Essay: Aztec Empire and Mongolian Empires – similarities and differences

The Aztec and Mongolian Empires had strong similarities, yet vast differences. The Empires both came from nomadic origins, had strong militant forces, and both formed alliances and groups to expand and strengthen their empires. On the other hand, they had ample differences. The Aztecs were located in Central Mexico and Lake Texcoco, held a very strong devotion to their religion, and their fall was due to foreign invasion. The Mongols were located from the Middle Eastern heartlands of the Islamic world to China Sea, had no religious agenda, and fell due to mostly internal factors.
First, to compare, the rise of both empires came from nomadic tribes. The Aztecs were a wandering nomadic tribe from North Mexico. They and many other peoples fought for control of the lakes in the valley of Mexico. Though the underdog, they won control of the area which led to the birth of the empire. The Mongols were a nomadic people that had intervened occasionally in Chinese history. Their empire began small, yet became the second largest land empire in history. To contrast, the Aztec empire was located in Central Mexico around Lake Texcoco. Their capital city, Tenochtitlan, was founded about 1325. Throughout the empire, they formed many city-states in and around Central Mexico. During the same time frame, the Mongolian empire was rapidly expanding. The Mongols, who began in the steppes of Central Asia, expanded through most of modern-day Russia, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, Persia, India, the Middle East, and eastern Europe. They conquered this land in a mere 168 years!
One of the strongest similarities between the empires was their militant forces. The Aztecs had as many as 200,000 men over 25 divisions who could lead a huge campaign. They many ranks throughout leadership, such as the head the leader the tlatoani, his second in command the cihuacoatl, four other nobles, and then warriors. The warriors were highly trained men who had learned tactics and skills from a young age. In like manner, the Mongols had a very brutal and strong army. The Mongolian army was led initially by Chinggis Khan, who was elevated by his incredible warriors. His warriors, trained from youth, were physically tough, mobile, and used to killing and death. The army was strictly cavalry which meant they could quickly advance through enemy forces. On the contrary, both empires differed greatly in religious practice. The Aztecs were polytheistic and were devoted to their beliefs. They recognized at 128 major deities, but the most revered god was Huitzilopochtli the old sun god. They believed the sun needed strength, and their way of paying them back was human sacrifices, whether it be their own life or another’s. however, the Mongolian empire didn’t have a true official religion, but most of the time religion was tolerated.
Another connection between the two empires was their alliances with other groups of people. The Aztec empire expanded and conquered mostly through their alliances. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, formed an alliance with two city-states which controlled much of the central plains. Although they formed an agreement, Tenochtitlan and the Aztecs controlled the major portion of the tribute and land that was taken. The Mongols would divide people into kin-related clans, and when threatened by enemies or were planning to attack, they would form great confederations. This was an intelligent tactic which helped the Mongols emerge victorious in battles and wars. A final contrast within the two empires was the decline and fall of the Aztecs and Mongols. In 1519, Hernando Cortes came in from East Mexico, defeated a local group of Indians, and set out for the Aztecs Empire. By 1521, they had conquered the Aztecs army, and within two years they had conquered and destroyed Aztec civilization. On the other hand, the Mongols fall stemmed from internal disputes. First, the Mongolian empire split into four different khanates. The Yuan dynasty, the Golden Horde, the Chagatai Khanate, and Ilkhanate. All four, over time, collapsed to due to internal conflicts.
To conclude, both the Aztec Empire and the Mongolian Empires had strong similarities and differences. The Aztec Empire shared great similarities with the Mongols such as nomadic origins, elite military forces, and formed alliances for expansion and war. Likewise, they did share vital differences such as geographic location, religious beliefs and practices, and how the empires fell.