The Aztecs, who called themselves the Mexica, were a Nahuatl-speaking people of central Mexico whose capital Tenochtitlan was built on an island in Lake Texcoco around 1325. In 1428 they formed the Triple Alliance with the cities of Texcoco and Tlacopan and went on to dominate much of central Mexico by taking tribute from conquered peoples. Their society was known for intensive farming on artificial gardens called chinampas, a complex religion with human sacrifice, monumental architecture and a calendar system. In 1519 the Spanish under Hernan Cortes arrived, and allied with indigenous groups who resented Aztec rule, they conquered Tenochtitlan in 1521, a conquest helped by an epidemic of smallpox. Mexico City was later built on the ruins.
Before and after
- 1198Construction of Giralda
- 24 July 1198Livonian Crusade
- 10 December 1198Death of Averroes
- from 1199 to 1349Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia
- from 1200 to 1523Aztec
- 1200Construction of Meenakshi Temple
- 12th centuryConstruction of Bojnice Castle
- 12th centuryPublication of Primary Chronicle
- 12th centuryRise of Waldensians
More in Evolution & life
- from 56th century BCE to 20th century BCESumer
- from 3rd millennium BCE to 2nd millenniumMaya civilization
- from 600 CE to 900 CEWari
- from 13 September 622 CE to 27 September 622 CEHijra
- from 800 CE to 1600Mississippian culture
- from 1100 to 1470Chimú culture
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.