Tezozomoctli (Cuauhtitlan)

Tezozomoctli

Tlatoani of Cuauhtitlan
4 Rabbit3 Rabbit
1418–1430
Preceded by Xaltemoctzin
Succeeded by Tecocoatzin

Died 1430
Atzompan
Father Tlacateotl
Mother Xiuhtomiyauhtzin

Tezozomoctli (originally Teçoçomoctli; ruled 1418[1]–1430[2]) was a tlatoani ("ruler" or "king") of the pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl (city-state) of Cuauhtitlan in central Mexico. His palace was located at Huexocalco.[1]

Tezozomoctli was born at the Mexica city of Tlatelolco. His father was Tlacateotl, who was the second tlatoani of Tlatelolco.[3] His mother was Xiuhtomiyauhtzin, the daughter of the tlatoani of Coatl Ichan, Acolmiztli.[4] Tezozomoctli was probably named after his great-grandfather, the powerful ruler of Azcapotzalco.

Tezozomoctli's ancestors in three generations[5]
Tezozomoctli Father:
Tlacateotl
Paternal Grandfather:
Quaquapitzahuac
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Huehue Tezozomoctli
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Tzihuacxochitzin I
Paternal Grandmother:
Acxocueitl
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Acolmiztli
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Tlazozomizqui
Mother:
Xiuhtomiyauhtzin
Maternal Grandfather:
Acolmiztli
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Tzompantzin
Maternal Great-grandmother:
unknown

In the Tepanec War in the year 3 Rabbit (1430), Cuauhtitlan was attacked and defeated by the combined forces of the surrounding peoples. After being informed at his refuge at Cincoc Huehuetocan that Cuauhtitlan had been captured, Tezozomoctli travelled to Atzompan where he committed suicide by poison.[2] But, of course, perhaps this is a lie written by his killers, and he was murdered by the tenochca faction of Itzcoatl and his allied. His dead is a piece in the whole campaign to destroy the Tepanec Empire and to found the Triple Alliance or the Tenochca Empire, so, the most plausible version is that the winners in the Tepanec War killed him. Not in vane, he was the tepanec candidate as ruler of Cuauhtitlan, and, after his dead, another ruler, friendly with Tenochtitlan, succeeded him.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Bierhorst (1992): pp. 80–81.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bierhorst (1992): pp. 90–93.
  3. Bierhorst (1992): p. 91; Chimalpahin (1997): vol. 2, pp. 59, 113. The Annals of Cuauhtitlan (in Bierhorst 1992) actually give Tezozomoctli's father once as Tlacateotl (p. 91) and once as Quauhtlatoa (pp. 80–81), Tlacateotl's successor.
  4. Chimalpahin (1997): vol. 2, p. 113.
  5. Chimalpahin (1997): vol. 2, pp. 111–133.

References

Preceded by
Xaltemoctzin
Tlatoani of Cuauhtitlan
4 Rabbit3 Rabbit
1418–1430
Succeeded by
Tecocoatzin