The Aztec was the collective name given to seven Chichimec tribes in northern Mexico in the 12th century. They controlled the valley of Mexico and most of Central America. They ruled from their capital Tenochtitlan until the Spanish conquest in the 15th century. The Aztecs believed in many different gods and were almost constantly at war. They also practiced human sacrifice.
The Aztecs worshipped many gods in their religion and had many theories about how the world worked. They believed that every night, the sun fought darkness and rose to save mankind. They also believed that in order for the world to function, they needed to make sacrifices. The Aztecs believed that the universe ran on Tonalli which means animating spirit. This Tonalli nourished the gods and kept the sun moving. They believed that Tonalli was found in the human bloodstream and when a person was frightened it gathered in the heart. The Aztecs honoured their gods with temples in which they would perform religious rituals and sacrifices. Their main temple worshipped the rain god, Tlatoc. They believed that this would ensure plenty of rain for farmers to grow their crops and feed their feedstock. The head of all gods, Hulzitopocholid, was the god of war and sun. The Aztecs believed that this god would bring them strength in battle and keep the sun moving as long as the god was continuously nourished.
The Aztecs were almost constantly at war and were dedicated to conquering new cities. They adopted many religious beliefs from the cities of which they conquered. The Aztecs had a strange conquering technique in which they did not simply attack a city of their choosing; they first sent out an ambassador from Tenochtitlan and offered the city protection in return for a trade of gold and precious stones. The city would have twenty days consider the offer or until another ambassador was sent out to retrieve their