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Who was Montezuma?

Montezuma (also called Moctezuma) is the name given to two different rulers of the Aztec Indians of Mexico. Emperor Montezuma I (1398–1469) ruled an area that extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and was the founder of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital (present-day Mexico City). The Aztecs had an advanced civilization that appreciated music and poetry; they also excelled in architecture, astronomy, engineering, and mathematics. The Aztecs worshiped many gods and, with the god of war being dominant, they fought continuously with neighboring Indian tribes.

In 1466, three years before Montezuma I died, his nephew, Montezuma II (1466–1520), became emperor. During the reign of Montezuma II, the Aztecs were conquered by Spaniards under the command of Hernán Cortés (1485–1547). During the summer of 1519 Montezuma tried to dissuade Cortés and his troops from coming to Tenochtitlan by sending...

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