The Toltec People
By: Zac Vance
• Tula, the
capital of the
Toltec Empire
was located
approximately
100 miles
above Mexico
City.
• The empire
stretched much
of Central
America.
• Its influence
reached even
further. Many
places in
America show
signs of Toltec
culture.
Location
Becoming a Power
• The Toltec nation came about after the fall
of the Teotihuacán people.
• In the late 10th century the Toltec people
established their capitol at Tula.
• It is believed that the Toltec people were
Teotihuacán people who made Tula their
home after the fall of their own.
Art
• The art of the Toltec people reflected
the mystic aspect of their religion.
• Serpents and skulls were very
common images.
• Their architecture was rather rough.
• Much of the Toltec art influenced the
Aztec and Mayan forms.
Economy
• The economy was based for the most
part on agriculture.
• Obsidian mining and trade were also
important.
• The nation was very involved with
trade and especially turquoise trade
along the turquoise road.
• The trading helped spread the Toltec
way of life as well as integrate others
into their own.
Culture and Science
• The culture of Toltec
was based around
war.
• It was a mix of many
previous and
surrounding cultures.
• The mixture often
occurred when the
Toltec Empire would
take over another area
and then the two areas
would integrate.
• The Toltec thought
that science and
religion was the same
thing since it was all
governed by the
universe.
• They had an
advanced calendar
and charted the night
sky very accurately.
Religion
•
•
•
•
The religion of the
Toltec people was
polytheistic.
The absorbed much
of their religion from
neighboring peoples
and their father
race, the
Teotihuacáns.
Of the many deities
they worshiped
Quetzalcoatl and
Tezatlipoca were
the most important.
Human sacrifice
was common.
Quetzalcoatl
Tezcatlipoca
Quetzalcoatl
• God of culture, fertility,
learning, holiness,
philosophy, and gentility.
• It was worshiped by the
Toltec people and their
greatest ruler was the priest
of him.
• Religion and political rule
went hand in hand.
Tezatlipoca
• God of material things, the
night, beauty, the north, and
war.
• He was Quetzalcoatl’s
sworn enemy.
Politics
• The political aspects of Toltec life were dominated by
ritual and religion.
• Topiltzin was the greatest of all the rulers and he
championed Quetzalcoatl.
• He became so synonymous with Quetzalcoatl that the
names were often confused later on in legend.
• The political system of the Toltec nation was looked up to
by many other nations.
• The Aztec people even tried to tie the two together
through history. The only problem is that much of it is
believed to be fabricated.
The Fall
• The Toltec Empire fell around
1200 CE.
• The nomadic Chichimec people
are believed to have annihilated
the Toltec nation due to cultural
differences.
• Many believe that some of the
Toltec people fled to Cholula
where they held out for another
few centuries until the
conquistadors came through.