Mexica
The Nahuatl-speaking people who founded Tenochtitlan and led the Triple Alliance that built the Aztec Empire in central Mexico.
Aztlan: A legendary homeland from which Mexica accounts say their ancestors migrated to central Mexico. Mexica origin traditions place the beginning of their migration at this ancestral homeland.
Aztec Empire: A tributary empire in central Mexico dominated by the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. Mexica-led Tenochtitlan was the alliance's strongest member and principal imperial power.
Itzcoatl: The Mexica ruler who reigned from 1427 to 1440 and helped establish the Triple Alliance. His reign marks the political break that launched Mexica imperial expansion.
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire: The Spanish-led campaign that brought down the Aztec Empire between 1519 and 1521. The conquest ended Mexica imperial rule and transformed life across central Mexico.
Chicomoztoc: A mythical place called the Seven Caves, associated with the origins of several central Mexican peoples. Some migration traditions connect Mexica ancestry to this shared place of origin.
Aztec Triple Alliance: A political and military alliance formed by Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan in 1428. The alliance provided the framework through which Mexica rulers expanded imperial control.
Moctezuma I: The Mexica ruler from 1440 to 1469, under whom the empire expanded and Tenochtitlan grew. His campaigns and public works strengthened Mexica rule after the alliance's formation.
Siege of Tenochtitlan: The 1521 siege in which Spanish forces and Indigenous allies captured Tenochtitlan after months of fighting. Its outcome destroyed the Mexica capital and secured the conquest.
Chapultepec: A rocky hill and spring in the Valley of Mexico, occupied by the Mexica before their settlement at Tenochtitlan. The Mexica established an early foothold there before being driven out.
Aztec warfare: The military practices of central Mexican states, including campaigns for territory, captives, and tribute. Mexica campaigns enlarged the empire and enforced its demands on subordinate communities.