Aztec Empire
A Mesoamerican empire dominated by the Mexica-led Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan from 1428 until the Spanish conquest in 1521.
Aztec Triple Alliance: A political and military alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan formed in 1428. Its three city-states supplied the ruling structure behind the empire.
Tenochtitlan: The Mexica capital built on islands in Lake Texcoco, in present-day Mexico City. It was the alliance's principal political center and the empire's largest city.
Azcapotzalco: A Tepanec city-state that dominated the Valley of Mexico before the rise of the Triple Alliance. Its defeat created the opening for Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan to unite.
Moctezuma II: The Mexica ruler from 1502 until the Spanish invasion, when Hernán Cortés reached central Mexico. His reign faced the conquest that brought the alliance's dominance to an end.
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire: The campaigns and alliances that ended Mexica-led rule in central Mexico between 1519 and 1521. It dismantled the alliance's sovereignty and began Spanish colonial rule in the region.
Aztec tributary system: A system through which conquered provinces delivered goods and labor to imperial rulers. Tribute financed the capital and rewarded the alliance's rulers.
Texcoco: A powerful Acolhua city-state on the eastern shore of Lake Texcoco. As the alliance's second major partner, it shared rule and military power.
Itzcoatl: The Mexica ruler of Tenochtitlan from 1427 to 1440, associated with the alliance's rise. His reign saw the coalition's victory over Azcapotzalco and the beginning of imperial expansion.
Nezahualcoyotl: A ruler of Texcoco, poet, and lawgiver who lived from 1402 to 1472. He strengthened Texcoco, a coequal partner whose influence shaped alliance politics.
New Spain: The Spanish colonial territory established in the Americas, centered on Mexico after the conquest. The former imperial heartland became the center of Spain's most powerful American viceroyalty.