Triple Alliance

The Triple Alliance was a political and military partnership among Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan that dominated central Mexico before the Spanish conquest.

Tenochtitlan: Tenochtitlan was the Mexica capital, built on an island in Lake Texcoco. As the alliance’s strongest partner, it increasingly directed campaigns and received the largest share of tribute.
Tepanec War: The Tepanec War was the conflict that brought down Azcapotzalco’s regional dominance in the early fifteenth century. The alliance’s founding followed the coalition’s victory in this war.
Nahua peoples: Nahua peoples are Indigenous peoples of Mexico who speak or historically spoke Nahuatl languages. The alliance’s rulers and many communities within its sphere belonged to Nahua-speaking societies.
Aztec Triple Alliance tribute system: The Aztec Triple Alliance tribute system was the collection and allocation of goods demanded from subordinate communities. It shows how the partnership exercised power beyond the three allied capitals.
Texcoco: Texcoco was a powerful city-state on the eastern shore of Lake Texcoco. Its rulers formed the alliance with Tenochtitlan and Tlacopan after defeating Azcapotzalco.
Maxtla: Maxtla was a Tepanec ruler of Azcapotzalco who fought the coalition that included Tenochtitlan and Texcoco. His rule and conflict with the coalition helped precipitate Azcapotzalco’s defeat.
Mesoamerica: Mesoamerica is a cultural region extending from central Mexico through much of Central America. The alliance became one of the major late pre-Columbian powers within this broader region.
Aztec altepetl: An altepetl was a Nahua city-state organized around a territory, ruling lineage, and shared community identity. The alliance linked autonomous altepetl rather than merging them into a single centralized state.
Tlacopan: Tlacopan was a city-state on the western shore of Lake Texcoco. It joined the victors as the alliance’s third partner, though its share of tribute was smaller.
Itzcoatl: Itzcoatl was a Mexica ruler of Tenochtitlan from 1427 to 1440. He led Tenochtitlan during the alliance’s formation and the defeat of Azcapotzalco.

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