Who were the actual predecessors of the Aztec Empire?

Who were the actual predecessors of the Aztec Empire?

When examining the origins of the Aztec Empire (properly known as the Mexica), history reveals a complex tapestry of cultures that came before them in the Valley of Mexico.

The Toltec Legacy

Culturally and politically, the Aztecs viewed the Toltecs as their ultimate predecessors and intellectual ancestors. Long after the fall of the great Toltec city of Tula around 1150 CE, the Aztec ruling class went to great lengths to legitimize themselves by claiming direct lineage from Toltec royalty. In Aztec mythology and historical tradition, the Toltecs represented the pinnacle of civilization, art, and craftsmanship.

The Immediate Predecessors: The Tepanecs

Politically and geographically, the immediate predecessors and overlords of the early Mexica were the Tepanecs, centered at the powerful city-state of Azcapotzalco. When the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico as a nomadic, marginalized tribe in the 13th century, they initially served as mercenaries and subjects to the Tepanec rulers.

The Rise of the Triple Alliance

It was not until 1428, when the Mexica—under the leadership of Itzcoatl—allied with the city-states of Texcoco and Tlacopan to overthrow the Tepanec dominance, that the Aztec Empire was truly born. Therefore, while they inherited the cultural prestige of the Toltecs, they built their actual empire upon the geopolitical foundations laid by the Tepanecs and their contemporaries.