The Hummingbird and the Hawk

Padden, R. C., The Hummingbird and the Hawk: Conquest and Sovereignty in the Valley of Mexico, 1503-1541, Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1967.

From the book jacket:

In this vivid account of the complex phenomena of cultural change as they occurred in the Valley of Mexico in the first half of the sixteenth century, Mr. Padden discovers two distinct processes of change functioning simultaneously throughout the period. The first process was governed by evolutionary forces that had shaped Aztec society since formation of the Triple alliance and whose influence survived the Spanish conquest and continued well into the post-conquest period. The second and more apparent process of change was governed by the revolutionary imposition of Spanish sovereignty.

From the author's preface:

Although nearly one third of this book is concerned with pre-conquest Mexico, it does not pretend to be a definitive or exhaustive treatment of Aztec society. It merely attempts to follow the sometimes elusive evolution of Aztec sovereignty from its origins to its demise and examines only those cultural traits and social phenomena that were related to it.