Aztec Tribute System

Timeline

1. c. 1428–1450Valley of Mexico · Valley of MexicoAfter the Triple Alliance's military victories, conquered city-states began paying regular tribute, distributed among the three cities, initially forming the fiscal foundation of the empire.
2. c. 1471–1480Territory of the Aztec Empire · Aztec EmpireThe tribute network expanded with military conquests into Oaxaca, the Gulf Coast, and the central highlands; tribute types and cycles became increasingly institutionalized, and central control over the appointment and supervision of local leaders intensified.
3. c. 1480–1519Tenochtitlan · Aztec EmpireThe tribute system reached its peak under Moctezuma II; codices and oral traditions preserved the names of tribute items from each province, and the Codex Mendoza later became the primary historical source for studying this system.
4. 1521New Spain · MexicoAfter the fall of the Aztec Empire, the original tribute relationships were replaced by the Spanish Crown's encomienda and later tax systems, ending the tribute system as a political institution.