Maxtla was the Tepanec ruler defeated when the Triple Alliance rose to power. He ruled Azcapotzalco from 1426 until his death in 1428, after seizing power following the death of his father, Tezozomoc.
Maxtla’s aggressive rule helped turn former allies against Azcapotzalco. He was involved in the political crisis surrounding Tayatzin and the death of Chimalpopoca, ruler of Tenochtitlan. In 1428, Maxtla besieged Tenochtitlan, but its ruler Itzcoatl secured support from Texcoco under Nezahualcoyotl and from Tlacopan, along with other former Tepanec allies.
The coalition defeated Maxtla, sacked Azcapotzalco, and ended its dominance over the Valley of Mexico. The victorious states formalized their partnership as the Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan—the political foundation of what historians commonly call the Aztec Empire. Maxtla is sometimes confused with Tezozomoc, his father and predecessor, but it was Maxtla whose defeat directly preceded the alliance’s rise.