The Aztec Empire built the road network centered on the capital Tenochtitlan before the Spanish conquest.
The Aztec Empire, also called the Triple Alliance, was formed in 1428 by Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan in central Mexico. Tenochtitlan stood on an island in Lake Texcoco and became the alliance’s dominant political and economic centre.
Roads, causeways and canals connected the capital with surrounding settlements. Causeways crossed the lake, while aqueducts supplied fresh water. The city also had markets, temples and densely organized neighbourhoods, making it one of the largest urban centres in the Americas before European arrival.
The empire expanded through warfare and tribute rather than direct administration of every conquered region. In 1521, Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés, allied with Indigenous enemies of the Aztecs, captured Tenochtitlan. “Aztec” is a later umbrella term; the people of the capital commonly called themselves Mexica.