History
The Empire was founded by the Aztecs in the 14th century, growing rapidly in the following 200 years as the Aztecs consolidated an empire based upon a tributary system, ruled by fear and human sacrifices. In the 16th century, Cortez was seen as a conqueror, and his small force was attacked and slain. Following this, the Spanish were reluctant to launch further expeditions into Mesoamerica. By the mid 1500s, following an increase of Christian missionaries, the Aztecs sent representatives to Cuba to meet with Spanish representatives. There, a deal was signed recognizing Aztec control over much of Mesoamerica. In exchange for this recognition, the Aztecs permitted Christian missionaries to operate within their territory. Trading with the Spanish, the Aztecs acquired guns and other "advanced" technologies from Europe. Reverse engineering these weapons, and learning from the missionaries, the Aztecs were gradually able to learn how to construct these devices themselves. This helped advance the Aztecs greatly. As with elsewhere in the Americas, disease spread quickly throughout the Aztec Empire, devastating rich and poor alike. However with the help of the new technology acquired by the Spanish, the Aztecs were able to maintain power, and after the diseases had run their course, the Empire emerged stronger than before. By the early 16th century the Empire began abandoning their practice of human sacrifices, in part due to the spreading Christian influences, and in part due to the devastation caused by the diseases. This shift away from human sacrifices was also reflected in a shift of belief away from their traditional beliefs towards Christian beliefs, as the Aztecs began to replace their understanding of indebtedness to their traditional gods towards an indebtedness towards Christ. This shift survives to this day, and is one of the reasons why the Nahuan Christians are some of the most devout in the world. By this time the Aztecs had solidified their rule over their traditional lands, conquering their rivals in the region.
In the following years the Aztecs expanded north, implementing a policy of forced resettlement and education to secure the lands. This saw the local tribes dispersed throughout the Empire, and Nahuatl taught as a language to all newly conquered peoples. The resettlement and language policies, alongside an education campaign that sought to instil a united Nahuan identity, resulted in the unified Nahuan people that inhabit the Empire today. The northern conquests lasted for around 50 years, with the Aztecs pushing so far north that they came into conflict with other colonial powers. It was around the 1670s that the Aztecs were forced to halt their northern expansion, facing having reached the northern deserts and mountains, and having reached the limit of what they could reasonably administer. Additionally, tensions with various colonial powers caused further tensions on the Empire, resulting in a shift from expansion to diplomacy. Throughout the remainder of the 17th century, and into the early 18th century, the Aztecs signed treaties and traded with the various colonial powers, all the while consolidating their rule over the lands they administered. During this time, the Aztecs also supported and funded Native tribes in the Great Plains of the Americas.
It was around this time that the Empire underwent a series of reforms, inspired by the increased level of Christianization in the Empire, alongside the increased spread of ideas between themselves and the Europeans. These reforms led to the nation being known officially as the Nahuan Empire, a name that was (begrudingly) adopted by foreign nations. Several internal reforms were undertaken as well, ranging from the granting of religious freedoms, to delegating power away from the Emperor. These reforms also began to rework the social structures of the Nahuans, further uprooting the pyramidal structures that their society was built upon, a process that had begun during the plagues that spread from the Europeans. These processes led to a more equalizing of society, allowing further movement between the classes, and hastening the process of removing the different barriers between the classes. The reforms also began to emphasize the importance of community, building the idea of working together and caring for one another - this idea was also spread through Christian missionaries and ideals. These reforms also saw the official outlawing of human sacrifice, a tradition that although had begun to be phased out by the early 1600s, was still alive in various parts of the Empire, even in the 1700s. Despite the practice being outlawed, it continued to be practiced in secret in very remote regions of the Empire. These reforms also saw Christianity entrenched throughout the nation.
As the 1700s continued, the Nahuans fought several wars with the Spanish, further consolidating and cementing their rule in the region. These wars are also said to have been the reason for the collapse of the Spanish colonial empire in the Americas. This could be seen as a direct result of the last war between the two nations, since the outcome was a significant defeat for the Spanish, causing them to lose a significant amount of their forces in the Americas. In the 1780s a series of treaties were signed, delineating the borders between the Nahuan Empire and the colonial powers in the north. These treaties established the northern borders of the Nahuan Empire that exist today. Around this time a revolution in the Mayan Kingdom occurred, whereby the people overthrew the King and installed a republic.
In the early 1800s the Mayans, seeking to capitalize on the collapsing Spanish colonial empire declared war on the Spanish, swiftly invading the various islands and colonies in the Caribbean. The war lasted less than a year, as the Mayans successfully defeated the Spanish and conquered their island territories. Emboldened by their successes, the Mayans ended their cordial trade relations with the Nahuans, and began pirating Nahuan trading vessels in the region. This angered the Nahuans, who declared a joint war with the British against the Mayans. This war lasted almost 15 years, and saw other colonial powers get involved as well, with fighting taking place both in the Americas, but also in Europe and Asia between the various colonial powers. However, the Nahuans and British came out victorious in the end, and the Mayans were forced to release the conquered former Spanish colonies. Much debate was held about what to do with the Mayans, but in the end it was decided that the Mayans would become a vassal of the Nahuans. They Mayans would be allowed to retain their republic, and have control over their internal politics, but would not be permitted to raise a military and would rely upon the Nahuans for defense and foreign policy arrangements. Although this initially angered the Mayans, their military had been completely obliterated, leaving them little choice in the matter.
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