The first great leader of the Aztecs, 'Moctezuma Ilhuicamina', or 'Moctezuma I' (the surname meaning "solitary one who shoots an arrow into the sky") was born from a noble named Huitzilihuitl. He took power as Tlatoani of Tenochtitlán in 1440; he was preceded by Itzcóatl and followed by Axayacatl in 1469.

Accomplishments

Moctezuma formed a triple alliance with two neighboring civilizations, Tlacopan – a small sovereign kingdom, and Texcoco. In this skillfully crafted Triple Alliance, when a new territory was conquered 4/5 would be divided between the Texcoco and the Aztec and the remaining 1/5 would be given to Tlacopan.

Among the Aztec’s greatest achievements was when Moctezuma I, and the King of Texcoco organized the construction and completion of a double aqueduct pipe system giving Aztecs a fresh water supply throughout the city of Tenochtitlán.

Moctezuma extended the boundaries of the Aztec empire beyond the Valley of México to the Gulf Coast. He subjugated the Huastec and Totonac peoples and thereby gained access to exotic goods such as cocoa, rubber, cotton, fruits, feathers, and seashells.

See also: Moctezuma II, Aztec emperor, c. 1502-1520.