SEVEN THE AZTEC EMPIRE

The Empire of the Triple Alliance-often called the Aztec empire-occupied a somewhat para-doxical place in Aztec history and society. O n the one hand the empire was the dominant politi-cal and economic force in central Mexico at the time of Spanish conquest (1521). Many or most of the best-known art objects from Aztec culture were produced for imperial rulers and elites, and they only make sense within the context of the empire. O n the other hand, the effects of Aztec imperialism on people were sometimes quite modest. Unlike the Roman or Inkan emper-ors, whose armies and bureaucrats interfered greatly in provincial society, Aztec emperors were content to leave things alone in the provinces so long as people paid their taxes. In this essay I explore this paradox, emphasizing two aspects of Aztec imperialism: its effects on people and its manifestation in art and archaeology. The rise to power of Tenochtitlan, the dominant imperial capital, is a dramatic story that is preserved in numerous official historical accounts written down after the Spanish conquest. The chronicle includes dramatic battles, courtly intrigue, and a story of religious predestination in which the gods guided and protected the Mexica rulers and people on their imperial journey. But in order to understand the empire, we need to begin with its background of city-states (altepet