On the Fringes of Empire: Aztec Tributary Provinces on the Imperial Frontier

This article deals with the arrangement of conquered provinces in the Azte empire. It has become widely recognized that the empire employed contrasting imperial strategies resulting in tributary & strategic provinces, the latter often tending to insulate the former from potentially dangerous frontiers. Therefore, it is somewhat problematical to find several tributary provinces established on the fringes of the empire & even along hostile borderlands. Explanations for these arrangements are presented from an examination of historical, economic, & military/administrative dimensions of Aztec empire-building. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.