Toltec Essay

The Toltec people were a widespread civilization they thrived between the years 900 and

1200 AD the Toltec empire rose in 750 AD in what is now central Mexico. Their culture was

discovered in the Mesoamerican times, also known as the Pre-Columbian times. It is known that

the Toltec’s began their civilization growth on their conquest over the ancient city, Teotihuacan.

The Toltec were war-like people that expanded throughout Mexico, Guatemala, and Yucatan

peninsula. There is little knowledge about the Toltec after the Aztec empire rose, destroying

most Toltec documents. The Aztecs took some of their cultural aspects. The Toltec’s left very

little architectural evidence.

The Toltec civilization originated from the Tolteca-Chichimeca people

who migrated
from the deserts of the northwest in the Valley of Mexico. Their first settlement was Colhuacan
but they later established their capital Tollan, also known as Tula.

That is located in the state of

Hildalgo in Mexico. Tollan was similar to the Mayan City Chichen Itza. These architectural

structures suggest that the Maya and Toltec had a close cultural link. The city Tollan was born of

the joining of the Nonoacles and the Teotihuancans. The common link of Teotihuancan bloodline

of the two civilizations was strong enough. Rather than war over the new home they found they

decided to join together. The Nonoacles brought the God Quetzalcoatl and they had very

advanced building techniques. Dwellers became known as Tenoch, people of Tollan. Legendary

Toltec’s were born synthesizing the barbarity of the Chichimec barbarians, the philosophy of the

Teotihuancan, and local heritage of the Otomis. The Toltec empire reached its zenith towards the

end of the 10th century. Tollan fell around 1168 AD, due to civil conflicts and nomadic

invasions. It had become Rome long after it burned. . Other towns the Toltec have built were the

Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is about 70 miles east of Merida. The architecture is non-Mayan. It is

believed that the architecture comes from the Tenochtitlan, Uxmal. Chichen Itza and Tollan

are
exactly the same. It is also believed that after the fall of Tollan, Toltecs might have migrated
south and assimilated or conquered other cultures.