Motechzuma+Xocoyoti

Introduction Mocteczuma is a loyal leader who cared and loved all his people. He had told all the young children,"I confide to your can my beloved children, the most precious jewels I can leave you" (Brainy quote). This showed he didn't just care about his ruling and his power, but of his people, which made him a great ruler.He was the founder of Tenochitiltan which is now know of as Mexico City (Draper). Mexico city is such a great land that Hernan Cortez was all in awe of his land and tried to become ruler to take over the land. The citizens didn't want Cortez leading. Therefore the people were loyal to Mocteczuma to him and only him which led to a huge war (Miller).

Personal Background Mocteczuma leader of the aztecs was born in Tenochititlan. He a very rich man and had 19 children (Draper). Mocteczuma loved and cared for all his children and would do anything for them just like any father would. He gave his kids all his riches. surprisingly, he had only two wives but had many mistresses (Miller). Mocteczuma was a very religious man kill 500 to 700 people in order to please the gods he believed and many of the Aztecs as well. In total 20,000 people were scarificed on special occasions. Later on some skulls were found of the prisoners that were sacrificed (Salmon). He also had many slaves that worked for him and did things such as feed him, make them do things for his family keep everything nice (Draper). He was a very clean man as were a lot of Aztecs that’s why a lot were killed by many diseases by the Spaniards. Moctezuma aggressively moves to consolidate his empire, largest in Mesoamerica history (Draper). Mocteczuma has a beautiful palace many Spaniards were in great shock of how beautiful this palace was (Akabar). Mocteczuma was a great idol too his people he inspired him. He was praised as if he were a god himself. The aztec ruler was very loyal to his people. Dying in battle for his people by Cortez and the Spaniards. It sucks because Mocteczuma treated his guest with such grace he gave them all food and took care of Cortez 500 men. It came back to haunt him though because Cortez laid siege on June 30, 1521 to the Aztec capital ( Miller). That’s the last year the resisted before they were defeated. Mocteczuma died in 1520 ( Salmon).

Personality Traits

Mocteczuma’s personality traits are like many of the popular rulers around the world. The Aztec great had a lot of power not only because he was the king but, because he had a lot of money he had a lot of gold and a lot of land. The Aztec ruler was a ruthless he would go through anything for his people that why he was imprisoned by Hernan Cortez. Mocteczuma didn’t want to tell him where the gold was he died in battle for them, this shows a lot of loyalty (Salmon). He was considered a goddess to his people he would do anything for them no matter the consequence’s he would die for his people (Miller). “Now we are part of the world, and the world is a part of us. If any parts suffer, then all suffer (Moctezuma) (Brainy quotes).” This shows leadership and a lot of courage knowing his life is on the line he didn’t care about himself he cared more for the people. That is what being a leader is about willing to do anything form your country. Nevertheless, Mocteczuma was not only those things, he was a very ambitious man he was the founder of Tenochtitlan and he was very rich and had a lot of rich resources (Salmon). Mocteczuma had a lot of piercings on his face just like many Aztecs did every piercing means something to an Aztec when the get it. The get the piercings from a very small age all the way to being a grown up. Like many Aztecs today he is a very light colored brown skin. You would think he is as very dirty man but, Mocteczuma was a very clean man he loved to be clean (Miller). He was a very religious man, he made a lot of sacrifices for the gods that they believed in. Religious rituals and civic life in the city of 200,000 converged 30 acre plaza. Inside the walls of this was enemy skulls. They even killed some of the own people and would capture them and transport them and transport them to the huge pyramid were there head would be cut and thrown down the stairs. 20,000 people were sacrificed on special occasions, 500 to 700 people were sacrificed a year. This show how serious the Aztecs and there Aztec leader were about their gods going to the extreme to make him happy. They believed that gods was mad at them when they didn’t have no water for the crops to grow so they would sacrifice. He was multi lingual 20 languages were spoken Nahuatl is the most commonly spoken many in Mexico today speak that language (Salmon).



Obstacles

Mocteczuma went through a lot of obstacles for the short period of time that he ruled in the Aztec empire. He became emperor in 1440 and was said to be in the Aztec empire one of the greatest emperors to rule (Salmon). He found a city of about 25,000 different inhabitants. The Aztec ruler also led a lot of religious deaths to please the gods there was bones found by some historians inside they pyramids of the Aztec empire. The Great would chop off the people’s heads off and threw it down the stairs leaving the stains of the blood on the stairs of the pyramid (Pohl). The Aztec empire held 18 cult parties which were held every year, it was a big tradition in Aztec history (Salmon). On February18, 1519 cortex set sail from Cuba with 500 men and 2 ships. Mocteczuma made a big mistake by allowing these Spaniards in his city in November and it amazed the Spaniards. This is what led Mocteczuma to be a prisoner of Hernan Cortez (Miller). 50,000 indigenous warriors revolted against Hernan Cortez but, they had no chance of defeating him because there technology was too great for the Aztec warriors (Draper). A big part of the 25 million Aztecs that died were because of the diseases that the Spaniards brought to the Aztec empire, many of the Aztecs died of smalls pox. They were so much more powerful than them they conquered Veracruz with only 100 men. Mocteczuma was ruthlessly murdered by the Spaniards in 1521(Salmon). On August 13, 1521 Cortez declared Tenochtitlan his, he was at the head of an allied army estimated soldiers was 120,000 to 150,000. The Palaces throughout the central and southern highland of Mexico began to engage in fiercely competition, systems to enhance their positions within allied network (Pohl).



Historical Significance

Mocteczuma has many historical significances, he is very important person in Aztecs who would become Mexicans. He is the 9 leader in Aztec history, he took izotcal place after he died in 1440 Mocteczuma was the nephew of izoctal. The people didn’t really like izoctal because they didn’t like the way he did things as the Aztec empire and they needed a new one so when he died the Aztecs were kind of relieved and happy (Hofstadter). Zuma founded a city of about 20,000 inhabitants which is a lot for one city. Later on Mocteczuma had founded Tenochtitlan and an alliance led by him and they controlled central Mexico (Pohl). Like many leaders they have their falls and in 1450 they had a huge flood that led to famine this drought had affected Aztecs for about 4 years. The drought damaged all their crops which was their food supply. In 1980, 42 child skeletons were found near the big temple. Children were sacrificed in times of drought, as their tears were thought to bring rain. Archeologists have found more than 7,000 objects from decorated skulls to earthenware pots, while excavating the ancient temple area (Salmon). He also had his ups though, Mocteczuma was appointed supreme military commander before even before he became leader of the Aztecs. He as well built a new palace in Tenochtitlan which is now known as Mexico City. Overall, Mocteczuma had benefited his people more than he had hurt and effected them and that is what makes a great leader (Miller). The fate of Mocteczuma and his Aztec people all changed in 1519 when Hernan Cortez showed up on the coast of yoctactue, pensilva (Hofstadter). On November 8, 1519 the two great leaders meet for the first time (Miller). By 1521 Cortez and his Indian allies had conquered Tenochtitlan at this time Mocteczuma was being held prisoner by Hernan Cortez (Hofstadter). On June 30, 1521 the Spaniards laid siege to the Aztec capital. As well as small pox’s is beginning to ravage the basins of millions of inhabitants. Smallpox’s had a lot to do with the Spaniards conquering the Aztecs, smallpox’s nearly cut the Aztec population in half (Miller). The other thing that had a lot to do with the Spaniard’s conquering was their weapons were just too much for the Aztecs (Hofsatder). Mocteczuma died in 1520 in battle with the Spaniard’s. He was humiliated by the Aztecs and there was nothing he could have done about it, he was just too overpowered. He ruled for 18 years for the Aztecs and many know him as a god now. Although he was the fault to the Aztecs falling because he let Cortez into his kingdom and trusted him. He did everything possible for his people and he died fighting he didn’t die begging (Pohl).

Reference

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