In the Valley of Mexico a powerful state grew from a network of city-states. The Aztec Empire, centered on Tenochtitlan, dominated much of central Mexico in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries through alliance, tribute, and military force.

Chinampa agriculture supported a dense population. A complex pantheon, calendar system, and tradition of monumental architecture and sculpture flourished. Tribute lists recorded goods flowing into the capital from subject provinces. Society was stratified, with nobles, commoners, and slaves occupying distinct ranks.

Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés, aided by indigenous allies, toppled the empire in 1521. Codices, archaeology, and Spanish accounts provide overlapping and sometimes conflicting evidence. The empire’s rapid rise and fall left a lasting imprint on Mexican identity and historical memory.

• Mesoamerican empire centered on Tenochtitlan
• Built on agriculture, tribute, and warfare
• Fell to Spanish and indigenous forces in 1521
• Documented in codices and archaeology