Mexica: A History Podcast

Tag: Triple Alliance

  • The Rulers of Tlacopan (Tacuba)

    Glyph for the altepetl, or city, of Tlacopan.

    What is today known as the Aztec Empire could be variously described as a cultural group of Nahuatl-speaking people, or as the political entity that ruled the majority of Nahua people, called the Triple Alliance. The Triple Alliance, in 1519, was made up of three “altepetls,” or something like city-states.These were the island city of Tenochtitlan, led by the famous Moctezuma; Tlacopan and Texcoco. Together these three altepetls shared the burden and bounty of their efforts.

    Aculnahuacatl

    The First Ruler of Tlacopan (1400-1430)

    Installed as the ruler by his father Tezozomoc of Azcapotzalco, he is considered the first Tlatoani of Tlacopan, ruler of the Tepanec people. I only found one citation in Diego Duran, which describes his efforts in driving the Mexica tribe out of Tepanec lands to the West of Lake Texcoco. He is apparently the founder of the Tepanec nation centered in Tlacopan. Apparently the historian Chimalpahin lists his lineage and some other details.

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  • Who are the Nahua, Aztec, Mexica?

    Nahua, Aztec, Mexica

    As I’ve delved into “Aztec” culture I’ve learned of the many nuances of how the world refers to these people from the Valley of Mexico. Understanding who the Aztecs were takes an understanding of the politics of the Valley. Most Americans think of the Aztecs as Montezuma’s native people that were conquered by Cortes. That concept fits in as a hyper-simplistic footnote to the overall genocide of Indigenous people across North America, a “here’s how THEY did it” anecdote of complicity.

    Illustration of a moonlit Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco, by Tomas Filsinger.

    Lost in that simplified narrative is the cultural nuance of Aztec identity and the survival of a “mestizo” culture. Let’s delve in. A familiar European comparison might be the early British Empire, at least for identity structure. Ireland, Scotland and England share the English language. Politically, they are the United Kingdom, three kingdoms united. But if you call an Irishman English he would be quite offended. The people grouped together as Aztecs were also culturally distinct.

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