Mexica

The Mexica (Nahuatl: Mēxihcah, [meːˈʃiʔkaʔ]; the singular is Mēxihcatl [meːˈʃiʔkat͡ɬ]) or Mexicas — were an indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico, known today as the rulers of the Aztec empire.

The Mexica were a Nahua people who founded their two cities Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco on raised islets in Lake Texcoco around AD 1200. After the rise of the Aztec Triple Alliance, the Tenochca Mexica (that is, the inhabitants of Tenochtitlan), assumed a senior position over their two allied cities — Texcoco and Tlacopan.

The Mexica are eponymous of the placename Mexico Mēxihco [meːˈʃiʔko]. This refers to the interconnected settlements in the valley which became the site of what is now Mexico City, which held natural, geographical, and population advantages as the metropolitan center of the region of the future Mexican state. This area was expanded upon in the wake of the Spanish conquest and administered from the former Aztec capital as New Spain.

Like many of the peoples around them, the Mexica spoke Nahuatl. The form of Nahuatl used in the 16th century, when it began to be written in the alphabet brought by the Spanish, is known as Classical Nahuatl. Nahuatl is still spoken today by over 1.5 million people.

Mexica (disambiguation)

The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico, though some would think it was the more feminine cognate of the country name.

Mexica may also refer to:

See also

Mexica (board game)

Mexica is a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling and published in 2002 by Ravensburger in German and Rio Grande Games in English. Mexica was awarded 5th prize in the 2002 Deutscher Spiele Preis.

Mexica is the third game in the Mask Trilogy, after Tikal and Java. In the game, players attempt to partition the city of Tenochtitlan in Lake Texoco into districts, and then gain influence over the most developed districts.

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