Itzcoatl

Itzcoatl
Itzcoatl
	Itzcoatl in theCodex Mendoza
Tlatoaniof Tenochtitlan
Reign	1427–1440
Predecessor	Xihuitl Temoc
Successor	Moctezuma I
Born	1380
Died	1440(aged 59–60)
Spouse	Huacaltzintli
Issue	Tezozomoc
Father	Acamapichtli
Mother	Tepanec woman from Azcapotzalco

Itzcoatl(Classical Nahuatl:Itzcōhuātl[it͡sˈkoːwaːt͡ɬ],"Obsidian Serpent",modern Nahuatl pronunciation^ⓘ) (1380–1440) was the fourthkingofTenochtitlan,and the founder of theAztec Empire,ruling from 1427 to 1440. Under Itzcoatl theMexica^[2]of Tenochtitlan threw off the domination of theTepanecsand established the Triple Alliance (Aztec Empire) together with the other city-statesTetzcocoandTlacopan.

Biography

Itzcoatl was the natural son oftlàtoāniAcamapichtliand an unknown Tepanec woman from Azcapotzalco.^[3]He was elected as the king when his predecessor, his nephewChimalpopoca,was killed byMaxtlaof the nearby Tepanecāltepētl(city-state) ofAzcapotzalco.Allying withNezahualcoyotlofTexcoco,Itzcoatl went on to defeat Maxtla and end the Tepanec domination of central Mexico.

After this victory, Itzcoatl, Nezahualcoyotl, andTotoquilhuaztli,king ofTlacopan,forged what would become known as theAztec Triple Alliance,forming the basis of the eventualAztec Empire.

Itzcoatl next turned his attention to thechinampasdistricts on the south shores ofLakes XochimilcoandChalco.Fresh water springs lining these shores had allowed the development of extensive raised gardens, orchinampas,set on the shallow lake floors. Successful campaigns againstXochimilco(1430),Mixquic(1432),Cuitlahuac(1433), andTezompawould secure agricultural resources forTenochtitlanand, along with the conquest ofCulhuacanandCoyoacán,would cement the Triple Alliance's control over the southern half of theValley of Mexico.

With this string of victories, Itzcoatl took the titleCulhua teuctli,"Lord of the Culhua", while Totoquilhuaztli, king of Tlacopan, took the titleTepaneca teuctli,"Lord of the Tepanecs".

In 1439, Itzcoatl undertook a campaign outside the Valley of Mexico against Cuauhnahuac (Cuernavaca).

According to theFlorentine Codex,Itzcoatl ordered theburningof all historicalcodicesbecause it was "not wise that all the people should know the paintings".^[4]^[5]Among other purposes, this allowed the Aztec state to develop a state-sanctionedofficial historyand mythos that veneratedHuitzilopochtli.

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 nephewMoctezuma Iupon his death in 1440.

Map showing the expansion of the Aztec empire showing the areas conquered by the Aztec rulers. The conquests of Itzcoatl are marked by the colour red.^[6]

Family

Itzcoatl was a son of Acamapichtli and half-brother ofHuitzilihuitl.He was an uncle ofChimalpopocaandMoctezuma I.

He married princessHuacaltzintliand had a sonTezozomoc

Notes

^Townsend, Camila (2019).Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs.Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 42.ISBN 978-0190673062.
^The dominant ethno-political group within the later Aztec political sphere.
^Itzcoatl's mother is given as a Tepanec woman fromAzcapotzalco;see for example Aguilar-Moreno (2007, p. 39).
^Madrid Codex,VIII, 192v, as quoted in León-Portilla, p. 155. León-Portilla findsTlacaelelto be the instigator of this burning, despite lack of specific historical evidence.
^SilverMoon."FRAY BERNARDINO DE S AHAGUN AND THE NAHUA: CONFLICTING INTERESTS INTERTWINED"(PDF).scholarworks.Montana State University.Retrieved5 May2019.
^Based on the maps by Ross Hassig in "Aztec Warfare"

References

Aguilar-Moreno, Manuel (2007).Handbook to Life in the Aztec World.Oxford and New York:Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-533083-0.OCLC 81150666.
Coe, Michael Coe;Dean Snow;Elizabeth P. Benson(1986).Atlas of Ancient America.New York:Facts on File.ISBN 0-8160-1199-0.OCLC 11518017.
Hassig, Ross(1988).Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control.Civilization of the American Indian series, no. 188. Norman:University of Oklahoma Press.ISBN 0-8061-2121-1.OCLC 17106411.
León-Portilla, Miguel(1963).Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Náhuatl Mind.Civilization of the American Indian series, no. 67. Jack Emory Davis (trans.). Norman:University of Oklahoma Press.OCLC 181727.
Weaver, Muriel Porter (1993).The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors: Archaeology of Mesoamerica(3rd ed.). San Diego, California:Academic Press.ISBN 0-12-739065-0.OCLC 25832740.

External links

"Izcohuatl".Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.1892.

Preceded by Chimalpopoca	Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan 1427–1440	Succeeded by Moctezuma I

[1] Townsend, Camila (2019).Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs.Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 42.ISBN 978-0190673062.

[2] The dominant ethno-political group within the later Aztec political sphere.

[3] Itzcoatl's mother is given as a Tepanec woman fromAzcapotzalco;see for example Aguilar-Moreno (2007, p. 39).

[4] Madrid Codex,VIII, 192v, as quoted in León-Portilla, p. 155. León-Portilla findsTlacaelelto be the instigator of this burning, despite lack of specific historical evidence.

[5] SilverMoon."FRAY BERNARDINO DE S AHAGUN AND THE NAHUA: CONFLICTING INTERESTS INTERTWINED"(PDF).scholarworks.Montana State University.Retrieved5 May2019.

[6] Based on the maps by Ross Hassig in "Aztec Warfare"

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v t e Tlatoqueof Tenochtitlan
Monarchic period (1375–1525)	Acamapichtli Huitzilihuitl Chimalpopoca Xihuitl Temoc Itzcoatl Moctezuma I Atotoztli Axayacatl Tizoc Ahuitzotl Moctezuma II Cuitláhuac Cuauhtémoc
Colonial period (1525–1565)	Tlacotzin Motelchiuhtzin Xochiquentzin Huanitzin Tehuetzquititzin Cecetzin Cipac

Authority control databases
International	FAST ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	Germany United States

Biography

Family

See also

Notes

References

External links