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How was Moctezuma as a leader?
The ninth elected leader of the Mexica, Moctezuma consolidated an empire that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, and was centred on the fabulous city of Tenochtitlan, set amid a vast lake and housing perhaps 200,000 people, probably larger than any western European capital of the time.
Did Moctezuma betray his people?
Moctezuma then decided to betray Nezahualpilli by sending a secret embassy to Tlaxcala telling them about the incoming army. The Tlaxcalans then began to take action against the Texcoca while they were unaware of this betrayal. The Texcoco armies were ambushed in the middle of the night.
Who was the last great leader in Aztecs?
Cuauhtémoc, also called Guatimozin, (born c. 1495—died February 26, 1522), 11th and last Aztec emperor, nephew and son-in-law of Montezuma II.
Why was Montezuma important to the Aztecs?
Montezuma II (1466-1520) was one of the last rulers of the great Aztec Empire before the arrival of the Spanish. Under his mandate, the city of Tenochtitlan managed to maintain its power and the domain it exercised over other peoples, who were obliged to pay tribute.
Was Montezuma The leader of the Aztecs?
Definition. Montezuma (aka Moctezuma), or more correctly, Motecuhzoma II Xocoyotzin, meaning 'Angry Like A Lord', was the last fully independent ruler of the Aztec empire before the civilization's collapse after the Spanish Conquest in the early 16th century CE.
What was the downfall of Montezuma?
Moctezuma died in the evening hours of June 30, 1520, in his palace in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, while a prisoner of the Spanish conquistadors. The Emperor had been speaking to his people in an effort to persuade them to cease hostilities against Hernán Cortés, his Spanish soldiers, and Indian allies.
What is Montezuma known for?
Montezuma II, also spelled Moctezuma, (born 1466—died c. June 30, 1520, Tenochtitlán, within modern Mexico City), ninth Aztec emperor of Mexico, famous for his dramatic confrontation with the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
Did Montezuma think Cortés was a God?
An unnerving series of coincidences led Montezuma to believe that perhaps Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day to reclaim his kingdom. Quetzalcoatl, "the feathered serpent," stood for the solar light, the morning star. He symbolized knowledge, arts, and religion.
Who is Montezuma Revenge?
Moctezuma's revenge is a colloquial term for travelers' diarrhea contracted in Mexico.
Was Montezuma a weak leader?
He Was a Great Warrior and General Montezuma was a brave warrior in the field as well as a skilled general. If he had never shown great personal bravery on the battlefield, he never would have been considered for Tlatoani in the first place.
How is Moctezuma remembered?
He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. Emperor Montezuma Xocoyotzín (other spellings include Motecuzoma and Moctezuma) is remembered by history as the indecisive leader of the Mexica Empire who let Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors into the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan virtually unopposed.
What were Montezuma's beliefs?
Montezuma believed the Spanish to be gods. Montezuma felt it would be best to meet the Spanish in his own city. Montezuma believed he could convince the Spanish to become his allies. Montezuma wanted to avoid outright war before gaining additional information about Spanish intentions.
Why is Montezuma II significant?
While Aztec emperor, Montezuma had a famous confrontation with Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. He initially welcomed Cortés but, when unable to...
When did Montezuma II reign?
In 1502 Montezuma succeeded his uncle Ahuitzotl, becoming the ninth ruler of an Aztec empire that was at its greatest geographical extent and cultu...
How did Montezuma II die?
After being taken captive by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, Montezuma spoke to his subjects in an attempt to quell growing unrest. However, up...
What was Motecuhzoma's role in the Triple Alliance?
Motecuhzoma set about widening the powers of the tlatoani position by simultaneously reducing the duties of the chief of internal affairs ( Tlacaellel or Cihuacoatl) so that he became, in effect, absolute ruler and undisputed leader of the Triple Alliance of the three great cities of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco and Tlacopan.
Who was Motecuhzoma?
An Absolute Ruler. Motecuhzoma was the son of the great leader Axayacatl (r. 1469-1481 CE) and was one of the best warriors under his uncle Ahuitzotl (r. 1486-1502 CE). In particular, he distinguished himself in the Aztec campaigns in Tehuantepec and Xoconochco. On the death of Ahuitzotl, Motecuhzoma assumed the highest position in Aztec society ...
What was Motecuhzoma's life like?
A Life of Luxury. Motecuhzoma certainly lived like a king. His huge palace at the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had hanging gardens, a ten-room aviary with fresh and salt-water pools, and even a private zoo with jaguars, eagles, pumas, foxes and snakes amongst hundreds of other exotic animals.
How did Motecuhzoma elevate the status of the nobility?
Motecuhzoma also elevated the status of the nobility by further differentiating them from the rest of society through an increased emphasis on titles, distinguishing clothes and insignia and etiquette at court.
Where did Motecuhzoma lead the army?
As part of the ceremonies to confirm him in his new status Motecuhzoma led an army, in what became known as the Coronation War, to Nopallan, 640 km to the south. Conquering the fortified city he brought back to Tenochtitlan substantial booty and a contingent of captives for ritual sacrifice.
Where is the Aztec ruler's headdress?
Also attributed to Motecuhzoma, although there is no concrete evidence to do so, is the magnificent feather headdress now in the Museum für Völkerkunde of Vienna.
Who was pressed by the Spanish into pacifying his people but was struck on the head by a rock and
Motecuhzoma was pressed by the Spanish into pacifying his people but was struck on the head by a rock and killed. Cortés returned to the city to relieve the besieged remaining Spanish but was forced to withdraw on the 30th June 1520 CE in what became known as the Noche Triste.
What did Montezuma do when the Spanish arrived?
When the Spanish arrived, Montezuma spent much time in prayer and with the Mexica diviners and priests, trying to get answers from his gods as to the nature of the foreigners, what their motives were, and how to deal with them. He wasn't sure if they were men, gods, or something else entirely.
What is Montezuma's real name?
Montezuma's real name was closer to Motecuzoma, Moctezoma or Moctezuma and most serious historians will write and pronounce his name correctly. His real name was pronounced something like "Mock-tay-coo-schoma.". The second part of his name, Xocoyotzín, means "the Younger," and helps distinguish him from his grandfather, Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, ...
What did Montezuma do to get rid of the Spanish?
Montezuma did, however, take some steps to get rid of the Spanish. When Cortes and his men were in Cholula on their way to Tenochtitlan, Montezuma ordered an ambush set up between Cholula and Tenochtitlan. Cortes caught wind of it and ordered the infamous Cholula Massacre, slaughtering thousands of unarmed Cholulans who had gathered in the central square.
How did Montezuma die?
Montezuma died of his wounds a few days later, on June 29, 1520. According to some native accounts, Montezuma recovered from his wounds and was killed by the Spanish, but those accounts agree that he was at least grievously wounded by the people of Tenochtitlan. Cite this Article.
How were the Tenochtitlan rulers selected?
In Tenochtitlan, the rulers were selected by a council of some 30 elders of noble lineage. Montezuma was qualified: He was relatively young, was a prince of the royal family, had distinguished himself in battle, and had a keen understanding of politics and religion. He was by no means the only choice, however.
Who attacked Montezuma in 1520?
In June of 1520, Hernan Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan to find it in a state of uproar. His lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado had attacked unarmed nobles at the Festival of Toxcatl, massacring thousands, and the city was out for Spanish blood. Cortes sent Montezuma to the rooftop to speak with his people and plead for calm, but they were having none of it. Instead, they attacked Montezuma, hurling stones and spears and firing arrows at him.
Who was Montezuma's captor?
He taught Cortes how to play some traditional Mexica table games and they would wager small gemstones on the outcome. The captive Montezuma took the leading Spaniards out of the city to hunt small game.
Who was more affectionate, Ahuizotl or Montezuma?
The young Montezuma continued the far-reaching military campaigns of his uncle but ruled his subjects in a different way. While Emperor Ahuizotl was considered more affectionate and warmhearted to his people, Montezuma was colder and more distant.
What did Montezuma know about the Zapotecs?
Whether fighting the Zapotecs or the Chichimecs, or traveling overland to meet the enemy in an unfamiliar territory, the young Montezuma got to know the deserts, dense jungles, high mountains and sandy coastal beaches of a land that one day would be his to rule.
Why did Montezuma go under house arrest?
Historians are unsure when Montezuma became under a sort of house arrest in his own palace and subject to Spanish authority. Some believe that this took place when Cortés left the Aztec capital to fight Pánfilo de Narváez, a man sent by Spanish authorities to arrest him.
What is Montezuma's crown?
In Aztec writings, Montezuma was often written in a glyph depicting a small crown called a xiuhuitzolli draped with hair braids and an earspool next to a speech scroll.
Why did the Spanish take Montezuma hostage?
In May 1520, the Spanish soldiers massacred a group of elites engaged in ceremonies in the Great Temple and with the city in revolt against the foreigners because of that, the conquistadors took Montezuma hostage to ensure their own safety. This hostage situation shook the empire to its core.
When did Montezuma see floating temples?
Fifteen years into his reign, in 1517, Montezuma received strange reports of floating temples seen off the coast in the kingdom of the Totonacs, a people the Aztecs conquered in the mid-1400s. The temples came ashore and strange pale-colored men with hairy faces set foot on the land.
Who was the Aztec emperor who visited Tenochtitlán?
Hernán Cortés and his band of Spanish conquistadors finally made it to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán as honored guests of the great tlatoani of the Aztecs, Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, better known to history as Emperor Montezuma. The date was November 8, 1519. The Europeans marveled at the city in the middle of the lake connected to ...
