Key People of the Aztec Empire

Itzcóatl ruled the Aztec Empire from 1428 to 1440. Under his rule, Tenochtitlán formed a triple alliance with the neighboring states of Texcoco and Tlacopan. With this alliance the Aztecs expanded their empire and became the dominant power in central Mexico. Itzcóatl was succeeded by Montezuma I (reigned 1440–69).

Ahuitzotl succeeded his brother Tizoc (reigned 1481–86) to become the eighth Aztec king, ruling from 1486 to 1502. An aggressive ruler and skilled warrior, he conquered tribes as far south as what is now Guatemala and in areas along the Gulf of Mexico. Under his rule the empire greatly expanded its wealth and territory. He oversaw the growth and improvement of Tenochtitlán, constructing an aqueduct to bring fresh water to the city. He built a great pyramid temple to honor the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Ahuitzotl is most known for conducting the largest human sacrifice in Aztec history, in which as many as 20,000 prisoners of war were killed. Ahuitzotl died in an accident while trying to escape a flood that had devastated Tenochtitlán in 1503.

Montezuma II succeeded his uncle Ahuitzotl, becoming the ninth ruler of the Aztec empire in 1502. At that time the empire was at its greatest geographical extent and cultural height. Montezuma launched numerous expeditions in the name of Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and of the sun, to obtain captives for ritual sacrifice. He also demanded more and more tributes from defeated tribes, creating resentment among his subjects and weakening the empire. During Montezuma’s reign Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico and gained control over Tenochtitlán, taking the emperor as prisoner. When Montezuma tried to address his subjects, who felt he had submitted too easily to Cortés, they assailed him with arrows and stones. He died several days later, in late June 1520.

Cuitláhuac was the 10th Aztec ruler, succeeding his brother Montezuma II in June 1520. He rebelled against the Spanish occupation of Tenochtitlán and decimated Hernán Cortés’s forces in their retreat from the city on the night of June 30, 1520. During his four-month reign Cuitláhuac tried to form a federation against the Spaniards, but his efforts failed because of the hatred of other Indian peoples for the Aztec. He died of smallpox during the subsequent Spanish siege of Tenochtitlán and was succeeded by his nephew Cuauhtémoc.

Cuauhtémoc was the last Aztec ruler. He became emperor in 1520 after the death of Cuitláhuac. In 1521 Cortés marched to the Aztec capital with powerful Indian allies. Cuauhtémoc defended the capital during a four-month siege that ultimately left most of Tenochtitlán destroyed. Captured by the Spanish, Cuauhtémoc was initially treated with respect but later was tortured to reveal the location of hidden Aztec wealth. His refusal to speak became legendary. Fearing trouble if he left Cuauhtémoc behind, Cortés took the emperor with him to Honduras, but on the way, hearing of a plot against the Spaniards, he ordered Cuauhtémoc hanged.

During the conquest of Mexico by Cortés and his forces, an American Indian woman, who had been given to him as a slave, served as his interpreter and guide. The Spaniards called her Marina. She also came to be known as Malinche. The success of Cortés’s ventures in Mexico was often directly attributable to her services. There is relatively little documented information about Marina’s life. She was born about 1501. She was the daughter of an Aztec cacique (tribal leader), and her native language was Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztec. At some point during her childhood her father died, and she became enslaved to Indians of the Tabasco region. During this period she learned to speak a dialect of the Maya language and is said to have learned Spanish within months after becoming Cortés’s concubine. Her skill as an interpreter proved invaluable to the Spaniards, allowing them to communicate effectively with the various tribes they encountered. She bore Cortés a son, Martín, and later married one of his soldiers, Juan de Jaramillo, with whom she journeyed to Spain. Not much is known about her later life.