Linda A. Newson and John King (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264461
- eISBN:
- 9780191734625
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264461.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
These chapters celebrate Mexico City as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism; trace its history from the founding of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan to the present day; and explore ...
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These chapters celebrate Mexico City as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism; trace its history from the founding of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan to the present day; and explore how the varied experiences of its inhabitants have been represented in poetry, film and photography. Looking at the pre-Columbian city, colonial city and modern city, chapters show how Mexico City has grown organically, largely developed by waves of immigrants with new ideas and aspirations. While they have often envisioned the city in new ways, they have been unable to escape totally its historical past, and indeed at times have positively embraced it to serve contemporary political ends. As the city has grown, what it symbolises to its inhabitants and how they experience the city has become fragmented by social class and ethnicity. There is not one Mexico City, but many. The volume explores how these varied experiences have been represented in poetry, film and photography. Drawing from the fields of archaeology, history, political sociology, literature, cinema and photography, this volume provides an insight into the history and culture of Mexico City.Less
These chapters celebrate Mexico City as a centre of cultural creativity, diversity and dynamism; trace its history from the founding of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan to the present day; and explore how the varied experiences of its inhabitants have been represented in poetry, film and photography. Looking at the pre-Columbian city, colonial city and modern city, chapters show how Mexico City has grown organically, largely developed by waves of immigrants with new ideas and aspirations. While they have often envisioned the city in new ways, they have been unable to escape totally its historical past, and indeed at times have positively embraced it to serve contemporary political ends. As the city has grown, what it symbolises to its inhabitants and how they experience the city has become fragmented by social class and ethnicity. There is not one Mexico City, but many. The volume explores how these varied experiences have been represented in poetry, film and photography. Drawing from the fields of archaeology, history, political sociology, literature, cinema and photography, this volume provides an insight into the history and culture of Mexico City.
WARWICK BRAY
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264461
- eISBN:
- 9780191734625
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264461.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This chapter attempts to visualize how Tenochtitlan may have looked and functioned before the Spanish invasion. This usually assumed barbaric society with a culture of sacrificing thousand of ...
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This chapter attempts to visualize how Tenochtitlan may have looked and functioned before the Spanish invasion. This usually assumed barbaric society with a culture of sacrificing thousand of captives for the blood-thirsty Aztecs was truly a civilized city by any criteria used to define civilizations such as the existence of bureaucracy, sophisticated agricultural technology, ceremonials and monumental architecture. Aztec Tenochtitlan was built and has been civilized more than 2,000 years ago. This ancient Mexican city started in the year Two Reed, it proliferated into stone-built city larger than Europe and had functions and bureaucracy similar to that of the sixteenth century Madrid. In terms of agriculture, the Aztec city has sophisticated agricultural technology—the chinampas which provided for the Aztecs and which provided insight into the chinampa ownership history of this ancient civilization. Complex architectural buildings also graced the Aztec civilization before the invasion of the Spaniards. Palaces, temples and avenues were dominant in this old Mexican civilization. These buildings were characterized by their complex decorations of serpents, murals and sculpture celebrating the state, its rulers, its gods and their conquests.Less
This chapter attempts to visualize how Tenochtitlan may have looked and functioned before the Spanish invasion. This usually assumed barbaric society with a culture of sacrificing thousand of captives for the blood-thirsty Aztecs was truly a civilized city by any criteria used to define civilizations such as the existence of bureaucracy, sophisticated agricultural technology, ceremonials and monumental architecture. Aztec Tenochtitlan was built and has been civilized more than 2,000 years ago. This ancient Mexican city started in the year Two Reed, it proliferated into stone-built city larger than Europe and had functions and bureaucracy similar to that of the sixteenth century Madrid. In terms of agriculture, the Aztec city has sophisticated agricultural technology—the chinampas which provided for the Aztecs and which provided insight into the chinampa ownership history of this ancient civilization. Complex architectural buildings also graced the Aztec civilization before the invasion of the Spaniards. Palaces, temples and avenues were dominant in this old Mexican civilization. These buildings were characterized by their complex decorations of serpents, murals and sculpture celebrating the state, its rulers, its gods and their conquests.
LINDA A. NEWSON and JOHN P. KING
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264461
- eISBN:
- 9780191734625
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264461.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This volume was a result of a symposium that discussed the history and culture of Mexico. It focuses on the city's culture and history and presents specific perspectives derived from the observant ...
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This volume was a result of a symposium that discussed the history and culture of Mexico. It focuses on the city's culture and history and presents specific perspectives derived from the observant eyes and lens of the different authors and scholars of the chapters here, containing insight from various fields. While Mexico is generally assumed to be a city afflicted with problems such as social inequality, environmental denigration and traffic congestion made worse by government inadequacies and mismanagement, this volume presents a rather optimistic note that reverberates in the chronicles and voices in the chapters. Building on this sentiment, the chapters that follow aim to celebrate Mexico City as a focal point of cultural creativity, dynamism and diversity. From its foundation in 1324 as Tenochtitlan to the present day, the volume provides a window to the constantly evolving space that is Mexico City.Less
This volume was a result of a symposium that discussed the history and culture of Mexico. It focuses on the city's culture and history and presents specific perspectives derived from the observant eyes and lens of the different authors and scholars of the chapters here, containing insight from various fields. While Mexico is generally assumed to be a city afflicted with problems such as social inequality, environmental denigration and traffic congestion made worse by government inadequacies and mismanagement, this volume presents a rather optimistic note that reverberates in the chronicles and voices in the chapters. Building on this sentiment, the chapters that follow aim to celebrate Mexico City as a focal point of cultural creativity, dynamism and diversity. From its foundation in 1324 as Tenochtitlan to the present day, the volume provides a window to the constantly evolving space that is Mexico City.
VICENTE QUIRARTE
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264461
- eISBN:
- 9780191734625
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264461.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
This chapter discusses the ways in which the poet and poetry have traced the invisible map of Mexico City and how this literary art protected and strengthened memories while also helping the Mexicans ...
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This chapter discusses the ways in which the poet and poetry have traced the invisible map of Mexico City and how this literary art protected and strengthened memories while also helping the Mexicans to live each day with an increased dignity. The focus of this chapter is on the reflections created by the poets and their poetry from the Tenochtitlan period to the early twenty-first century with emphasis on the mid-nineteenth century onwards. This period is specifically a century of prose and poetry that stood as testaments to the beauty, downfall and the rise of Mexico City. Through the poets, poetry has became an avenue for the rich illustrations of the transformations Mexico has undergone such as the rise of nationalism, and the emergence of a gender role and a new gender awareness. Writing in this period has become a source of enlightenment and poets specifically have played a prominent role as urban planners, insiders who narrated the city’s transformations, educators who enforced virtues, and biographers of emotions. From the King Nezahualcóyotl to the poet Eduardo Lizalde, poets have found ways of describing and celebrating the city without falling into despair, because the very naming and exploration of despair is a way of transcending it.Less
This chapter discusses the ways in which the poet and poetry have traced the invisible map of Mexico City and how this literary art protected and strengthened memories while also helping the Mexicans to live each day with an increased dignity. The focus of this chapter is on the reflections created by the poets and their poetry from the Tenochtitlan period to the early twenty-first century with emphasis on the mid-nineteenth century onwards. This period is specifically a century of prose and poetry that stood as testaments to the beauty, downfall and the rise of Mexico City. Through the poets, poetry has became an avenue for the rich illustrations of the transformations Mexico has undergone such as the rise of nationalism, and the emergence of a gender role and a new gender awareness. Writing in this period has become a source of enlightenment and poets specifically have played a prominent role as urban planners, insiders who narrated the city’s transformations, educators who enforced virtues, and biographers of emotions. From the King Nezahualcóyotl to the poet Eduardo Lizalde, poets have found ways of describing and celebrating the city without falling into despair, because the very naming and exploration of despair is a way of transcending it.
José Luis De Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.003.0007
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
The Tenochca had many different occupations. Many were employed in construction, while others worked to process raw materials of various kinds. Most occupations fell into the category of services: ...
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The Tenochca had many different occupations. Many were employed in construction, while others worked to process raw materials of various kinds. Most occupations fell into the category of services: administration, domestic services, medical care, commerce, the priesthood, education of the young, etc.Less
The Tenochca had many different occupations. Many were employed in construction, while others worked to process raw materials of various kinds. Most occupations fell into the category of services: administration, domestic services, medical care, commerce, the priesthood, education of the young, etc.
José Luis De Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter deals with the city's religious buildings and their uses, the palaces and the houses, Motecuhzoma's zoo, and the huge markets where everything imaginable could be purchased. The ...
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This chapter deals with the city's religious buildings and their uses, the palaces and the houses, Motecuhzoma's zoo, and the huge markets where everything imaginable could be purchased. The education of children and popular games are also described.Less
This chapter deals with the city's religious buildings and their uses, the palaces and the houses, Motecuhzoma's zoo, and the huge markets where everything imaginable could be purchased. The education of children and popular games are also described.
José Luis De Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter mainly focuses on the needs and activities of Tenochtitlan's denizens, including the supply of food and fresh water, the systems of transportation and storage, and the tribute system and ...
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This chapter mainly focuses on the needs and activities of Tenochtitlan's denizens, including the supply of food and fresh water, the systems of transportation and storage, and the tribute system and its role in the life of the city.Less
This chapter mainly focuses on the needs and activities of Tenochtitlan's denizens, including the supply of food and fresh water, the systems of transportation and storage, and the tribute system and its role in the life of the city.
José Luis De Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter deals with the construction of the city, specifically its streets and neighborhoods. The geographic extent of the city is a key point, and the communications system and population ...
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This chapter deals with the construction of the city, specifically its streets and neighborhoods. The geographic extent of the city is a key point, and the communications system and population estimates are discussed.Less
This chapter deals with the construction of the city, specifically its streets and neighborhoods. The geographic extent of the city is a key point, and the communications system and population estimates are discussed.
José Luis De Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.003.0008
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter is about the ordinary lives of the Tenochca as well as more extraordinary events, such as births, marriages, deaths, and so on. Rites and feasts are a key point.
This chapter is about the ordinary lives of the Tenochca as well as more extraordinary events, such as births, marriages, deaths, and so on. Rites and feasts are a key point.
Ross Hassig
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520077348
- eISBN:
- 9780520912281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520077348.003.0002
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Latin American Cultural Anthropology
This chapter describes the development of warfare in Mesoamerica. Organized warfare and domination by foreign groups did not truly begin in Mesoamerica until the rise of the Olmecs. The Olmecs ...
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This chapter describes the development of warfare in Mesoamerica. Organized warfare and domination by foreign groups did not truly begin in Mesoamerica until the rise of the Olmecs. The Olmecs probably did not rely on the atlatl as a weapon. Defensive armor was also rare among them. The demise of the Oaxaca trade had significant effects in the Olmec area. San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan's local dominance rested in large part on its unrivaled ability to import elite goods. During the La Venta phase, trade underwent a number of changes, both in type of goods and method of procurement. The role of the Olmec military remained protective rather than expansionistic. The Olmecs did not fight to maintain their position—they lacked the manpower and logistical capability to do so—but simply withdrew when they could no longer sustain mercantile relations.Less
This chapter describes the development of warfare in Mesoamerica. Organized warfare and domination by foreign groups did not truly begin in Mesoamerica until the rise of the Olmecs. The Olmecs probably did not rely on the atlatl as a weapon. Defensive armor was also rare among them. The demise of the Oaxaca trade had significant effects in the Olmec area. San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan's local dominance rested in large part on its unrivaled ability to import elite goods. During the La Venta phase, trade underwent a number of changes, both in type of goods and method of procurement. The role of the Olmec military remained protective rather than expansionistic. The Olmecs did not fight to maintain their position—they lacked the manpower and logistical capability to do so—but simply withdrew when they could no longer sustain mercantile relations.
Frans J. Schryer
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801453144
- eISBN:
- 9780801455124
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801453144.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
This chapter provides a historical background of the Alto Balsas. The Alto Balsas, named after a section of the Balsas River, consists of eighteen towns located on both sides of that river. This area ...
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This chapter provides a historical background of the Alto Balsas. The Alto Balsas, named after a section of the Balsas River, consists of eighteen towns located on both sides of that river. This area was once part of the pre-Columbian region of Mesoamerica. Historians have discovered that, prior to the Spanish conquest, people in the Alto Balsas paid tribute to rulers who lived in Tenochtitlan—now known as Mexico City—the Aztec capital that was then larger than any European city. By the eighteenth century, Mexico—then called New Spain—was the envy of the world; its mines produced gold and silver, and large landed estates called haciendas rivaled the properties owned by the European aristocracy. However, the first half of the nineteenth century was a period of rapid decline, when Mexico was engulfed with political infighting between Liberals and Conservatives, as in the rest of Latin America.Less
This chapter provides a historical background of the Alto Balsas. The Alto Balsas, named after a section of the Balsas River, consists of eighteen towns located on both sides of that river. This area was once part of the pre-Columbian region of Mesoamerica. Historians have discovered that, prior to the Spanish conquest, people in the Alto Balsas paid tribute to rulers who lived in Tenochtitlan—now known as Mexico City—the Aztec capital that was then larger than any European city. By the eighteenth century, Mexico—then called New Spain—was the envy of the world; its mines produced gold and silver, and large landed estates called haciendas rivaled the properties owned by the European aristocracy. However, the first half of the nineteenth century was a period of rapid decline, when Mexico was engulfed with political infighting between Liberals and Conservatives, as in the rest of Latin America.
Jose Luis de Rojas
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813042206
- eISBN:
- 9780813043036
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813042206.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
At the time of the Spaniards’ arrival, Tenochtitlan was the greatest city in ancient Mesoamerica. It was founded two hundred years before the Spanish conquest as a small village and grew in ...
More
At the time of the Spaniards’ arrival, Tenochtitlan was the greatest city in ancient Mesoamerica. It was founded two hundred years before the Spanish conquest as a small village and grew in conjunction with Aztec military might. As Aztec territory became an empire, Tenochtitlan became the capital. Established on an island in the middle of a shallow lake, Tenochtitlan grew on land reclaimed from water as temples, houses, streets, and channels were constructed. The supply lines of food and water were well organized and people earned a living in a great diversity of ways. This book describes the history of the city and the daily lives of its inhabitants.Less
At the time of the Spaniards’ arrival, Tenochtitlan was the greatest city in ancient Mesoamerica. It was founded two hundred years before the Spanish conquest as a small village and grew in conjunction with Aztec military might. As Aztec territory became an empire, Tenochtitlan became the capital. Established on an island in the middle of a shallow lake, Tenochtitlan grew on land reclaimed from water as temples, houses, streets, and channels were constructed. The supply lines of food and water were well organized and people earned a living in a great diversity of ways. This book describes the history of the city and the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Vera S. Candiani
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804788052
- eISBN:
- 9780804791076
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804788052.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Latin American History
In the lacustrine basin of Mexico, pre-Hispanic technologies of water and wetland ecosystems management had developed at both the city-state and village scales. Village hydraulic and soil management ...
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In the lacustrine basin of Mexico, pre-Hispanic technologies of water and wetland ecosystems management had developed at both the city-state and village scales. Village hydraulic and soil management technology depended on land becoming water and then land again, and sustaining domesticated and wild plant and animal life with use value. The main village-level hydraulic structures in the northwest quadrant were the Cuautitlan River diversion dam, its irrigation network, and the Xaltocan chinampas; causeways and albarradones were the main structures around Tenochtitlan; all were multipurpose and designed to contend with both wet- and dry-season events. Ushering in technologies used mainly for the creation of exchange values, and with single purposes predicated on wet-season events, the Spanish conquest affected indigenous technologies without destroying them, as they used them to contend with the effects of ongoing deforestation and changes in the usage of the soil: increased urban flooding.Less
In the lacustrine basin of Mexico, pre-Hispanic technologies of water and wetland ecosystems management had developed at both the city-state and village scales. Village hydraulic and soil management technology depended on land becoming water and then land again, and sustaining domesticated and wild plant and animal life with use value. The main village-level hydraulic structures in the northwest quadrant were the Cuautitlan River diversion dam, its irrigation network, and the Xaltocan chinampas; causeways and albarradones were the main structures around Tenochtitlan; all were multipurpose and designed to contend with both wet- and dry-season events. Ushering in technologies used mainly for the creation of exchange values, and with single purposes predicated on wet-season events, the Spanish conquest affected indigenous technologies without destroying them, as they used them to contend with the effects of ongoing deforestation and changes in the usage of the soil: increased urban flooding.
Laura E. Matthew
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807835371
- eISBN:
- 9781469601793
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807882580_matthew.7
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This chapter emphasizes that to understand the sixteenth-century Central American conquests, patterns of regional migrations, wars, and alliances should be taken into account. Focusing on those of ...
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This chapter emphasizes that to understand the sixteenth-century Central American conquests, patterns of regional migrations, wars, and alliances should be taken into account. Focusing on those of the Tenochca (also known as the Aztec or Mexica) empire, this chapter analyzes the rise and fall of Tenochtitlan, which set the stage for thousands of indigenous warriors from Nahua and Oaxaca to march toward Guatemala and remain as colonists and neighbors of Ciudad Vieja.Less
This chapter emphasizes that to understand the sixteenth-century Central American conquests, patterns of regional migrations, wars, and alliances should be taken into account. Focusing on those of the Tenochca (also known as the Aztec or Mexica) empire, this chapter analyzes the rise and fall of Tenochtitlan, which set the stage for thousands of indigenous warriors from Nahua and Oaxaca to march toward Guatemala and remain as colonists and neighbors of Ciudad Vieja.
David E. Tavárez
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804769488
- eISBN:
- 9780804775069
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804769488.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Latin American History
This chapter evaluates Chimalpahin's modification to the manuscript of Historia de las Indias y Conquista de México. It analyzes Chimalpahin's motivation for producing this manuscript and suggests ...
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This chapter evaluates Chimalpahin's modification to the manuscript of Historia de las Indias y Conquista de México. It analyzes Chimalpahin's motivation for producing this manuscript and suggests that his “hybrid” La Conquista is the sole extant attempt by a colonial American indigenous author to appropriate and modify a historical narrative by a Spanish chronicler about the Americas. This chapter also argues that Chimalpahin approached Francisco López de Gómara's La Conquista as an important chronicle about the defeat of Mexico Tenochtitlan that needed to be copied, amended, and preserved.Less
This chapter evaluates Chimalpahin's modification to the manuscript of Historia de las Indias y Conquista de México. It analyzes Chimalpahin's motivation for producing this manuscript and suggests that his “hybrid” La Conquista is the sole extant attempt by a colonial American indigenous author to appropriate and modify a historical narrative by a Spanish chronicler about the Americas. This chapter also argues that Chimalpahin approached Francisco López de Gómara's La Conquista as an important chronicle about the defeat of Mexico Tenochtitlan that needed to be copied, amended, and preserved.
Kathleen James-Chakraborty
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816673964
- eISBN:
- 9781452946047
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816673964.003.0002
- Subject:
- Architecture, Architectural History
This chapter explores the history and architecture of Tenochtitlán, Mexico, and Cuzco, Peru. The city of Tenochtitlán was the center of the Mexica empire while the Inca empire centered on Cuzco. Both ...
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This chapter explores the history and architecture of Tenochtitlán, Mexico, and Cuzco, Peru. The city of Tenochtitlán was the center of the Mexica empire while the Inca empire centered on Cuzco. Both societies were technologically advanced, with complex political structures capable of organizing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. The remains of their architecture provide us with the richest evidence of their accomplishments and forms the worldview that inspired them. However, these cities and their buildings were not enough to sustain the cultures that had created them. In the sixteenth century, the Mexica and the Inca fell victim to Spanish conquerors and their thirst for gold. The process was violent and terrifying, destroying the social and architectural patterns that had once ordered these unusually prosperous societies.Less
This chapter explores the history and architecture of Tenochtitlán, Mexico, and Cuzco, Peru. The city of Tenochtitlán was the center of the Mexica empire while the Inca empire centered on Cuzco. Both societies were technologically advanced, with complex political structures capable of organizing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. The remains of their architecture provide us with the richest evidence of their accomplishments and forms the worldview that inspired them. However, these cities and their buildings were not enough to sustain the cultures that had created them. In the sixteenth century, the Mexica and the Inca fell victim to Spanish conquerors and their thirst for gold. The process was violent and terrifying, destroying the social and architectural patterns that had once ordered these unusually prosperous societies.
Camilla Townsend
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190628994
- eISBN:
- 9780190629021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190628994.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Latin American History
The 1560s were a pivotal decade for the Nahuas. For the first time, the urban Indians had to pay a head tax like all other Mexican indigenous peoples. They made extraordinary efforts to prevent this ...
More
The 1560s were a pivotal decade for the Nahuas. For the first time, the urban Indians had to pay a head tax like all other Mexican indigenous peoples. They made extraordinary efforts to prevent this change, which they foresaw would impoverish them, and they recorded for their posterity traditional histories or annals recounting their efforts. Because of high unrest, a plot against the Crown by don Martín Cortés, son of Hernando Cortés, reverberated in terrible ways. Several indigenous texts illuminate not only the political moment but also the traditional indigenous notions of historiography, among them the Codex Aubin, the Codex Osuna, and the Annals of Juan Bautista.Less
The 1560s were a pivotal decade for the Nahuas. For the first time, the urban Indians had to pay a head tax like all other Mexican indigenous peoples. They made extraordinary efforts to prevent this change, which they foresaw would impoverish them, and they recorded for their posterity traditional histories or annals recounting their efforts. Because of high unrest, a plot against the Crown by don Martín Cortés, son of Hernando Cortés, reverberated in terrible ways. Several indigenous texts illuminate not only the political moment but also the traditional indigenous notions of historiography, among them the Codex Aubin, the Codex Osuna, and the Annals of Juan Bautista.
Camilla Townsend
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190628994
- eISBN:
- 9780190629021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190628994.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, Latin American History
By about 1600, indigenous intellectuals in the City of Mexico began to fear that knowledge of the old histories was truly being lost, which led to an outpouring of indigenous history writing. ...
More
By about 1600, indigenous intellectuals in the City of Mexico began to fear that knowledge of the old histories was truly being lost, which led to an outpouring of indigenous history writing. Chimalpahin from Chalco was the most famous of such writers. He was a contemporary of don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl from Tetzcoco and Tezozomoc of the Mexican royal family, both of whom he seems to have known. The cosmopolitanism of Chimalpahin’s vision is extraordinary. He commented not only on current events (such as the desagüe) but on ancient ones (such as the reign of Axaycatl), and on both Nahuatl texts and European ones.Less
By about 1600, indigenous intellectuals in the City of Mexico began to fear that knowledge of the old histories was truly being lost, which led to an outpouring of indigenous history writing. Chimalpahin from Chalco was the most famous of such writers. He was a contemporary of don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl from Tetzcoco and Tezozomoc of the Mexican royal family, both of whom he seems to have known. The cosmopolitanism of Chimalpahin’s vision is extraordinary. He commented not only on current events (such as the desagüe) but on ancient ones (such as the reign of Axaycatl), and on both Nahuatl texts and European ones.
