Ahuitzotl

Ahuizotl
Ahuizotl in the Codex Mendoza.
8th Tlatoani of Mexico Tenochtitlan
7 Rabbit (1486) – 10 Rabbit (1502)
Preceded by	Tizoc
Succeeded by	Moctezuma II
Died	10 Rabbit (1502)
Father	Tezozomoc
Mother	Atotoztli II
Children	King Chimalpilli II King Cuauhtémoc

Ahuizotl (Nahuatl: āhuizotl, pronounced [aːˈwitsotɬ]) (meaning roughly "water dog"^[1]) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the Hueyi Tlatoani of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. He was responsible for much of the expansion of the Mexica domain, and consolidated the empire's power after emulating his predecessor. He took power as tlatoani in the year 7 Rabbit (1486), after the death of his predecessor and brother, Tizoc.

His sons were kings Chimalpilli II and Cuauhtémoc.

Biography

Perhaps the greatest known military leader of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Ahuizotl began his reign by suppressing a Huastec rebellion, and then swiftly more than doubled the size of lands under Aztec dominance. He conquered the Mixtec, Zapotec, and other peoples from Mexico's Pacific coast down to the western part of Guatemala. Ahuizotl also supervised a major rebuilding of Tenochtitlan on a grander scale including the expansion of the Great Pyramid or Templo Mayor in the year 8 Reed (1487). Ahuizotl died in the year 10 Rabbit (1502) and was succeeded by his nephew, Moctezuma II.

Ahuizotl took his name from the animal Ahuizotl, which the Aztecs apparently^{[citation needed]} considered to be a legendary creature in its own right rather than a mere mythical representation of the king.

Map

Map showing the expansion of the Aztec empire showing the areas conquered by the Aztec rulers. The conquests of Ahuitzotl is marked by the colour yellow.^[2]

Tomb

On 3 August 2007, Mexican archaeologists announced discovery of what is believed to be the tomb of Ahuizotl beneath a sculpture of Tlaltecuhtli near the Zócalo in Mexico City.^[3][4]

Notes

References

• Townsend, Richard F. (2000) The Aztecs. revised ed. Thames and Hudson, New York.
• Hassig, Ross (1988) Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.
• Weaver, Muriel Porter (1993). The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors: Archaeology of Mesoamerica (3rd ed. ed.). San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-01-263999-3. http://books.google.com/?id=I0MATwEACAAJ. 

External links

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