Regime of the Aztecs and Incans

            The nature of the regime of the Aztecs.
             The Aztecs were a warlike and bloodthirsty tribe that dominated the area around central Mexico from their capital of Tenochtitlan. .
             The Aztec society was very religious, and the predominant aspect of their religion demanded human sacrifice to insure the fertility of their land, indeed the continuation of the world. Two chief gods dominated the Aztec religion. Huitzilopochtli "Hummingbird Wizard" also known as Lover of Hearts and Drinker of Blood, the Aztec patron deity and god of the Sun and War, and Tezcatlipoca "Smoking Mirror", the god of darkness and destruction. The universal religious symbol in the Aztec religion was the serpent. .
             The Aztec economy was based on farming, and so the people had many agricultural divinities. The Aztec held many religious ceremonies, the most important of which observed planting, harvesting, and other events in the agricultural year. The purpose of many of these ceremonies was to ensure good crops by winning the favor of the gods.
             Human sacrifice played a vital role in the major ceremonies. Priests slashed open the chest of a living victim and tore out the heart. The Aztec believed that the gods needed human hearts and blood to remain strong. Worshipers sometimes ate portions of a victim's body. They may have thought that the dead person's strength and bravery passed to anyone who ate the flesh. Most victims were prisoners of war or slaves. To worship the devil gods, Tlacaellel's law required a thousand sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli in every town with temple, every year. It is estimated that at least 50,000 were sacrificed a year, probably more. .
             Aztec society was highly structured, based on agriculture, and guided by a religion that pervaded every aspect of life. The Aztec worshipped gods that represented natural forces that were vital to their agricultural economy. Aztec cities were dominated by giant stone pyramids that had temples at the top where human sacrifices were done in honor of the god's Aztec art was primarily an done to represent religion, and even warfare.