How was the Aztec Empire organized into provinces?

To manage the vast number of states conquered by the Aztec Empire—which numbered between 400 and 500—the empire was organized into 38 provinces to facilitate administrative control.1

The organization of these provinces functioned through the following mechanisms:

• Provincial Capitals: Each province was assigned a specific town to serve as its capital.1
• Governance and Tribute: An Aztec official, known as a tax collector-governor (calpixque), was stationed in each provincial capital. These officials were responsible for supervising the collection, storage, and disposition of tribute, which was paid based on the specific production capabilities of each region.21
• Military Presence: In many provinces, the Aztec established military garrisons consisting of warriors and their families drawn from the Valley of Mexico. These individuals acted as both troops and colonists, as they were assigned land to support themselves.1
• Administrative Integration: Beyond tribute collection, the Aztec sought to integrate these territories through the introduction of their national god, Huitzilopochtli, and by utilizing tax collectors to serve as courts of appeal for serious judicial matters.1