Azcapotzalco

Azcapotzalco
995–1520s →
Glyph
Capital	Azcapotzalco
Language(s)	Nahuatl
Religion	Pre-Columbian Nahua religion
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Pre-Columbian
- Established	995
- Incorporated into New Spain	1520s

Azcapotzalco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl (state), capital of the Tepanec empire, in the Valley of Mexico, on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.

The name Azcapotzalco means "at the anthill" in Nahuatl. Its inhabitants were called Azcapotzalca.

According to the 17th century annalist Chimalpahin, Azcapotzalco was founded by Chichimecs in the year 995 AD.^[1]

The most famous ruler (tlatoani) of Azcapotzalco was Tezozomoctli.

History

According to chronicler Fernando Alva Ixtlilxóchitl the Tepanec's were a Chichimec group and settled in 1012 in the region west of Lake Texcoco. Its lineage begins when their Acolhua leader (or Acolnahuacatl) marries Xolotl's daughter Cuetlaxochitzin. But this information is rather in a mythical context, Acolnahuacatl's life is registered much later.

Chimalpahin places their settlement before, in 995. In fact archaeological investigations have revealed that Azcapotzalco was inhabited from the Classical period - around year 600 – and were related to the Teotihuacan’s culture and language, as it is known that they still spoke the Otomi language in 14th century while the Nahuatl was lingua franca from 1272. Continuing with data provided by Chimalpahin, he mentions that Tepanec entered the Triple Alliance from 1047 (this Alliance is different from a much later alliance involving the Aztecs).

The documents indicate that last line starts with Matlacohuatl^[2]. The second tlatoani was Chiconquiauhtzin.

Azcapotzalco was founded in the 13th century in the west of Lake Texcoco. Azcapotzalco maintained a dominant hegemony with the Aztecs, who arrived in 1299, settling on the Chapultepec Hill, and were dominated.

Allowed the mexitin establishment in Chapultepec in 1281-1286 so they expelled the matlatzincas-texcaltepecas (Texcaltepec; former name of the village of Malinalco), also remained neutral when a four Nation coalition razed the Chapoltepec mexitin and Santa Catarina Sierra in 1299, when they are subjected to the Colhuacan yoke. In 1318 for the first time they attacked the Aztecs, which resulted in an increased tribute and greater participation in military campaigns.

Around of 1315, the Tepanec, Toltec and Chichimec drove the Aztecs definitively from Chapultepec. Cópil was captured and killed by the Aztecs. His heart was ripped off and thrown into the River. According to a legend, Huitzilopochtli had to kill his nephew, Cópil and threw his heart in the Lake^[3]. However, since Cópil was his relative, Huitzilopochtli decided to honor him and made a cactus grow over Cópil heart and it became a sacred place.^[4]

The Aztecs attempted to ally with the Colhua to confront the Tepanec: they were allowed to settle in Tizapán, near Colhuacan. In 1323, the Aztecs slaughtered a Colhua Princess in front of his father. The Colhua had been expelled from Tizapán and immediately declared war.^[3]

The Aztecs called for immediate Azcapotzalco protection, and from this point forward they were subject to military, economic and strategic decisions of the Tepanecas^[3].

Between 1371 and 1426, Azcapotzalco reached its greatest splendor under the Government of Tezozómoc. At the time of his death in 1343,^[5] Azcapotzalco was an authentic "Hueyi Tlahtohcayotl", controlled trade routes and his lineage governed at least 40 altépetl.

At Acolnahuacatl's death, his son Tezozomoc only 23 years old took his place; it may be the most important and crucial post-classical period figure. His political decisions both, destroyed villages and favored the emergence of others, if the Aztec-tenochcas supremacy was reached in the 15th century was as a result of Tezozómoc Government.

His son Cuacuapitzahuac ruled the Tlatelolco until 1407. Tezozómoc forced the Aztecs to fight with him and conquered the enemy city of Colhuacan in 1385. Between 1414-1418 achieved domain of the Valley, thanks to the decisive contribution of Aztec and mercenary forces and a series of careful pacts with regional people. Azcapotzalco became an economic center of enormous power.^[3]

In 1426, When Tezozómoc died, his son Maxtla took power, he failed to maintain alliances and lost the crucial support of the Aztecs due to the assassination of emperor Chimalpopoca. Azcapotzalco was attacked and destroyed by the Triple Alliance Tenochtitlan-Texcoco-Tlacopan in 1428. Hegemonic power passed to Tenochtitlan and, consequently, to the Aztec Empire.^[3]

Notes

References

• Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, Domingo Francisco de San Antón Muñón (1997). Codex Chimalpahin. ed. and trans. by Arthur J. O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder. Norman and London: Oklahoma University Press. 

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