HISTORY

The Nahua peoples began to migrate into Mesoamerica from northem Mexico in the 6th century.They spread their political influence south.The peoples adopted religious and cultural practices, the foundation for later Aztec culture. They rose to power at such sites as Tula, Hidalgo. 
The Nahua power center was in Azcapotzalco, from where the Tepanecs dominated the valley of Mexico. Around this time the Mexica tribe arrived in central Mexico. At the time of their arrival, the Valley of Mexico had many city-states, the most powerful of which were Culhuacan to the sout Azcapotzalco to the west.

According to Aztec legend, in 1323, the Mexicas were shown a vision of an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus, eating a snake. This vision indicated that this was the location where they were to build their home. In any event, the Mexicas eventually arrived on a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco where they founded the town of Tenochtitlan in 1325. For the next 50 years, until 1427, the Mexica had become a regional power, perhaps the most powerful since the Toltecs, centuries earlier. 

Tlacaelel one of the primary architects of the Aztec empire ordered the burning of most of the extant Aztec books claiming that they contained lies and he rewrote the history of the Aztec people, thus creating a common awareness of history for the Aztecs. This rewriting led directly promoted the belief that the Aztecs were always a powerful and mythic nation. He created the necessity of constant sacrifices to keep the Sun moving.