Tezozomoc
Encyclopedia
Tezozomoc Yacateteltetl (also Tezozómoc, Tezozomoctli, Tezozomoctzin; born 1320), was a Tepanec
leader who ruled the altepetl
(ethnic state) of Azcapotzalco
from the year 1353 or Five Reed
(1367) or Eight Rabbit
(1370) until his death in the year Twelve Rabbit
(1426). Histories written down in the early colonial period portray Tezozomoc as a military and political genius who oversaw an expansion of Tepanec influence, bringing about Azcapotzalco's dominance in the Valley of Mexico
and beyond.
as a tyrant and: "the most cruel man who ever lived, proud, warlike and domineering. And he was so old, according to what appears in the histories, and to what elderly princes have told me, that they carried him about like a child swathed in feathers and soft skins; they always took him out into the sun to warm him up, and at night he slept between two great brazier
s, and he never withdrew from their glow because he lacked natural heat. And he was very temperate in his eating and drinking and for this reason he lived so long."
His wives were Chalchiuhcozcatzin and Tzihuacxochitzin.
According to the Crónica mexicáyotl
, Tezozomoc had several sons, all of whom he made rulers:
He approved the choice of King Huitzilihuitl
in 1403 and gave him his daughter Ayauhcihuatl
in marriage, notwithstanding the opposition of his son Maxtla. He declared war against the king of Texcoco, Techotlalatzin
, and being defeated sued for peace; but after the latter's death he continued the war against his successor, Ixtlilxochitl I
, whom he defeated and assassinated in 1419, usurping the crown of Texcoco.
Upon Tezozomoc's death in the year Twelve Rabbit
(1426), his son Tayatzin became a king, but Maxtla seized power at Azcapotzalco, leaving the rulership of Coyoacán to his son Tecollotzin.
Tezozomoc was a grandfather of Tlacateotl
, Matlalatzin
, Huacaltzintli
and Chimalpopoca
.
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...
leader who ruled the altepetl
Altepetl
The altepetl, in Pre-Columbian and Spanish conquest-era Aztec society, was the local, ethnically based political entity. The word is a combination of the Nahuatl words ā-tl, meaning water, and tepē-tl, meaning mountain....
(ethnic 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...
from the year 1353 or Five Reed
Aztec calendar
The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica....
(1367) or Eight Rabbit
Aztec calendar
The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica....
(1370) until his death in the year Twelve Rabbit
Aztec calendar
The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica....
(1426). Histories written down in the early colonial period portray Tezozomoc as a military and political genius who oversaw an expansion of Tepanec influence, bringing about Azcapotzalco's dominance in 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...
and beyond.
Biography
Tezozomoc was a son of Acolnahuacatzin and Cuetlaxochitzin. He is described by Fernando de Alva Cortés IxtlilxochitlFernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxochitl
Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl was a Novohispanic historian.-Life:A Castizo born between 1568 and 1580, Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl was a direct descendant of Ixtlilxochitl I and Ixtlilxochitl II, who had been tlatoque of Texcoco...
as a tyrant and: "the most cruel man who ever lived, proud, warlike and domineering. And he was so old, according to what appears in the histories, and to what elderly princes have told me, that they carried him about like a child swathed in feathers and soft skins; they always took him out into the sun to warm him up, and at night he slept between two great brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
s, and he never withdrew from their glow because he lacked natural heat. And he was very temperate in his eating and drinking and for this reason he lived so long."
His wives were Chalchiuhcozcatzin and Tzihuacxochitzin.
According to the Crónica mexicáyotl
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...
, Tezozomoc had several sons, all of whom he made rulers:
- Aculnahuacatl TzaqualcatlAculnahuacatl TzaqualcatlAculnahuacatl Tzaqualcatl was the first tlatoani of the pre-Columbian Tepanec altepetl of Tlacopan in the Valley of Mexico....
, who was installed as ruler of TlacopanTlacopanTlacopan , 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...
, - QuaquapitzahuacQuaquapitzahuacQuaquapitzahuac was the first ruler of the Aztec city of Tlatelolco. His name, which means "Slender Horn", was pronounced in Classical Nahuatl, and is also spelled Cuacuauhpitzahuac, Cuacuapitzahuac, and Quaquauhpitzahuac.-Family:...
, who was installed as ruler of TlatelolcoTlatelolco (altepetl)Tlatelolco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl in the Valley of Mexico. Its inhabitants were known as Tlatelolca. The Tlatelolca were a part of the Mexica ethnic group, a Nahuatl speaking people who arrived in what is now central Mexico in the 13th century...
, - Epcoatl, who was installed as ruler of Atlacuihuayan,
- TzihuactlayahuallohuatzinTzihuactlayahuallohuatzinTzihuactlayahuallohuatzin was the second king of Tiliuhcan. He is mentioned in Crónica mexicáyotl.-Biography:Tzihuactlayahuallohuatzin was a son of Tezozomoc, famous king of Azcapotzalco. His brothers were Kings Aculnahuacatl Tzaqualcatl, Quaquapitzahuac, Epcoatl and Maxtla and his sister was a...
, who was installed as ruler of Tiliuhcan, - MaxtlaMaxtlaMaxtla 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...
, who was installed as ruler of CoyoacánCoyoacánCoyoacán 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...
.
He approved the choice of King Huitzilihuitl
Huitzilíhuitl
Huitzilihuitl was the second tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, governing from 1396 to 1417, .- Family and childhood :...
in 1403 and gave him his daughter Ayauhcihuatl
Ayauhcihuatl
Ayauhcihuatl was a Queen of Tenochtitlan.- Biography :Ayauhcihuatl was born as a princess of Azcapotzalco. She was a daughter of King Tezozomoc and sister of Kings Aculnahuacatl Tzaqualcatl, Quaquapitzahuac, Epcoatl, Tzihuactlayahuallohuatzin and Maxtla. She was sent to Tenochtitlan with many...
in marriage, notwithstanding the opposition of his son Maxtla. He declared war against the king of Texcoco, Techotlalatzin
Techotlalatzin
Techotlalatzin was the ruler of the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city-state of Texcoco from 1357 or 1377 until his death in 1409...
, and being defeated sued for peace; but after the latter's death he continued the war against his successor, Ixtlilxochitl I
Ixtlilxochitl I
Ixtlilxochitl Ome Tochtli was the ruler of the Acolhua city-state of Texcoco from 1409 to 1418 and the father of the famous "poet-king" Nezahualcoyotl.-Early years as tlatoani:...
, whom he defeated and assassinated in 1419, usurping the crown of Texcoco.
Upon Tezozomoc's death in the year Twelve Rabbit
Aztec calendar
The Aztec calendar is the calendar system that was used by the Aztecs as well as other Pre-Columbian peoples of central Mexico. It is one of the Mesoamerican calendars, sharing the basic structure of calendars from throughout ancient Mesoamerica....
(1426), his son Tayatzin became a king, but Maxtla seized power at Azcapotzalco, leaving the rulership of Coyoacán to his son Tecollotzin.
Tezozomoc was a grandfather of Tlacateotl
Tlacateotl
Tlacateotl was the second ruler of the Aztec city of Tlatelolco.-Family:He succeeded his father, Quaquapitzahuac, upon his death in 1407. He was a brother of the queens Matlalatzin and Huacaltzintli and grandson of the famous king Tezozomoc...
, Matlalatzin
Matlalatzin
Matlalatzin was a Queen of Tenochtitlan as a wife of the king Chimalpopoca, and was a princess by birth. She was a daughter of Quaquapitzahuac, king of Tlatelolco, and sister of the king Tlacateotl and queen Huacaltzintli. She bore seven children....
, 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 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...
.