Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl

Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl , often just briefly called Ixtlilxochitl (* around 1568 or around 1578 in Texcoco ; † October 26, 1650 in Mexico City ), was a mestizo historian in early colonial Mexico .

Life

Very little is known about his life. The year of birth can only be narrowed down roughly, his parents were the Spaniards Juan de Peraleda and Ana Cortés, in turn daughter of the Spaniard Juan Grande and Cristina Francisca Verdugo, whose ancestry can be traced back to the rulers of Tenochtitlan and Tetzcoco . This gave him good access to the traditions of both ruling houses, with that of Tetzcoco living in extreme poverty. Because of the (small) Indian proportion of his origins, the young Ixtlilxochitl was able to visit the Colegio de Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco , originally an excellent training center for the children of the Indian nobility. When Ixtlilxochitl was around 20 years old, his family was able to inherit the childless Cacica con Teotihuacán , but this led to countless disputes in which the young Ixtlilxochitl was finally able to obtain a juicio de amparo , a judicial letter of protection. Ixtlilxochitl became juez gobernador in 1612 , a senior administrative officer in his hometown appointed by the viceroy , an office that he held in other places such as Tlalmanalco and Chalco in the following years . Since 1640 he was interpreter in the Juzgado de Indios , the central court for the Indian population. Ixtlilxochitl died on October 26, 1650. Ixtlilxochitl was married to Antonio Rodríguez and had three children.

Works

Ixtlilxochitl writes a number of historical works, some of which overlap and complement each other in terms of content and chronological order.

Relaciones históricas (Historical Reports)

The first group of writings, entitled Historical Reports, consists of several independent parts.

• Sumaria Relación de todas las cosas que han sucedido en la Nueva España y de muchas cosas que los tultecas alcanzaron y supieron ... (Brief report on everything that happened in New Spain and on much that the Toltecs created and knew ...). This work consists of two large parts:

A history of the Toltec rulers (an original title is missing), in which five chapters tell of the creation of the world and the origins of the Indians, as well as the early history of the Teoltec , the founding of Tollan , the rulers of this city and finally you Downfall. Finally, Ixtlilxochitl goes into his sources.

Historia de los señores chichimecos hasta la venida de los españoles (History of the Chichimean leaders up to the arrival of the Spaniards). The depiction begins with the immigration of the Chichimeks under their leader Xolotl , the settlement and expansion of his empire, the story of his successors Nopaltzin , Tlotzin , Tenancacaltzin and Acolhua and goes over to the historically secured rulers of the Acolhua , namely Quinatzin , Techotlalaltzin , Ixtlilxochitl I. up to Nezahualcóyotl . Seven smaller documents are attached to this work, including the Pintura de México , a textual evaluation of a pictorial script that has not survived, and the Ordenanzas que hizo Nezahualcoyotl , laws that Nezahualcoyotl passed.

• Relación sucinta… de la historia de Nueva España (Brief report on the history of New Spain). The report consists of eleven numbered (from 2 to 12) and three briefly titled chapters. Its content includes the rulers of Tula, and then follows the aforementioned text. The chapters with titles are somewhat more detailed and give, among other things, a genealogy of the rulers of Tenochtitlan , other small towns in the area and the Xochimilca .
• Compendio histórico (Historical Compendium; an original title is missing), consisting of 13 chapters, beginning with the Chichimecs, the Toltecs, the leaders of the Colhuaca with Xolotl up to the arrival of the Spaniards, as well as two attached documents from the colonial era.
• Sumaria relación de la historia general de esta Nueva España (Summary report on the history of New Spain). This report is a non-structured presentation that begins with a dedication letter to an unspecified supreme person. The text begins with the Indian creation story, but soon goes over to the Toltecs, whereby it is as good as limited to naming the names of the rulers. Here, too, follows the immigration under Xolotl and the transition to the dynastic history of Acolhuacan, with everything seen in a broader perspective that includes the neighboring ethnic groups and provinces, and ends in the first years after the Conquista.

Historia de la nación Chichimeca (History of the Chichimec Nation)

This is the most extensive and best executed presentation, ranging in 95 chapters from the creation of the world to a very detailed description of the arrival of the Spaniards and the war of subjugation. The report breaks off in the middle of a sentence in the final stages of the battle for Tenochtitlan.

Other works

There are also several verses written in Spanish.

Manuscript history

It is known that after Ixtlilxochitl's death they came into the possession of the Mexican polymath Carlos Sigüenza y Góngora , from where the collection came to the Jesuit college of San Pedro y San Pablo. Several copies were made here, of which the numerous copies known today, which are in the USA and in Paris, were made. The original manuscripts were discovered in 1983 as volumes 1 and 2 of a three-volume collection of manuscripts (volume 3 contains texts by the Indian historian Domingo Francisco de San Antón Munón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin ) in the British and Foreign Bible Society in London, now in the Cambridge University Library. The remarkably intricate history of the manuscript has been briefly summarized by Susan Schroeder. This plant has been owned by INAH since 2014 .

Sources and representation

Ixtlilxóchitl had access to informants and manuscripts through his family connections and political posts. Some of the informants are known by name: Lucas Cortés Calanta (from a village near Tototepec), Jacobo de Mondoza Tlaltecatzin (from Tepepulco), Gabriel de Segovia Acapipiotzin, another from Tlatelolco , Francisco Ximénez ( señor from Huexotla ), Alfonso Azhuezcatocatzin and others. He also used written documents such as the Relación de Tezcoco by Juan Bautista Pomar . Ixtlilxochitl also relied on written documents, especially on the Codex Xolotl, which consists of a dozen cartographic-historical representations . Since he usually did not have sufficient additional information for interpretation, he verbally adorned the story. As different representations (and names) in various of his works show, he repeatedly made mistakes. Mapa Quinatzin and Mapa Tlotzin are among the other illustrated sources (with glosses in Náhuatl ) .

The aim of Ixtlilxóchitl's historical works was to prove the equivalence of Indian history with European history. Within this venture he sought to reaffirm the fame and political weight of the pre-Hispanic rulers of Tetzcoco. In his work, Ixtlilxóchitl was undoubtedly influenced by contemporary historical works of European tradition, the topoi of which continue to strike through. Nevertheless, his works are one of the most important sources for the Toltec and Chichimean history, but also - if one deducts the glorification - of the ruling house of Tetzcoco.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Susan Schroeder: Introduction . In: Arthur JO Anderson, Susan Schroeder: Codex Chimalpahin . 2 volumes, Norman, University of Oklahoma Press 1997. ISBN 0-8061-2921-2 , pp. 3-5
2. ↑ to download
3. ↑ Manfred Höhl: Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl y su obra . Dissertation. Universidad complutense de Madrid 1990
4. ^ Germán Vázquez Chamorro: Introducción. In: Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochiutl: Historia de la nación chichimeca. Historia 16. Madrid 1985. ISBN 84-85229-68-1 , pp. 36-39

literature

• Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl: Obras históricas . Edited by Edmundo O'Gorman. 2 volumes, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1975, 1977. Very extensive introduction and inclusion of numerous historical documents.
• Germán Vázquez Chamorro: Introducción. In: Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochiutl: Historia de la nación chichimeca. Historia 16. Madrid 1985. ISBN 84-85229-68-1