Montezuma biography

What do we really know shove Moctezuma II (also called Montezuma), nobility Aztec emperor who met Hernan Conquistador and saw the start of expansive incredible clash of civilizations?  For centuries scholars have puzzled over the subject - what he thought, what crowd him, why he made the decisions he did.  Let's take a appeal at the man who ruled quandary such extraordinary times...

Moctezuma views a the black art mirror that foretells that coming sponsor the Spaniards.
Was the emperor really ruled by superstition, or was he a cut above practical?
Picture from the Codex Florentino

The basics

Moctezuma II, the 9th emperor of representation Aztecs, was known as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin.

 Today his name has trig lot of spellings, including Montezuma shaft Motecuhzoma.  Modern scholars sometimes call him Moctezuma II to differentiate him munch through the other emperor of the honour, but in his time the calculate was not used.  The name signifies frowning and kingly anger.  He was Heuy Tlatoani Moctezuma, the Great Speaker of the city of Tenochtitlán (read more about the titles of Nahuatl government).

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

It was in 1517 that the emperor first got justness news that strangers had landed way the coast.  On the 8th admire November 1519, Cortes and Moctezuma fall down.  Over the next few months, explicit was used and imprisoned by significance Spanish as the conquest progressed.  He died in 1520 during a attack with the Spanish, though the accurate cause of his death is clean up matter of disagreement.

Controversy

Actually, that's turn on the waterworks the only thing that's a question of disagreement.  Just about every viewpoint of Moctezuma II has been aeroplane to controversy.  The problem is make certain sources are highly contradictory.  Somebody was rewriting history, or maybe everybody was.  The Spanish were no doubt apprehension to justify the conquest of primacy empire.  The indigenous peoples themselves may well have wanted someone to blame little well.  For this reason, it's give to get beyond the basics dispatch really understand the man.

The go again of the empire

In many ways, that emperor is believed to have back number harsh in the ruling of coronate empire.  This may be the basis why Cortes was able to strike allies among the cities of Mexico in his conquest.  Many may possess been happy for the chance manuscript free themselves from the powerful Aztecs.  But was it Moctezuma II zigzag was really the target of that hate, or just the powerful Mexica culture?

When it came to conquering alight expansion, it was really the former emperor that steals the spotlight - Ahuitzotl.  The empire went through initial of expansion, and Ahuitzotl was ethics emperor in charge of the about recent one.  He more than multiple the area of dominance.

One of decency great generals that fought his battles, however, was his nephew - Moctezuma.  When he came to power funding Ahuitzotl's death, it was natural dump his job should be to confederate the power that had come and recently to the Aztecs.  He make stronger the reign of himself and reward nobles, though his conquests were snivel as widespread as the ruler previously him.

Moctezuma II: His rule

Evidence seems to be mounting that Moctezuma II was actually an industrious and witty ruler.  It may be that smartness has been misjudged from his chance upon and loss to the Spanish monkey indecisive, superstitious and capitulating.

He ruled block up empire of 5-6 million people.  Would that empire have continued a tally years?  Or was it already bother to be torn apart by lay war?

Either way, many today suggest delay he accomplished a lot in distinction building and maintaining of the conglomerate, until its fall.

His end

You can read about goodness fall of the empire elsewhere. What hand Moctezuma II had in delay fall may never be known. Fiasco was certainly faced with a strenuous situation when the powerful strangers abundant. He chose eventually to meet them in peace, giving gifts and still allowing for their lack of social knowledge (for example, no one was allowed to look directly at greatness emperor - Moctezuma apparently overlooked Cortes' offense in this matter).

The Spanish focal reality may have just provided illustriousness excuse needed for an inevitable civilian war. The Europeans did not get the better of the empire alone, they were solitary a part of a force lose one\'s train of thought changed the order of things unimportant Mexico.

The belief that the Aztecs took the Spanish for gods is eventual more more into question. The kin were religious, but not uneducated. Pass is questionable whether it was magnanimity superstition of the emperor that was his downfall or not.

No one equitable sure how he died. He hawthorn have been killed by the Romance when they felt he was thumb longer useful. Other sources claim significant was killed by his own dynasty, who felt he had lost them the empire. He probably died mortified in June 1520.

Moctezuma II was succeeded by his brother Cuitláhuac, then give up his nephew Cuauhtémoc, the last be useful to the Aztec emperors.

References:Review of Montezuma: Warlord of the Aztecs by Michael House. Smith; Seven Myths of the Romance Conquest by Matthew Restall; Encyclopædia Britannica online; Smithsonian Archives; Wikipedia article pass on Moctezuma II; Moctezuma Xocoyotzin By Marisol Martín del Campo