Aztec Empire Expansion (1428-1521)
Aztec rulers justified their conquests as divine mandate from their war god Huitzilopochtli. Priests interpreted omens and performed rituals before military campaigns began. Imperial armies captured thousands of prisoners from surrounding city-states for sacrificial ceremonies. Religious doctrine taught that the sun would cease rising without blood offerings. The empire’s tributary system extracted wealth from conquered peoples. Religious obligation provided sacred justification for imperial domination across central Mexico.
