9781422286807

Ancient Leaders

13

This native painting on cloth gives an idea of the size of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, Tenochtitlán was home to about 300,000 people, making it larger than any city of Europe at the time. Although the Aztecs had developed a complex government structure, a powerful military, a state religion, and an artistic tradition, Spanish conquistadors still viewed them as savages.