Aztec Population
It is said that the Aztecs came from Aztlan which was a place that literally means “the place of origin”. Some historians believe that Aztlan is a place somewhere near the Valley of Mexico, while some believe that it is a place that doesn’t really exist or is mythical. Although the place of origin of the Mexica or the Aztecs is not known for sure, it is positive that the Aztecs settled in the Valley of Mexico around the middle of the 13th century and this is when the Aztec population started to grow.
The Growth Of Aztec Population
At first, the Mexica or the Aztecs were not as many as the other tribes. They were considered to be the new kids on the block and they got the worst place to live in. But this didn’t stop them from growing and thriving as a great civilization and highly known empire.
With the help of two other groups, the triple alliance became the most popular group in the Valley of Mexico. By the time the Spaniards came, the Aztecs population was already a very numerous one. Although their exact population always varied because of the quite big impact that human sacrifices to the gods made on their numbers.
At about 1519, the Aztecs were about 25,000,000 in number. They were plenty, thriving and they dominated the area. But when the Spaniards came, not only did the Spaniards kill a lot of the Aztecs, but they also brought with them many diseases.
The Decline Of Aztec Population
Many Aztec people died because of the small pox. By the year 1538, the Aztec population really declined. The remaining Aztecs had a total population of about 6 million only. By the year 1580, the Aztecs’ numbers really spiraled downwards; there were only about 2 million Aztecs left.
Some of the diseases the Spaniards brought included mumps, tuberculosis, typhus and measles. Aztecs didn’t have the right medicine for these diseases nor were they resistant to them, since the diseases were new. They probably didn’t even know what these sicknesses were. So although the Aztec empire crumbled when it was defeated by Spaniards it ware the diseases that caused the decline of the Aztec population.
Aztec People Today
Modern Aztecs or the descendants of the Aztecs now live in or near Mexico City. Mexico City is after all where the original Aztecs lived, although before, the city was called Tenochtitlan. Modern Mexico now stands on what was before Tenochtitlan.
The modern Aztecs of today number well over a million and they are now the largest aboriginal group in Mexico. These modern day Aztecs are usually illiterate farmers who are somehow different from the other Mexicans whose culture is very modern compared to the Aztecs.
These modern day Aztecs still retain their way of speaking and they use the Aztec-Nahua language. Their religion however is different and can be described as a mix of Aztec religion and Roman Catholicism.
There are still many places in Mexico City that showcases the artworks or the majesty of the once thriving Aztecs. There’s even a statue in Mexico city depicting the Aztecs. They are certainly few in number now but surely, Aztec population and their empire will not and can never be forgotten.
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