs at the enemy. With the progress of technology the war has become a challenge for the creative mind and is no longer restrained to a robust physique. Reflections: The article Cavalry to computer The pattern of military revolution mentions just the same thing. It has shown that the pattern of warfare has been changing continuously and the learnings from previous wars have been carefully analyzed to create antidotes for the technologies which enjoyed a cutting edge on the battle fields. Technology, knowledge gained, wisdom of use and careful development of strengths and counter strengths have taken place in the world from time immemorial.