Diego Huanitzin
Encyclopedia
Don
Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin (or Panitzin) was a 16th century Nahua noble
. A grandson of Axayacatl
, Nephew of tlatoani
Moctezuma II
. He was initially the tlatoani
(ruler) of Ecatepec
before becoming tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, as well as its first governor
under the colonial Spanish
system of government.
He had been designated governor (tlatoani) of Ecatépec
by Moctezuma
, in the year 2 Técpatl after the death of Chimalpilli the former tlatoani. Moctezuma was already prisoner of Cortés
in Tenochtitlan, the people of Ecatepec
accepted him as their ruler and hid him along with his mother.
After the fall of Tenochtitlan, he was one of the five Aztec lords held captive by Cortés along with Cuauhtemoc
, the cihuacohuatl Tlacotzin, Oquiztzin, and Motelchiuhtzin. Along them he was also tortured, with his feet burned, because of the gold lost by the Spaniards when they had to flee Tenochtitlan.
Huanitzin was baptized
with the Spanish Christian name Diego, and took the surname
de Alvarado from his baptismal sponsor — probably Pedro de Alvarado
or one of his brothers, whose uncle with whom they came to America was named Diego de Alvarado.
Cortés took Huanitzin along with many other indigenous rulers in his travel to Honduras
. He was spared from execution when Cuauhtemoc was hanged by Cortés along with Tetlepanquetzatzin, tlatoani of Tlacopan and don Pedro Cohuanacochtzin. After the return of Cortés, Huanitzin was released and returned as Tlatoani of Ecatepec, where he ruled 14 years.
As grandson of a former Tlatoani, in the year 7 Tochtli (1538), he was chosen as the first governor of Tenochtitlan (Mexico), by the don Antonio de Mendoza
, first viceroy of México. Tenochtitlan had been without official ruler for almost a year.
Don Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin died in 1541. Among his children were doña Juan de Alvarado, who married Huehue Totoquihuaztli, ruler of Tlacopan
; don Cristóbal de Guzmán Cecetzin, who later became governor of Tenochtitlan; don Hernando de Alvarado Tezozomoc, an interpreter known today for the Crónica mexicayotl
; and doña Isabel, who married Antonio Valeriano
, who would also become governor of Tenochtitlan.
representation of the Mass of Saint Gregory
, after a Dutch engraving
. Dated 1539, it is the earliest dated work of art in New Spain
.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin (or Panitzin) was a 16th century Nahua noble
Pipiltin
The Pipiltin were the noble social class in the Mexica Empire.These people were members of the hereditary nobility and occupied the top positions in the government, the army and the priesthood...
. A grandson of Axayacatl
Axayacatl
Axayacatl was the sixth Aztec Emperor, a ruler of the Postclassic Mesoamerican Aztec Empire and city of Tenochtitlan, who reigned from 1469 to 1481.He is chiefly remembered for subjugating Tlatelolco, Tenochtitlan's sister city, in 1473....
, Nephew of tlatoani
Tlatoani
Tlatoani is the Nahuatl term for the ruler of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic state. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king". A is a female ruler, or queen regnant....
Moctezuma II
Moctezuma II
Moctezuma , also known by a number of variant spellings including Montezuma, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma and referred to in full by early Nahuatl texts as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, was the ninth tlatoani or ruler of Tenochtitlan, reigning from 1502 to 1520...
. He was initially the tlatoani
Tlatoani
Tlatoani is the Nahuatl term for the ruler of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic state. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king". A is a female ruler, or queen regnant....
(ruler) of Ecatepec
Ecatepec
Ecatepec was an Aztec altepetl or city-state in the Valley of Mexico.-Tlatoque:From 1428 to 1539, Ecatepec was ruled by a tlatoani...
before becoming tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, as well as its first governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
under the colonial Spanish
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
system of government.
He had been designated governor (tlatoani) of Ecatépec
Ecatepec
Ecatepec was an Aztec altepetl or city-state in the Valley of Mexico.-Tlatoque:From 1428 to 1539, Ecatepec was ruled by a tlatoani...
by Moctezuma
Moctezuma II
Moctezuma , also known by a number of variant spellings including Montezuma, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma and referred to in full by early Nahuatl texts as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, was the ninth tlatoani or ruler of Tenochtitlan, reigning from 1502 to 1520...
, in the year 2 Técpatl after the death of Chimalpilli the former tlatoani. Moctezuma was already prisoner of Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
in Tenochtitlan, the people of Ecatepec
Ecatepec
Ecatepec was an Aztec altepetl or city-state in the Valley of Mexico.-Tlatoque:From 1428 to 1539, Ecatepec was ruled by a tlatoani...
accepted him as their ruler and hid him along with his mother.
After the fall of Tenochtitlan, he was one of the five Aztec lords held captive by Cortés along with Cuauhtemoc
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc was the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521...
, the cihuacohuatl Tlacotzin, Oquiztzin, and Motelchiuhtzin. Along them he was also tortured, with his feet burned, because of the gold lost by the Spaniards when they had to flee Tenochtitlan.
Huanitzin was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
with the Spanish Christian name Diego, and took the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
de Alvarado from his baptismal sponsor — probably Pedro de Alvarado
Pedro de Alvarado
Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of Mexico led by Hernan Cortes...
or one of his brothers, whose uncle with whom they came to America was named Diego de Alvarado.
Cortés took Huanitzin along with many other indigenous rulers in his travel to Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. He was spared from execution when Cuauhtemoc was hanged by Cortés along with Tetlepanquetzatzin, tlatoani of Tlacopan and don Pedro Cohuanacochtzin. After the return of Cortés, Huanitzin was released and returned as Tlatoani of Ecatepec, where he ruled 14 years.
As grandson of a former Tlatoani, in the year 7 Tochtli (1538), he was chosen as the first governor of Tenochtitlan (Mexico), by the don Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
, first viceroy of México. Tenochtitlan had been without official ruler for almost a year.
Don Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin died in 1541. Among his children were doña Juan de Alvarado, who married Huehue Totoquihuaztli, ruler of Tlacopan
Tlacopan
Tlacopan , also called Tacuba, was a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city-state situated on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.Founded by Tlacomatzin, Tlacopan was a Tepanec kingdom subordinate to nearby Azcapotzalco...
; don Cristóbal de Guzmán Cecetzin, who later became governor of Tenochtitlan; don Hernando de Alvarado Tezozomoc, an interpreter known today for the Crónica mexicayotl
Crónica Mexicayotl
The Crónica Mexicayotl is a chronicle of the Aztec empire that was written in the Nahuatl language by Fernando Alvarado Tezozómoc around 1598. Given that its author belonged to the Aztec royal lineage, the manuscript documents the Aztec version of the history of central Mexico. It was written in...
; and doña Isabel, who married Antonio Valeriano
Antonio Valeriano
Antonio Valeriano was a colonial Mexican, Nahua scholar and politician. He was an assistant to fray Bernardino de Sahagún in the compilation of the Florentine Codex, and served as judge-governor both of his home, Azcapotzalco, and of Tenochtitlan.-Question of authorship of the Nican Mopohua:The...
, who would also become governor of Tenochtitlan.
Mass of St. Gregory
Huanitzin may have created a featherworkFeatherwork
Featherwork is the working of feathers into a cultural artifact. This was especially elaborate among the peoples of Oceania and the Americas, such as the Incas and Aztecs....
representation of the Mass of Saint Gregory
Mass of Saint Gregory
The Mass of Saint Gregory is a subject in Roman Catholic art which first appears in the late Middle Ages and was still found in the Counter-Reformation. Pope Gregory I The Mass of Saint Gregory is a subject in Roman Catholic art which first appears in the late Middle Ages and was still found in...
, after a Dutch engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
. Dated 1539, it is the earliest dated work of art in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
.