Editing Emperor (section)

===Pre-Columbian traditions===
[[File:Moctezuma Xocoyotzin.png|thumb|upright|Emperor [[Moctezuma II]] of the Aztec Empire wearing a [[tilmàtli]]]]
The Aztec and Inca traditions are unrelated to one another. Both were conquered under the reign of King [[Charles I of Spain]] who was simultaneously emperor-elect of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] during the fall of the Aztecs and fully emperor during the fall of the Incas. Incidentally by being king of Spain, he was also Roman (Byzantine) emperor in pretence through [[Andreas Palaiologos]]. The translations of their titles were provided by the Spanish.

====Aztec Empire====
{{Main|:es:Huey Tlatoani}}
The only [[pre-Columbian]] North American rulers to be commonly called emperors were the ''Huey Tlatoani'' ([[:es:Huey Tlatoani]]) of the Mexica city-states of [[Tenochtitlan]], [[Tlacopan]] and [[Texcoco (altepetl)|Texcoco]], which along with their allies and tributaries are popularly known as the [[Aztec Empire]] (1375–1521). ''Tlatoani'' is a generic Nahuatl word for "speaker"; however, most English translators use "king" for their translation, thus rendering ''huey tlatoani'' as ''great king'' or ''emperor.''<ref>Lockhart (2001, p.238); Schroeder (2007, p. 3). See also the entry for [http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/tl/nahuatlTLAHTLI.html#TLAHTOANI "TLAHTOANI"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614183207/http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/tl/nahuatlTLAHTLI.html#TLAHTOANI|date=2007-06-14}}, in Wimmer (2006).</ref>

The Triple Alliance was an [[elected monarchy]] chosen by the elite. The emperors of Tenochtitlan and Texcoco were nominally equals, each receiving two-fifths of tribute from the vassal kingdoms, whereas the emperor of Tlacopan was a junior member and only received one-fifth of the tribute,{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} due to the fact that Tlacopan was a newcomer to the alliance. Despite the nominal equality, Tenochtitlan eventually assumed a [[de facto]] dominant role in the Empire, to the point that even the emperors of Tlacopan and Texcoco would acknowledge Tenochtitlan's effective supremacy. Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Hernán Cortés]] executed Emperor [[Cuauhtémoc]] and installed puppet rulers who became vassals for Spain.

====Inca Empire====
{{Main|Sapa Inca}}
The only pre-Columbian South American rulers to be commonly called emperors were the ''[[Sapa Inca]]'' of the [[Inca Empire]] (1438–1533). Spanish conquistador [[Francisco Pizarro]], conquered the Inca for Spain, killed Emperor [[Atahualpa]], and installed puppets as well. Atahualpa may actually be considered a usurper as he had achieved power by [[Inca Civil War|killing his half-brother]] and he did not perform the required coronation with the imperial crown ''[[mascaipacha]]'' by the ''Huillaq Uma'' (high priest).