Aztec Rulers: Ahuitzotl, Eighth Tlatoani

About the Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl.

Formal name: Ahuitzotzin
Life:14??-1502
Reign: 1486-1502, 1485-1502 (Tira de Tepechpan)
Name: Water possum
Place of Birth: Likely Tenochtitilan

Upon the death of Ahuitzotl’s brother, Tizoc, the lords met and powerful advisor Tlacaelel began to advocate for his young nephew, a child at the time according to Duran. Other sources say he was already an accomplished military leader and priest. A huge inaugural festival was thrown with allies and enemies invited.

One of his first efforts was to put down a rebellion in the north where the Huastec Nation. He joined the other Triple Alliance leaders, notably King Nezahualpilli of Texcoco, in wars of conquest across the empire.

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Aztec Rulers: Tizoc, Seventh Tlatoani

Formal name: Tizocicatzin
Life:1449-1486
Reign: 1481-1486, 1481-1485 (Tira de Tepechpan)
Name: He who makes sacrifices, he who does penance
Place of Birth: Likely Tenochtitlan

Upon the death of his brother, Axayacatl, the two remaining leaders of the Triple Alliance, Nezahualpilli of Texcoco and Chimalpopoca of Tlacopan, met and selected Tizoc to be the next tlatoani of Tenochtitlan. He was a grandson of former emperors Moctezuma I and Itzcoatl, and the middle brother of three who would follow, in order, as tlatoani.

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Tenoch: Aztec Founding Father

Tenoch is the person, whether real or mythological, for whom the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is named. But who Tenoch was, is a bit of a mystery.

He appears frequently in many of the codices, or ancient documents, preserved from before and after the Conquest. Tenoch is recognizable by his name glyph, a rock with a cactus growing on it and he appears in Mendoza, Aubin and Azcatitlan codices. Tenoch is mentioned in several post-conquest written historic documents. He shares his name glyph with the city of Tenochtitlan.

Tenoch depicted in the Codex Azcatitlan, his name-glyph below him.
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Aztec Rulers: Axayacatl, Sixth Tlatoani

Life:1449-1481 Reign: 1469-1481
Name: Face of water
The son of prince Tezozomoc, a grandson of tlatoque Moctezuma and Itzcoatl, Axayacatl was seemingly destined to become ruler of Tenochtitlan. But his military record helped him rise above his two older brothers, Tizoc and Ahuitzotl, to become favored by the elite decision makers, like Tlacaelel. He had served as Captain General and High Priest before ascending to the throne.

Painting of Axayacatl, from the Tovar Codex.

After the death of his grandfather, Moctezuma, Tlacaelel met with the other leaders of the Triple Alliance, Totoquihuatzli and Nezahualcoyotl and Axayacatl was chosen. The new tlatoani would be a lifelong friend of Nezahualcoyotl, attending his funeral in 1472. His rule was eventful. Following instigations from Moquihuix, ruler of Tlatelolco, Axayacatl attacked his Mexica neighbors in Tlatelolco starting a brief civil war, ending with the subjugation of the city and death of Moquihuix. He also expanded the empire west into the Toluca Valley. Beyond Toluca were the Tarascan people who handed Axayacatl a disastrous defeat in 1476, the only major defeat ever suffered by Tenochca armies, to that point. The defeat in Michoacan came to define his rule and he died five years later in 1481 of illness.

Forty years later Axayacatl’s palace would serve as living quarters, and fortress to Cortes and the Spanish-Tlaxcalan force. Perhaps a coincidence, but according to the History of the Chichimeca Nation, Axayacatl had temples to the gods built in his palace ahead of a war with Chalco. Cortes and his men described effigies of the gods in the palace when they stayed there. Perhaps the ones built 40 years earlier in preparation of war.

Axayacatl’s Accomplishments

  • Sanctioned carving of the “Aztec Sunstone”
  • Was a poet
  • Expanded the empire north, west and east
  • Loved the great ballgame, and played
  • Was wounded in battle, left with lame leg

Moctezuma <<- Axayacatl ->> Tizoc

Aztec Rulers: Chimalpopoca, Third Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan

While it’s believed Chimalpopoca is the son of Huitzilihuitl, it’s possible his father was Acamapichtli, the first ruler of Tenochtitlan. His rule, from about 1417 to 1427, oversaw the building of a wooden aqueduct from Chapultepec into the city, as well as construction of a causeway to Tlacopan.

Militarily, Chimalpopoca kept the Mexica place as a vasal of the Tepanecs, whose ruler was Chimalpopoca’s maternal grandfather, Tezozomoc in the Tepanec capital of Azcapotzalco. After a war in 1418, the Mexica support of the Tepanecs was rewarded with the city of Texcoco. However, Chimalpopoca kindly allowed the ruler of Texcoco, the legendary Nezahualcoyotl, to live in Tenochtitlan rather than be exiled to the mountains.

His death is shrouded in intrigue as several narratives exist on the cause of his death. After fending off an attack by Coyoacan’s ruler, Maxtla, Chimalpopoca was taken hostage by the Tepanecs and taken to Azcapotzalco, where he died. Either by suicide, murdered by the Tepanecs or assassinated by his relative Itzcoatl, the next tlatoani. There seems to be some academic favor to the last option, given Chimalpopoca’s family tie to the Tepanecs. Although Itzcoatl was also the son of a different Tepanec woman, he did not have the loyalty of his half-brother/nephew to those people. Itzcoatl also had a much more grand vision for the Mexica.

Chimalpopoca dressed as the god Huitzilopochtli
Chimalpopoca dressed as the god Huitzilopochtli

Name: Chimalpopoca is a compound name of chimalli (shield) and poctli (smoke). His name is roughly smoking-shield.

Huitzilihuitl <<- Chimalpopca ->> Itzcoatl