The Aztec civilization is described as an informal empire that ruled itself and paid tribute to which center?

• A. Tenochtitlan pyramid
• B. Machu Picchu
• C. Chichen Itza
• D. Teotihuacan

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the Aztec empire organized control and wealth. They ruled a wide area by letting conquered lands keep local rulers, but these lands sent regular tribute to a single, central power. That central power and treasury was in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, where tribute was collected and political authority rested. This system kept the empire cohesive and supplied the capital with resources for administration, religion, and military needs.

Machu Picchu belongs to the Inca; Chichen Itza is a Maya city; Teotihuacan is an earlier central Mexican city that influenced later cultures but was not the Aztecs’ center of tribute.