Reign of Moctezuma II

Moctezuma II inherited a large tribute empire and strengthened the distinction between commoners and the hereditary elite. His court at Tenochtitlan governed through warfare, diplomacy, tribute collection and ritual authority.

Hernán Cortés entered central Mexico in 1519 with Spanish troops and numerous Indigenous allies. Moctezuma was taken into Spanish custody and died during the violent breakdown of relations in Tenochtitlan in 1520.

This context supports fiction about the final pre-conquest court, the first encounter with the expedition of Cortés and the political crisis preceding the siege of Tenochtitlan.