Chimalpopoca

Illustration of Chimalpopoca on page 4 of the Codex Mendoza , 16th century

Chimalpopoca ( Nahuatl for smoking shield ) (* 1404 ? In Tenochtitlán ; † 1427 there , possibly also in Azcapotzalco ) was the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlán from 1417 .

Chimalpopoca was the son of his predecessor Huitzilíhuitl and a daughter of the Tepanec ruler Tezozómoc . As a child, he took over Tenochtitlán in 1417 from his father, who had died in the war against the Acolhua . Under his rule, the Mexica were waived a large part of the tribute payments to be made and were allowed to erect stone buildings for the first time.

As the grandson of Tezozómoc , he was to regulate the succession to the throne of Azcapotzalco after his death and make Tezozómoc's son Tayauh ruler. Tezozómoc's son Maxtla , who already ruled Coyohuacán , also claimed the throne. In addition, there was growing concern in Azcapotzalco about how powerful and self-confident the vassal cities Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco had become. After Tezozómoc died, the side hostile to the Mexica gained the upper hand. Under the pretext that the two had planned a murder plot against him, Maxtla had Tayauh killed and Chimalpopoca captured and put on public display in a cage in Azcapotzalco.

The story of Chimalpopoca's death has come down to us in different versions. Some sources report that he was killed in captivity at Maxtla's instigation. Other sources say that on his return to Tenochtitlán he was murdered by supporters of his uncle Itzcóatl , who succeeded him to the throne.

literature

• Martín Borboa: Itzcóatl: Emperador Mexica . Plaza y Valdes, Mexico City 1997. (Spanish)
• Hanns J. Prem : The Aztecs. Culture - history - religion . Publishing house CHBeck, Munich 2006.
• Hanns J. Prem: History of ancient America . Oldenbourg, Munich 1989 (2nd revised edition 2007). ISBN 3-486-53032-1 .
• Ross Hassig: Aztec Warfare. Imperial Expansion and Political Control. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1988. ISBN 0-8061-2121-1 .