Itzcóatl
Encyclopedia
Itzcoatl was the fourth emperor
of the Aztec
s, ruling from 1427 (or 1428) to 1440, the period when the Mexica
threw off the domination of the Tepanec
s and laid the foundations for the eventual Aztec Empire.
. He himself was elected as the king when his predecessor, his nephew Chimalpopoca
, was killed by Maxtla
of the nearby Tepanec city-state of Azcapotzalco
. Allying with Nezahualcoyotl
of Texcoco, Itzcoatl went on to defeat Maxtla and end the Tepanec domination of central Mexico.
After this victory, Itzcoatl, Nezahualcoyotl, and Totoquilhuaztli, king of Tlacopan
, forged what would become known as the Aztec Triple Alliance
, forming the basis of the eventual Aztec empire.
Itzcoatl next turned his attention to the chinampas districts on the south shores of Lakes Xochimilco
and Chalco
. Fresh water springs lining these shores had allowed the development of extensive raised gardens, or chinampas, set on the shallow lake floors. Successful campaigns against Xochimilco (1430), Mixquic (1432), Cuitlahuac (1433), and Tezompa would secure agricultural resources for Tenochtitlan and, along with the conquest of Culhuacan
and Coyoacán
, would cement the Triple Alliance's control over the southern half of the Valley of Mexico
.
With this string of victories, Itzcoatl took the title Culhua tecuhtli, "Lord of the Culhua" while Totoquilhuaztli, king of Tlacopan, took the title Tepaneca tecuhtli, "Lord of the Tepanecs".
In 1439, Itzcoatl undertook a campaign outside the Valley of Mexico against Cuauhnahuac (Cuernavaca
).
According to the Madrid Codex
, Itzcoatl ordered the burning
of all historical codices
because it was "not wise that all the people should know the paintings". Among other purposes, this allowed the Aztec state to develop a state-sanctioned history and mythos that venerated Huitzilopochtli
.
Itzcoatl also continued the building of Tenochtitlan: during his reign temples, roads, and a causeway were built. Itzcoatl established the religious and governmental hierarchy that was assumed by his nephew Moctezuma I
upon his death in 1440.
. He was an uncle of Chimalpopoca
and Moctezuma I
.
He married princess Huacaltzintli
and had a son Tezozomoc
and was a grandfather of Axayacatl
, Tizoc
and Ahuitzotl.
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....
of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
s, ruling from 1427 (or 1428) to 1440, the period when the Mexica
Mexica
The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico.Mexica may also refer to:*Mexica , a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling*Mexica , a 2005 novel by Norman Spinrad...
threw off the domination of the Tepanec
Tepanec
The Tepanecs or Tepaneca are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the late 12th or early 13th centuries. The Tepanec were a sister culture of the Aztecs as well as the Acolhua and others—these tribes spoke the Nahuatl language and shared the same general pantheon, with...
s and laid the foundations for the eventual Aztec Empire.
Biography
Itzcoatl was an illegitimate son of Emperor AcamapichtliAcamapichtli
Acamapichtli was the first tlatoani, or ruler, of the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan, and founder of the Aztec imperial dynasty. He became ruler in 1375 and reigned for 19 years.- Family and early life :...
. He himself was elected as the king when his predecessor, his nephew Chimalpopoca
Chimalpopoca
Chimalpopoca was the third king of Tenochtitlan .-Rule:On the day of Chimalpopoca's coronation in 1417 , his brother Tlacaelel I was named high priest...
, was killed by Maxtla
Maxtla
Maxtla was a Tepanec ruler of Azcapotzalco from 1426 to his death in 1428. He succeeded his father Tezozomoc, possibly through assassination of his elder brother Tayauh. His reign saw a rapid decline in the fortunes of Azcapotzalco...
of the nearby Tepanec city-state of Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco (altepetl)
Azcapotzalco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl , 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...
. Allying with Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...
of Texcoco, Itzcoatl went on to defeat Maxtla and end the Tepanec domination of central Mexico.
After this victory, Itzcoatl, Nezahualcoyotl, and Totoquilhuaztli, king 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...
, forged what would become known as the Aztec Triple Alliance
Aztec Triple Alliance
The Aztec Triple Alliance, or Aztec Empire began as an alliance of three Nahua city-states or "altepeme": Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan...
, forming the basis of the eventual Aztec empire.
Itzcoatl next turned his attention to the chinampas districts on the south shores of Lakes Xochimilco
Lake Xochimilco
Lake Xochimilco is an ancient endorheic lake located in the Valley of Mexico, part of a series of lakes, which included the brackish Lake Texcoco, Lake Zumpango, and Lake Xaltocan and the fresh water Lake Chalco...
and Chalco
Lake Chalco
Lake Chalco was an endorheic lake formerly located in the Valley of Mexico and was important for human development in central Mexico. The lake was named after the city of Chalco on its eastern shore....
. Fresh water springs lining these shores had allowed the development of extensive raised gardens, or chinampas, set on the shallow lake floors. Successful campaigns against Xochimilco (1430), Mixquic (1432), Cuitlahuac (1433), and Tezompa would secure agricultural resources for Tenochtitlan and, along with the conquest of Culhuacan
Culhuacan
Culhuacan or Colhuacan was one of the Nahuatl-speaking pre-Columbian city-states of the Valley of Mexico. According to tradition, Culhuacan was founded by the Toltecs under Mixcoatl and was the first Toltec city...
and Coyoacán
Coyoacán
Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s “historic center.” The name comes from Nahuatl and most likely means “place of coyotes,” when the Aztecs named a pre-Hispanic village on the southern shore...
, would cement the Triple Alliance's control over the southern half of the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
.
With this string of victories, Itzcoatl took the title Culhua tecuhtli, "Lord of the Culhua" while Totoquilhuaztli, king of Tlacopan, took the title Tepaneca tecuhtli, "Lord of the Tepanecs".
In 1439, Itzcoatl undertook a campaign outside the Valley of Mexico against Cuauhnahuac (Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
).
According to the Madrid Codex
Florentine Codex
The Florentine Codex is the common name given to a 16th century ethnographic research project in Mesoamerica by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Bernardino originally titled it: La Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva Espana...
, Itzcoatl ordered the burning
Book burning
Book burning, biblioclasm or libricide is the practice of destroying, often ceremoniously, books or other written material and media. In modern times, other forms of media, such as phonograph records, video tapes, and CDs have also been ceremoniously burned, torched, or shredded...
of all historical codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
because it was "not wise that all the people should know the paintings". Among other purposes, this allowed the Aztec state to develop a state-sanctioned history and mythos that venerated Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli
In Aztec mythology, Huitzilopochtli, also spelled Uitzilopochtli , was a god of war, a sun god, and the patron of the city of Tenochtitlan. He was also the national god of the Mexicas of Tenochtitlan.- Genealogy :...
.
Itzcoatl also continued the building of Tenochtitlan: during his reign temples, roads, and a causeway were built. Itzcoatl established the religious and governmental hierarchy that was assumed by his nephew Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I , also known as Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina, Huehuemotecuhzoma or Montezuma I , was the fifth Aztec emperor - king of Tenochtitlan...
upon his death in 1440.
Family
Itzcoatl was a son of Acamapichtli and half-brother of HuitzilihuitlHuitzilíhuitl
Huitzilihuitl was the second tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, governing from 1396 to 1417, .- Family and childhood :...
. He was an uncle of Chimalpopoca
Chimalpopoca
Chimalpopoca was the third king of Tenochtitlan .-Rule:On the day of Chimalpopoca's coronation in 1417 , his brother Tlacaelel I was named high priest...
and Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I , also known as Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina, Huehuemotecuhzoma or Montezuma I , was the fifth Aztec emperor - king of Tenochtitlan...
.
He married princess Huacaltzintli
Huacaltzintli
Huacaltzintli was a Princess of Tlatelolco and Queen of Tenochtitlan. She was a daughter of the king Quaquapitzahuac and sister of the king Tlacateotl and queen Matlalatzin. Her husband was Itzcoatl, Aztec emperor. She bore him son called Tezozomoc. She was a grandmother of kings Axayacatl, Tizoc...
and had a son Tezozomoc
Tezozomoc (son of Itzcoatl)
Tezozomoc was a son of Itzcoatl, the fourth Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan. Although he never became ruler himself, he was married to Atotoztli, daughter of Moctezuma I , and three of his sons — Axayacatl, Tizoc, and Ahuitzotl — would become the sixth, seventh and eighth rulers, respectively...
and was a grandfather 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....
, Tizoc
Tízoc
Tizocic or Tizocicatzin , usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.-Biography:...
and Ahuitzotl.