The History of Mexico Before the Spanish Conquest

The discovery of human footprints has pushed Mexican history to 40,000 years ago. Originally hunter-gatherers, they settled down to growing corn around 9000 years ago. The result, Mexico witnessed the rise of many civilizations -Olmec, Izapa, Teotihuacan, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Huastec, Tarascan, Toltec, and Aztec.

The Olmecs, the earliest of the civilizations, established themselves around 1000 BC over regions in Central and Southern Mexico. They built cities and worshipped a jaguar. They influenced later civilizations. Why this civilization disappeared is a mystery. Next, the Teotihuacán rose to power. By AD 150, they had become a true metropolis, the first of its kind, with a very cosmopolitan population. They dominated the Mayan cities and influenced them politically, economically and culturally. The Mayan civilization was contemporary to them.

The high point of Mayan civilization was between AD 250 and AD 650. Progress in astronomy, developments in mathematics and literature was made. Around AD 700, we find a new civilization gaining ground to replace the Teotihuacán and the Mayans. The Toltec people were from the desert regions. Their period saw consolidation of the empire left by Teotihuacán. The empire now reached the borders of Central America and Southwestern U.S. They traded with neighboring civilizations of the region offering turquoise and birdfeathers.

The decline of the Toltec Civilization left a power vacuum in the Mexican Valley. The stage was set for the last of the major civilizations to step in. They were outsiders from the desert region and originally called the Aztecs. They changed their name to Mexica in due course. They were crude and hard people. In 1498, they revolted successfully against the rulers and became the rulers of central Mexico with the help of an Alliance of three cities-states-Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan.

The Mexica introduced a well-developed political and economic system. The emperor collected taxes. The conquered land was distributed among the subjects. The Empire was large and extended from coast to coast and in the south to the borders of Central America. Their capital Tenochtitlan (now called Mexico City) was a beautiful island city with its pyramids and long floating roads, crowded market place and one hundred thousand residents. A strict adherence to law and order was required of the subjects. The stamp of the Mexican is on every thing Mexican-food, art, and dress, flag. They even lent their name to the later day capital city.

In 1519, the Aztecs were attacked by Spain. By 1521, their capital had fallen. This marked the beginning of colonial rule. Spanish rule continued until 1810. By that time, Mexico was pale shadow of its glorious past.