Tepanec

The Tepanecs were a Nahua ethnic group who inhabited the Valley of Mexico. They were one of the prominent powers in the region before the rise of the Aztec Empire. Their capital city was Azcapotzalco, a major urban center that rivaled Tenochtitlan in size and influence. The Tepanecs were known for their military prowess and established a significant tributary empire that encompassed much of the southern and western Valley of Mexico.

The Tepanec influence grew considerably under rulers like Tezozomoc, who reigned from the late 14th to the early 15th century. Tezozomoc expanded Tepanec territory through strategic alliances and military conquest, often incorporating or subjugating neighboring city-states. This period of Tepanec dominance was characterized by the extraction of tribute in the form of goods, labor, and military conscripts from their subject peoples.

The Tepanec hegemony eventually clashed with the rising power of Tenochtitlan. Following Tezozomoc's death, internal strife weakened the Tepanec leadership. This internal division allowed the Mexica (Aztecs) of Tenochtitlan, along with their allies in Texcoco and Tlacopan, to form the Triple Alliance. In 1428, this alliance decisively defeated Azcapotzalco in the Tepanec War, marking the end of Tepanec political independence and the beginning of the Aztec Empire. Despite their eventual subjugation, the Tepanecs remained a significant cultural and demographic group within the Aztec sphere.