Aztecs

The Aztec Empire was a Nahua power centered on Tenochtitlan in the Valley of Mexico. In 1337 it had yet to form; its founders included Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco and Tlacopan.

In 1428 the cities defeated Azcapotzalco and allied, conquering much of central Mexico, keeping local rulers in place in exchange for tribute and troops. Tenochtitlan became the dominant partner. Hernán Cortés landed in 1519 and allied with enemies of Aztec rule; after a smallpox epidemic, Spanish and Indigenous forces besieged Tenochtitlan and took it in 1521.