Aztec empire

Aztec Empire Triple Alliance
Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān
1428–1521
State emblems Sacred War emblem
Maximum extent of the Aztec Empire
Capital		Mexico-Tenochtitlan (de facto)
Languages		Nahuatl (lingua franca) Also Otomí, Matlatzinca, Mazahua, Mazatec, Huaxtec, Tepehua, Popoloca, Popoluca, Tlapanec, Mixtec, Cuicatec, Trique, Zapotec, Zoque, Chochotec, Chinantec, Totonac, Cuitlatec, Pame, Mam, Tapachultec, Tarascan, among others
Religion		Aztec polytheism
Government		Hegemonic military confederation, Alliance of city-states
Huehuetlatoani of Tenochtitlan		See complete list
•	1427–1440	Itzcoatl (founder of alliance)
•	1520–1521	Cuauhtémoc (last)
Huetlatoani of Texcoco		Complete list
•	1431–1440	Nezahualcoyotl (founder of alliance)
•	1516–1520	Cacamatzin (last)
Huetlatoani of Tlacopan
•	1400–1430	Aculnahuacatl Tzaqualcatl (founder of alliance)
•	1519–1524	Tetlepanquetzaltzin (last)
Historical era		Pre-Columbian era
•	Foundation of the alliance	March 15, 1428
•	Spanish conquest	August 19, 1521
Area
•	1520	304,325 km² (117,501 sq mi)
Currency		Quachtli Cocoa bean
Preceded by Succeeded by Tenochtitlan Tlatelolco (altepetl) Tlacopan Azcapotzalco Colhuacan (altepetl) Texcoco (altepetl) Chalco (altépetl) New Spain
Today part of		Mexico
Full list of monarchs at bottom of page.

Also Otomí, Matlatzinca, Mazahua, Mazatec, Huaxtec, Tepehua, Popoloca, Popoluca, Tlapanec, Mixtec, Cuicatec, Trique, Zapotec, Zoque, Chochotec, Chinantec, Totonac, Cuitlatec, Pame, Mam, Tapachultec, Tarascan, among others

The Aztec Empire, or the Triple Alliance (Nahuatl: Ēxcān Tlahtōlōyān,[ˈjéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥]), began as an alliance of three Nahua "altepetl" city-states: Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. These three city-states ruled the area in and around the Valley of Mexico from 1428 until they were defeated by the combined forces of the Spanish conquistadores and their native allies under Hernán Cortés in 1521.