The Mexica, the people who would later be known as the Aztecs, were one of many Nahua-speaking peoples who inhabited central Mexico in the centuries after the collapse of the Toltec civilization around 1150. The Mexica were the last of the major Nahua groups to enter the Valley of Mexico, and they did so at a time when the valley was already densely populated and politically complex. To understand where the Mexica came from, it is necessary to look at the broader history of the Nahua peoples and at the conditions in the Valley of Mexico on the eve of their arrival.
The Nahua Peoples
The Nahua, who spoke a common language and shared many cultural and religious traditions, were a relatively recent arrival in central Mexico. The Nahua had migrated south from the deserts of the north in the centuries after the collapse of the Toltec Empire, and they had established a number of states in central Mexico, including the Acolhua state of Texcoco, the Tepanec state of Azcapotzalco, and the Mexica state of Tenochtitlan. The Nahua were part of a larger family of peoples, the Uto-Aztecan, who were spread across much of western North America.
The Mexica were a particular branch of the Nahua, and they were distinguished by their devotion to the tribal god Huitzilopochtli, the hummingbird of the south. The Mexica tradition holds that the Mexica had been a privileged group in their original homeland, but that they had been driven from it by their enemies, and that they had been forced to wander for many years before they found a new home in the Valley of Mexico.
The Conditions in the Valley of Mexico
By the time the Mexica arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the mid-thirteenth century, the valley was already densely populated and politically complex. The valley was dominated by a system of large lakes, and the lake margins were home to a network of cities, towns, and villages. The largest of these cities included Azcapotzalco, the capital of the Tepanec Empire; Texcoco, the capital of the Acolhua state; and Xochimilco, Chalco, and other cities in the southern part of the valley.
The Mexica were initially forced to accept subordinate status in the existing political order, and they served as mercenaries and laborers for the more powerful groups. The Mexica were also developing the military and political skills that would eventually allow them to challenge their patrons and to found a city that would become one of the wonders of the world. The founding of Tenochtitlan in 1325 was the culmination of this long process of migration, settlement, and political development.
Related Articles
- Origins and Migration of the Aztecs — the broader context
- What is Aztlan, the legendary homeland of the Aztecs? — the mythical origin
- How long did the Aztec migration to the Valley of Mexico take? — the chronology
- Founding of Tenochtitlan — the culmination
- History of the Aztec Civilization — the broader history