Aztec Empire

E18773

The Aztec Empire was a powerful Mesoamerican civilization centered in Tenochtitlan that dominated central Mexico through military conquest, tribute, and a rich religious and cultural tradition until its fall to Spanish invaders in the early 16th century.

All labels observed (13)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (66)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Mesoamerican civilization
empire
pre-Columbian state
agriculturalTechnique chinampas
alsoKnownAs Aztec Empire
surface form: Mexica Empire

Triple Alliance
calendarType tonalpohualli
xiuhpohualli
capital Tenochtitlan
commonerClass macehualtin
conqueredBy Hernán Cortés
surface form: Hernan Cortes

Spanish Empire
conquestYear 1521
culturalPractice calendar system combining 260-day and 365-day cycles
ritual warfare (xochiyaoyotl)
currency cacao beans
cotton cloth
dominantLanguage Nahuan languages
surface form: Classical Nahuatl
economyBasedOn agriculture
tribute
educationInstitution calmecac
telpochcalli
eliteClass pipiltin
endYear 1521
foundedBy Tenochtitlan
Texcoco
Tlacopan polity
surface form: Tlacopan
foundingEvent formation of the Triple Alliance
governmentType monarchy
tributary empire
influencedBy Teotihuacan civilization
Toltec civilization
knownFor complex tribute system
human sacrifice
military conquest
monumental architecture
lastRuler Cuauhtémoc
surface form: Cuauhtemoc
legalCodeRecordedIn Codex Mendoza
legalSystem codified laws
locatedIn Central Mexico
Mesoamerica
mainCity Tenochtitlan
Texcoco
Tlacopan polity
surface form: Tlacopan
mainLake Lake Texcoco
mainTemple Templo Mayor
majorRuler Ahuitzotl
Itzcoatl
Moctezuma I
Moctezuma II
neighboringPolity Tarascan (Purépecha) civilization
surface form: Tarascan state
pantheonIncludes Huitzilopochtli
Quetzalcoatl
Tezcatlipoca
Tlaloc
partOf Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
populationEstimate several million subjects
primarySource Florentine Codex
religion Aztec religion
socialStructure highly stratified society
startYear 1428
tributeFrom Tlaxcala
surface form: Tlaxcala (attempted, but resisted)
tributeSystem regional tribute provinces
warriorOrder Eagle warriors
Eagle warriors
surface form: Jaguar warriors
writingSystem pictographic writing

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (152)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Siege of Tenochtitlan country Aztec Empire
Siege of Tenochtitlan opponent Aztec Empire
The Sad Night countryAtTheTime Aztec Empire
The Sad Night belligerent Aztec Empire
Axayacatl country Aztec Empire
Axayacatl culture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec civilization
Axayacatl politicalStructure Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec Triple Alliance
Texcoco partOf Aztec Empire
Texcoco associatedWith Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec civilization
Morelos region historicallyPartOf Aztec Empire
Cuauhtemotzin culture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec
Cuauhtemotzin country Aztec Empire
Cuauhtemotzin birthPlace Aztec Empire
Guatimozín culture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec
Guatimozín associatedWithEmpire Aztec Empire
Teotlalco culture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec
Teotlalco country Aztec Empire
Moctezuma I civilization Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec
Moctezuma I countryRuled Aztec Empire
Florentine Codex mainSubject Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec society
Matlatzinca culture neighborOf Aztec Empire
Matlatzinca culture interactedWith Aztec Empire
Matlatzinca culture conflictedWith Aztec Empire
Matlatzinca culture subjectTo Aztec Empire
Matlatzinca culture paidTributeTo Aztec Empire
Matlatzinca culture influencedBy Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec culture
Malinalco culture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec
Huey Tlatoani usedByCulture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec civilization
Huey Tlatoani usedInEmpire Aztec Empire
Acolhua alliedWith Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztecs
Tepanec defeatedBy Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec Triple Alliance
Tlatoani of Tlatelolco partOf Aztec Empire
Calendar Round usedInCulture Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec civilization
cazonci opposedTo Aztec Empire
Classical Nahuatl usedBy Aztec Empire
Mitla conqueredBy Aztec Empire
Tlaxcalans opponentOf Aztec Empire
Coixtlahuaca conqueredBy Aztec Empire
Coixtlahuaca tributaryTo Aztec Empire
Mixtec people conqueredBy Aztec Empire
Nezahualpilli memberOf Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec Triple Alliance
Nezahualpilli areaOfInfluence Aztec Empire
this entity surface form: Aztec Triple Alliance
Purépecha people preHispanicRival Aztec Empire
Tlatelolco altepetl partOf Aztec Empire
Soconusco wasTributaryTo Aztec Empire