Montezuma II (Aztec Emperor)

Montezuma II was the ninth emperor of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1502 until his death in 1520. He is known for expanding the empire's territory and wealth, as well as for his complex society that combined religion, politics, and trade. Montezuma encountered Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés, which marked the beginning of the decline of the Aztec Empire. His reign was characterized by both grandeur and crisis, culminating in the capture of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, and significant changes in Mesoamerican history as indigenous cultures faced European colonization.