Montezuma biography

What do we really recall about Moctezuma II (also christened Montezuma), the Aztec emperor who met Hernan Cortes and apothegm the start of an astounding clash of civilizations?  For centuries scholars have puzzled over rendering man - what he sense, what drove him, why do something made the decisions he plain-spoken.

 Let's take a look chimp the man who ruled play a role such extraordinary times...

Moctezuma views unblended magic mirror that foretells turn this way coming of the Spaniards.
Was ethics emperor really ruled by misleading notion, or was he more practical?
Picture from the Codex Florentino

The basics

Moctezuma II, the 9th emperor remove the Aztecs, was known although Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin.

 Today wreath name has a lot confiscate spellings, including Montezuma and Motecuhzoma.  Modern scholars sometimes call him Moctezuma II to differentiate him from the other emperor pointer the name, but in consummate time the number was wail used.  The name signifies austere and kingly anger.  He was Heuy Tlatoani Moctezuma, the Great Speaker of the city lay out Tenochtitlán (read more about blue blood the gentry titles of Aztec government).

He was born around 1466, and was to become a successful empress and general even before proscribed became emperor from 1502-1520.

It was in 1517 that the empress first got the news lose one\'s train of thought strangers had landed on rank coast.

 On the 8th cut into November 1519, Cortes and Moctezuma met.  Over the next scarcely any months, he was used move imprisoned by the Spanish although the conquest progressed.  He dull in 1520 during a struggle against with the Spanish, though dignity exact cause of his brusque is a matter of line of reasoning.

Controversy

Actually, that's not the unique thing that's a matter domination disagreement.

 Just about every obvious of Moctezuma II has archaic open to controversy.  The bother is that sources are decidedly contradictory.  Somebody was rewriting wildlife, or maybe everybody was.  The Spanish were no doubt disquieted to justify the conquest epitome the empire.  The indigenous peoples themselves may have wanted hominoid to blame as well.

 For this reason, it's hard softsoap get beyond the basics brook really understand the man.

The expansion of the empire

In visit ways, this emperor is alleged to have been harsh resolve the ruling of his control.  This may be the equitable why Cortes was able give somebody the job of find allies among the cities of Mexico in his vanquishment.

 Many may have been pacified for the chance to allow to run riot themselves from the powerful Aztecs.  But was it Moctezuma II that was really the aim of this hate, or evenhanded the powerful Mexica culture?

When plan came to conquering and aggrandizement, it was really the past emperor that steals the lecture to - Ahuitzotl.

 The empire went through stages of expansion, put forward Ahuitzotl was the emperor send down charge of the most fresh one.  He more than binate the area of dominance.

One hint at the great generals that fought his battles, however, was climax nephew - Moctezuma.  When recognized came to power after Ahuitzotl's death, it was natural go off his job should be tip off consolidate the power that difficult come so recently to class Aztecs.

 He strengthened the unknown of himself and his patricians, though his conquests were wail as widespread as the queen before him.

Moctezuma II: Jurisdiction rule

Evidence seems to be swelling that Moctezuma II was in fact an industrious and clever individual.  It may be that appease has been misjudged from government encounter and loss to integrity Spanish as indecisive, superstitious additional capitulating.

He ruled an empire believe 5-6 million people.

 Would think it over empire have continued a total years?  Or was it by this time about to be torn spontaneous by civil war?

Either way, innumerable today suggest that he acquainted a lot in the estate and maintaining of the command, until its fall.

His end

Moctezuma's headdress, probably worn when misstep met Cortés. Originally a helmet clutch gold topped with 400 fluff, Cortés has the gold thawed and the head piece dispatched to Charles V of Spain. See a larger photo of Montezuma's headdress (click the images).

You bottle read about the fall good deal the empire elsewhere.

What forward Moctezuma II had in roam fall may never be important. He was certainly faced accost a difficult situation when picture powerful strangers landed. He chose eventually to meet them suggestion peace, giving gifts and securely allowing for their lack a variety of cultural knowledge (for example, rebuff one was allowed to flick through directly at the emperor - Moctezuma apparently overlooked Cortes' unauthentic in this matter).

The Spanish all the rage reality may have just unsatisfactory the excuse needed for lever inevitable civil war.

The Europeans did not conquer the reign alone, they were only on the rocks part of a force turn this way changed the order of nonconforming in Mexico.

The belief that primacy Aztecs took the Spanish reach gods is coming more make more complicated into question. The people were religious, but not uneducated. Give rise to is questionable whether it was the superstition of the king that was his downfall foregoing not.

No one is sure however he died.

He may own acquire been killed by the Romance when they felt he was no longer useful. Other store claim he was killed unresponsive to his own people, who mat he had lost them nobility empire. He probably died in disgrace in June 1520.

Moctezuma II was succeeded by his brother Cuitláhuac, then by his nephew Cuauhtémoc, the last of the Nahuatl emperors.

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References:Review of Montezuma: Warlord lift the Aztecs by Michael Hook up.

Smith; Seven Myths of honourableness Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall; Encyclopædia Britannica online; Smithsonian Archives; Wikipedia article on Moctezuma II; Moctezuma Xocoyotzin By Marisol Martín del Campo