The Inca, Aztec and Mayan civilizations were the most developed in the Americas, from a material point of view.
They are also called "pre-Columbian" because they developed before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America in 1492.
They lived in different territories and, therefore, never coexisted. Its heritage is still visible today in the countries of Central and South America.
Let's look at the characteristics of each of them.
Inca civilization
The Inca civilization occupied the territory that today corresponds to Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, western Bolivia, northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. Its capital was Cusco.
It is estimated that the Inca Empire brought together eight million people and lasted approximately from 1450 to 1519.
inca society
Inca society was strongly hierarchical and divided between the Sapa Inca and their relatives, the nobility (leaders and military), the peasants and the enslaved.
The Inca, a word that means “chief”, was considered the son of the sun god and, therefore, venerated as a deity. Under his authority were hundreds of tribes who were to serve him through obligatory labor, payment of tribute, and military service.
The population was organized around the “ayllu” (community, in the Quechua language), where men had to periodically work on land and public works. As for women, the most beautiful were sent to serve the Inca, either as a lover or weaving his clothes.
history of the incas
The tribe of the Incas settled in the century. XI in Cusco, in a region full of rival villages. When they managed to repel an attack, the Incas began to conquer the lands around Lake Titicaca and thus began their grandiose Empire.
As the Empire grew, the capital received improvements, such as temples, warehouses and the fortress of Sacsayhuaman whose ruins are still visible today.
To unify this empire, roads were built that departed from Cusco. Along the way, hostels were built to house travelers and their animals.
When the Spaniards arrived in the Americas, the Incas were plunged into internal struggles. This weakened the Empire and the Europeans knew how to use the rivalry to their advantage.
inca economy
The basis of the economy was agriculture and land distribution was made according to the size of the family. Therefore, the more children, the more land the family received.
Commerce was carried out in the main cities through periodic fairs.
Inca culture and religion
The Incas were polytheists (they worshiped several gods) and believed that the universe was organized into three worlds: HananPacha (world above), KaiPacha (world in the middle) and UkuPacha (world below).
Communication between these worlds was made through elements of nature, such as rain; and animals such as the condor.
Aztec civilization
The Aztec civilization extended through the territory that currently extends from central Mexico to Guatemala.
It developed in the period between 1325 and 1519 and its population had 15 million people in the century. XVI.
Aztec society
The emperor was not considered the son or the incarnation of the gods, as in the Inca and Mayan cultures. However, his power lay in the belief that he was an intermediary between gods and men.
The Emperor ruled over his vast domain, aided by nobles and priests. The army was of fundamental importance both to guard and to punish the tribes that rebelled against its power.
Aztec society was divided into family units linked by blood and common ancestors. Peasants were the most numerous, but there were a large number of artisans (manufacturer of clothing and utensils) who constituted the Aztec social base.
History of the Aztecs
The Aztec civilization, also known as "Mexica", has its origins in various cultures, such as the Toltec, among others.
The god Huitzilopochtli ordered them to settle in the land where they would find an eagle devouring a serpent. After traveling two hundred years, the Aztecs found this sign in the middle of Lake Texcoco.
There, in 1325, they began to build one of the most spectacular cities in the world, Tenochtitlán, by building dikes that contained the floods. From there they also set out to subjugate neighboring tribes and secure trade and supplies of goods in exchange for protection and food in difficult times.
The Aztec civilization, however, would undergo a great change with the arrival of the Spaniards in its territory, in the century. XVI.
The Spaniards were already installed on the island of Cuba and landed at a port, which they will christen Veracruz. There, the Indians indicated that there was a great city to the north, full of wealth, where the Spaniards would find gold.
The conquest of the Aztecs, by the Spaniards, lasted two years and was possible because they allied themselves with tribes that were enemies of the Aztecs.
Aztec economy
The Aztecs cultivated corn, pumpkin, beans, tomatoes and cocoa. To increase the area of cultivation in the capital, they created the “chinampas”, small artificial islands where they could sow the food they needed. They also domesticated some animals, such as the turkey.
In order to trade with all points of the empire, they created two trade routes: one along the Gulf of Mexico and one along the Pacific coast.
Aztec Culture and Religion
The Aztecs were polytheists and worshiped their gods in pyramid-shaped temples.
To keep the deities happy, they practiced human sacrifices, as they believed that this was the way to make the sun always rise again.
They worked ceramics with geometric structures and used bird feathers to make crowns that would be used by the Emperor in religious ceremonies.
Mayan civilization
The Mayan civilization flourished in Mexico, in the Yucatan Peninsula region, as well as in Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. It formed a society of city-states, with important urban centers such as Culakmul, Tikal and Copán. It is estimated that the Mayan population may have reached 1.5 million people.
Of all the pre-Columbian civilizations, it was the one that existed for the longest time as a structured State: from the 18th century. Via. Ç. to X d. Ç.
Mayan society
Mayan society was hierarchical and at the top of the social pyramid were its rulers. Its function, in addition to politics, was religious, as festivals and sacrifices to the gods should always take place in its presence.
There were priests and officials responsible for collecting taxes. There were also the peasants, responsible for agriculture, and the artisans, who had to transform the raw material into useful objects.
history of the maya
The Mayan civilization developed during fifteen centuries between VI a. Ç. and X d. Ç. Thus, when the Spaniards arrived in the region, the Mayans had disappeared as an organized society, leaving only their enormous pyramids as a testament to their splendour.
However, their culture and language survive to this day in these regions as attested by the millions of descendants.
Unlike the Incas and Aztecs, the Mayans did not organize a centralized empire and the population lived in cities independent of each other. They shared similar customs, from architecture, language and social organization.
Mayan Economy
They mainly cultivated corn, which was the basis of food, cassava, cotton and sunflower. They raised birds such as turkey and ducks.
Mayan culture and religion
The Mayans were polytheists and performed festivals and sacrifices for their deities. They built temples in the form of huge pyramids that can still be visited in Central American countries today.
Also, due to agriculture, they developed a sophisticated circular calendar that allowed them to keep track of time and not miss the right moment for planting and harvesting.
See too:
- mayan art
- inca art
- aztec art
Bibliographic references
C'est pas sorcier: Incas, l'empire du Soleil. France 3. Accessed on 12.18.2020.
C'est pas sorcier: mayas. Issued 05.28.2013. France 3. Accessed on 12.18.2020.
Brooks, Dario - Aztecs or Mexicas: Who Founded Mexico (and Why Confusion)?. BBC.com. Published on 02.09.2020. Consulted 22.12.2020.
