Culhuacan

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Culhuacan or Colhuacan was one of the Nahuatl-speaking pre-Columbian city-states of the Valley of Mexico. By tradition, Culhuacan was founded by the Toltecs under Mixcoatl, and that theirs was the first Toltec city (Pohl 1991). The Nahua-speakers agreed that Culhuacan was the first to title their rulers as "speaker" (tlatoani).

Culhuacan survived the fall of Tollan and maintained their prestige until the mid-14th century.

Notably, in 1299, Culhuacan's tlatoani, Cocoxtli, helped the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco, the Xochimilca and other cities expel the Mexica from Chapultepec. Cocoxtli then gave the Mexica permission to settle in the empty barrens of Tizapan, southwest of Chapultepec, and become vassals of Culhuacan. The Mexica subsequently assimilated into Culhuacan's culture and their soldiers provided mercenaries for its wars. (One primary source for these events is the Cronica Mexicayotl, transcribed in 1609.)

In the early 14th century, the vassal Mexica asked for Achitometl's daughter, in order to make her the goddess Yaocihuatl. Unbeknownst to Achitometl, the Mexica actually planned to sacrifice her. As the story goes, during a festival dinner, a priest came out wearing her flayed skin as part of the ritual. Upon seeing this, the king and the people of Culhuacan were horrified and expelled the Mexica. The Mexican found their way onto a small island in Lake Texcoco, where they founded their capital, Tenochtitlan.

The Tenochtitlan tlatoani Acamapichtli was a son of the Culhua tlatoani Nauhyotzin's daughter. Still, in 1377 Azcapotzalco subdued Culhuacan in large part with Mexica troops. In 1428, the Mexican Speaker Itzcóatl helped to overthrow Azcapotzalco's hegemony, and accepted the title "Ruler of the Culhua".