[ecocentrik]

Yes, the Tlaxcaltecas defeated the Aztecs but they did not succeed in establishing themselves as the dominant power for very long. The Spanish returned with a greater military force and eventually dominated them.

There is admittedly plenty of nuance but my comment was intended to decry the tragedy of conquest, where a conquering party does not recognize the genius of technology implemented by the conquered party and proceeds to destroy that technology, to their own detriment.