Aztec Empire Origins: Tenochtitlan & Tribute System

Tributaries are subject empires that remain largely independent, providing tribute in the form of energy credits. They cannot follow you into war and will claim systems and continue their own diplomatic efforts with other empires. Importantly, tributaries cannot be integrated into your empire. Vassals, on the other hand, are true subject empires that cannot claim systems or engage in diplomacy with other factions. They will follow you into war and provide fleets during engagements. After being a vassal for 10 years, you can integrate them into your own empire, costing a lot of influence and taking several years, but ultimately making all their systems and worlds yours.

This section defines and explains the concept of an empire. An empire is a collection of smaller kingdoms or territories over which a powerful ruler or group of rulers exerts power, often after waging war against the smaller kingdoms. The word 'empire' comes from the Latin 'imperium,' meaning supreme power. The smaller territories still had their own rulers but were tributaries to the emperor who ruled from a capital city. A tributary is a ruler or state that has submitted to an emperor and pays tribute (money, gold, grain, livestock, elephants, or valuable goods) as a sign of submission and loyalty. In ancient Sanskrit texts, emperors were called 'Samraj' (lord of all), 'Adi Raja' (overlord), or 'Raja di Raja' (king of kings).

Samudragupta employed different strategies for different regions: Direct control was exercised over the Ganges-Yamuna doab and forest kingdoms of central India, where the empire was fully incorporated. Eastern Himalayan states and southern India were treated as tributary relationships, where local kings retained their positions but paid tribute and accepted Gupta overlordship. This flexible approach allowed the empire to extend its influence without the administrative burden of direct control over all territories.

The Tarascan Empire evolved from a loose alliance of three city-states sharing a royal lineage into a highly centralized state. Early governance relied on a tributary model where communities paid tribute to three centers. Successive rulers implemented reforms: marriage alliances were centralized through the king, local lords were replaced with appointed officials living in the capital, and a separate bureaucratic system (combat) was created to oversee tribute collection. This transformation demonstrates how Mesoamerican polities could systematically consolidate power through administrative innovation rather than military conquest alone.

Tributary is an adjective meaning relating to a system in which smaller states pay respect or tribute to a more powerful one. For example, critics argued that the costumes evoked a tributary relationship with China rather than an independent Korean kingdom. During the Roman Empire, there were many tributes that they would receive from other nations to keep the peace.

The Valley of Mexico is surrounded by volcanic mountain ranges including Sierra de Guadalupe, Sierra de Las Cruces, Sierra de Chichinautzin, and Sierra Nevada with active volcanoes like Popocatépetl. During the Tertiary period, the basin was exorheic with open drainage to the Pacific. During the Quaternary period, the basin became endorheic as mountain ranges enclosed it, forming a large lake system including Chalco, Xochimilco, Texcoco, Zumpango, and Jaltocan. The Aztecs founded Tenochtitlan in 1325 on an island in this lake system. Following the Spanish conquest in 1521, systematic drainage began with major works like the Tajo de Nochistongo (1789) and Gran Canal de Desagüe (1900-1954), reducing the extensive lake system to small remnants.

Tenochtitlan was built on an island in Lake Texcoco with four causeways for access - three were lacustrine (across water with bridges and small islands) and one was terrestrial. The speaker explains that Cortés arrived through the causeway of Iztapalapa, which was the only land route. The city was surrounded by water, making it a fortress. The speaker notes that Tenochtitlan was located in the Valley of Mexico, surrounded by volcanoes including Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, and that the 'Pass of Cortés' was the route through which he entered the valley.

The Valley of Mexico in the 11th century was an extraordinarily complex political ecosystem. The great Lake Texcoco and its adjacent lakes formed a lacustrine system of great ecological richness that sustained a dense network of established populations with their own histories, hierarchies, and territories. The most powerful lordships of the region at that time were the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco on the western shore of the lake, who had built considerable regional power. The Mexica arrived without land, without recognized history, and with a reputation that, far from opening doors, closed them. The first important lordship that gave the Mexica housing was Culhuacán, a city that claimed descent directly from the Toltecs. The Culhuacas were considered the cultural elite of the Valley of Mexico, and their decision to allow the Mexica to settle in Tizapán, a volcanic territory, inhospitable and full of snakes, was interpreted by them as an opportunity to get rid of these uncomfortable visitors without direct confrontation. What the Culhuacas did not count on was that the Mexica would not only survive but would exploit the snakes as a food source and the arid territory to develop their adaptability and ingenuity. The longest and most ambivalent relationship the Mexica maintained was with the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco, the dominant regional power of the Valley of Mexico in the 14th century. The Tepanecas allowed the Mexica to settle on two small and unattractive islands in Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco, which would be the embryos of the future imperial capital. In exchange, the Mexica committed to paying tribute and serving militarily to the Tepaneca lord, Tezozomoc, one of the most astute and long-lived politicians in Mesoamerican history, who lived more than 90 years and built during that time a regional dominance without precedent. For decades, the Mexica were the most effective warriors in the Tepaneca army, fighting in Tezozomoc's wars of expansion with ferocity and discipline that their allies admired and sometimes feared. They were paying their debt of servitude but at the same time were building the capabilities that would one day allow them to stop serving others and begin governing for themselves. The year was 1325 CE or 1345 CE according to other versions. A priest walking among the rocky islets and reeds of Lake Texcoco saw on a rock an image he had learned to recognize since childhood: an eagle perched on a nopal with a snake between its talons looking toward the morning sun. The promised signal had arrived, the pilgrimage had ended. The most improbable place in the world would become the center of the world.

The Valley of Mexico has been populated for 11,000 years due to its favorable climate and biodiversity. In 1325, Aztec tribes founded Tenochtitlán on Lake Texcoco's central island. The city was surrounded by five lakes with different water characteristics: Xochimilco and Chalco had fresh water, while Texcoco, Sumpango, and Jaltocán had brackish water. Tenochtitlán reached 228,000 inhabitants divided into four neighborhoods, connected by four causeways. The Spanish conquest destroyed the sophisticated hydraulic system, including the 15-kilometer Alvarado dike built in 1450. This marked the beginning of the end for the lake system that had sustained the Aztec civilization for centuries.

The Valley of Mexico in 1300 was a basin with five interconnected lakes: Texcoco (largest, brackish), Xaltocan, Zumpango, and Chalco/Xochimilco (sweeter, spring-fed). The Mexica arrived to a paradise lacustre, not a desert. They built Tenochtitlan on an island, created chinampas (floating agricultural plots), and developed a sophisticated food system. Aguautle, the eggs of the Axayacatl mosquito, was a key component. The word comes from Nahuatl 'atl' (water) and 'wautle' (amaranth), meaning 'water amaranth.' This ecosystem sustained a civilization for centuries, providing fish, birds, algae, and aguautle as a protein source.

Around 1300 AD, the Mexica (later called Aztecs) migrated to the Valley of Mexico, rejected by established city-states. Calling themselves 'chichimecas' (barbarians), they served as mercenaries for whoever paid most. After 25 years of wandering, they found only a marshy island in Lake Texcoco uninhabited. There, they built a humble altar to Huitzilopotchtli and founded Tenochtitlan. This swampy village would grow in just two centuries into one of history's greatest cities, demonstrating how geographic marginalization can paradoxically enable remarkable achievements when opportunity finally presents itself.

The Mexica migration story, recorded in their own traditions, describes a long journey guided by Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun. The sign marking their promised land was an eagle perched upon a cactus devouring a serpent, which would become the central symbol on the Mexican flag. Archaeological evidence suggests this migration occurred during the 12th and 13th centuries. When they arrived in the Valley of Mexico around 1250, they found a densely populated region with competing city-states. The most powerful was Azcapotzalco, ruled by the Tepanec people. The Mexica were initially viewed as uncivilized barbarians and forced to serve as mercenaries for more powerful city-states.

The Mexica people migrated to the Valley of Mexico around the 13th century, though they did not initially call themselves Aztecs. The term 'Aztec' derives from 'Aztlán,' a mythical homeland believed to be located somewhere in the north. The Mexica were originally nomadic peoples who served as mercenaries for the powerful city-states of Culhuacan and Tlacopan. Their migration and eventual settlement in the Valley of Mexico marked the beginning of their rise to power.

The Mexica people, originating from Aztlan around modern-day Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, began a centuries-long nomadic journey in the 1100s at the urging of their patron god Huitzilopochtli. For 200 years, they served as mercenaries for established city-states like Culhuacan and Azcapotzalco, developing military skills and power. In 1428, they formed the Triple Alliance with two other Valley of Mexico city-states, creating an army of up to 400,000 soldiers capable of marching hundreds of miles. This transformation from marginalized mercenaries to dominant imperial power demonstrates how strategic alliances and military organization enabled small groups to achieve regional dominance.

The Mexica were a bellicose people whose entire culture was shaped by warfare. As the last arrivals in the Valley of Mexico, they initially served as mercenaries for the Tepanec Empire. This created a society where essentially all citizens received military training through the Calmecac (nobles) and Telpochcalli (commoners). The Mexica strategically exploited conflicts between other city-states, supporting allies against enemies and taking control of defeated regions. Merchants were also warriors and spies, reflecting the militarized nature of their society.