Mexica Empire

The Mexica Empire, or Aztec Empire, was a large empire in Central America existing between about 1345 AD and 1521 AD.

Fall
Many civilizations before (and after) the Mexica were conquered by explorers and colonizers. It was due to Spanish conquistadors led by the particularly nasty Hernán Cortés. After the states of Tlaxcala and Huexotzingo rebelled and beat the Mexica military, Cortés and the conquistadors arrived at the capital of the empire, Tenochtitlan. Emperor Motecuhzoma II invited them and things were friendly even when he was taken prisoner. But when Cortés was away Spanish soldiers attacked and killed many Aztecs who made Motecuhzoma II's brother, Cuauthemoc, the king. When he came back Cortés tried make Motecuhzoma II get everyone to stop but no one listened. The Spanish survivors fled to Tlaxcala, where enemies of the Mexicas protected them.

Ten months later, Hernán Cortés came back to Tenochtitlan with more Spanish soldiers, but they were mostly Tlaxcaltecas and other indigenous enemies of the Mexicas. They started a siege of Tenochtitlan, so that no food or supplies could get in. After ninety-one days, without any food and with disease throughout the city, King Cuauhtemoc surrendered to the Spanish. The Spanish destroyed the capital and started a Spanish colony that they named New Spain ending the Mexica Empire. When most of the remaining population of Mesoamerica converted away from the Aztec pantheon, the Mexica Gods lost a significant source of power and retreated to a mythical realm known as Aztlán.