The 10 Characteristics of the Toltec Most Important Culture

The Characteristics of the Toltec culture Are those basic and essential elements that identify the Toltecs, Indigenous That inhabited the south region of the present Mexico before the arrival of the Spaniards to the American continent.

The Toltec culture is one of the cultures inhabiting the region of Mesoamerica Whose origins date back to the pre-Columbian era. This culture belonged to the indigenous Nahuatl . It is presumed that they occupied the region between the 10th and 20th centuries.

Toltec culture.  Image extracted from the Toltec Book of Pedagogy. Image extracted from the Toltec Book of Pedagogy.

The word Toltec Is of Nahuatl origin (Tōltēcah). In all likelihood, and following linguistic studies, this word means Dweller of Tula. This name is because this population was located in the current region called Valle de Tula, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

The Toltecs gave birth to the great indigenous Mexican civilizations and were the ancestors of the Aztec apogee. The Toltec culture was considered over the years as the Teachers builders And the Aztecs proclaimed themselves descendants of the Toltecs, so as to boast of their deeds and achievements.

Toltec culture left considerable artistic creations that have allowed to date its existence. One of these manifestations were the stone warriors or atlantes , That still are exhibited in the present city of Tula.

In addition, the Toltecs had a strong participation in the architectural area, developing different techniques of pyramid construction, such as Pyramid B in Tula.

You may also like to know The Toltec economy: most important characteristics .

Main characteristics of the Toltec culture

1- Geographical location in Mesoamerica

Toltec culture was established in Mesoamerica. At present, the area occupied by the Toltecs belongs to the United Mexican States, mainly in the southern part.

This area is now called the Tula Valley, but its dominion extended to neighboring regions that today correspond to the states of Zacatecas, Hidalgo and much of Jalisco, but by architectural constructions it is believed that it could reach Quintana Roo and Yucatan.

However, this Toltec settlement did not occur since the beginning of civilization. On the contrary, it is considered that the Toltecs were originally nomadic, like a large part of the indigenous groups, and kept moving from one place to another for more than a century until their establishment in Tula.

2 - Despotic governments

The different indigenous groups and civilizations had, in their great majority, despotic monarchical governments, with an iron masculine leader who imposed itself in the power but always was stalked to him.

In the case of the Toltecs, they maintained a monarchical system of military character, where the warriors prevailed and reached the throne. The monarchs were known by the name of tlahtoques.

The establishment of the monarchy arises only after the end of the nomadism of the Toltecs. When they were nomads they maintained to seven people called gentlemen in charge of the governance of the town.

These were Zacatl, Chalcatzin, Ehecatzin, Cohualtzin, Tzihuacoatl, Metzotzin and Tlapalmetzotzin (Clavijero, 1987).

3- Nomadism

As previously mentioned, the Toltec began as a nomadic people. It is stated that the Toltec population began their pilgrimage when they left Huehuetlapallan, which can be translated as Old red earth , Located in the kingdom of Tollan.

It is estimated that this displacement began in the sixth century AD and lasted for approximately 104 years. The seven lords who ruled the tribe were established at first in Tollantzinco.

However, twenty years later they leave the territory and settle down to fourteen leagues, founding the city of Tollan-Xicocotitla, or more simply, Tula.

The Toltec monarchy extended for 384 years and retained eight monarchs or tlahtoques. Once this period ended, the Toltec culture went into decline and eventually diluted and plunged into the new majority civilizations as was the Aztec.

4- Agricultural Economics

Like most indigenous cultures and later Western cultures, the Toltec culture economy was based predominantly on agriculture.

Through it the Toltecs cultivated the food with which to provide to all the vast town inhabiting in the valley of the Tula. Among the products they planted are bean, corn and amaranth , Very prized by the Indians of that time.

The Toltecs developed an interesting irrigation system to make planting more efficient. In addition, as regards art, another of the economic sources of the Toltecs was the carving of stones and the creation of different sculptures, which still exist.

Like a good monarchical system, the Toltecs maintained a tax system by means of which the wars and the expenses of the government were financed.

5- Society of Breeds

Indigenous cultures did not tend to be egalitarian or just. Quite the contrary, the establishment of caste systems was the norm in Mesoamerican indigenous cultures, and Toltec was no exception.

The Toltecs had a marked caste system, where in the dome were the warriors, who occupied the throne and related positions; The priests, government officials and the most economically favored hierarchs of society.

The lower positions were followed by different castes. The next was the servile class, that is, the workers. In this class, all the farmers, sculptors, carvers, carpenters, painters, potters and other craftsmen involved in manual labor for the benefit of all Toltec society took part.

The slaves followed him. As a common feature, slaves were indigenous from other ethnic groups who were captured in times of war.

6- Undefined domain

The authors diverge in what was the domain and the scope that had Toltec culture, in the geographic and social part.

This is due to the fact that most of the knowledge about the Toltec culture is through legends counted later, which makes it impossible to be certain of the behavior.

Although some historians maintain that the Toltec civilization was not such, but a series of groups that settled down in the valley of the Tula, the majority indicates the opposite.

The domination of Toltec culture could extend beyond the region of the Tula, arriving at the peninsula of Yucatán. These conclusions come after observing different architectural constructions, although there is no scientific evidence to support these arguments.

7- Architectural constructions

One of the characteristics that emphasizes the Mesoamerican indigenous cultures were the architectural constructions that they carried out. Nowadays, the most outstanding ones in this sense are the pyramids erected by the Aztec and Maya civilizations.

Although the Toltec culture was earlier, there are also important architectural inventions, such as the creation of anthropomorphic sculptures that could support a wall, in a combination of art and architecture.

In the same way, the Toltecs constructed pyramids like the Tlahuizcalpantecutli, where in the upper part they are the present Atlanteans.

In the residential part, in the valley of the Tula there were three types of houses: the residences of the hierarchs, the residential units and the group, isolated or united, of houses.

8- Polytheistic religion

The natives have common characteristics in regard to religion. They are based on the worship of stars, who in turn personify as persons.

As far as the Toltec culture was concerned, the beliefs revolved around a series of gods , Which makes them a society of beliefs of the polytheistic type.

The gods that they venerated were, mainly, Quetzalcoatl, Tláloc, Centéotl, Itzlacoliuhque and Tezcatlipoca. The first of them was the central god of the Mesoamerican cultures and is considered that its veneration had origin in Toltec society.

9- Artistic Manifestations

The native peoples of America stood out because they manifested themselves artistically in different ways as a distinctive icon of the different cultures they exercised.

Among these manifestations, they stood out the pottery, the painting, the pottery and the thing related to the craftsmanship and finally the strongest one of all in Toltec culture: the sculpture.

At present we can observe the Atlanteans, a series of sculptures that represent the Toltec warriors and were positioned in the city of Tula along with the pyramids that this culture made. It is believed that these warriors would have been decorated with feathers and that their pictorial composition was different.

10- Amaranth: main ingredient of gastronomy

All Mesoamerican cultures maintained a similar diet rooted in the essence of culture.

Referring specifically to the Toltec, it has historically been found to be a culture mediated by the consumption of amaranth, which are a set of herbs that are given different uses in the gastronomic area.

The amaranth was produced easily and was able to be stored in earthenware vessels for a long time, which allowed its consumption could be carried out all year round.

References

  1. Case, A. (2000). The village of the Sun . Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
  2. Clavijero, F. (1987). Ancient History of Mexico . Mexico: Porrúa.
  3. De Rojas, J. (2002). The Empire in Central Mexico in the Postclassic: rounds with sources and ideas. Journal of American Archeology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid , (32), 115-126.
  4. Encyclopedia of Characteristics. (2017). 10 Characteristics of the Toltec Culture . Recovered from characteristics.co.
  5. Fahmel, B. (1988) Toltec Mesoamerica: its main trade ceramics . Mexico City: National Autonomous University of Mexico.
  6. Restall, M. (2003). Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  7. Swanton, M. (2001). The popoloca text of Toltec-Chichimeca history. History and society studies XXII (spring). Retrieved from redalyc.org.


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