Tepaneks

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Glyph of Tepaneca
Tepanec Empire

The Tepaneks (Tepaneca) were a Nahua people in the high valley of Mexico , who held political supremacy in the region at the beginning of the 15th century. The political center of the Tepanecs was initially Azcapotzalco , but after the formation of the Aztec Triple Alliance , it gave up this role to Tlacopán (today's Tacuba district of Mexico City ). Another important city of the Tepanecs was Coyoacán .

history

The Tepaneks immigrated to the Mexico Valley at the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century and settled on the western shore of Lake Texcoco . Under their ruler ( tlatoani ) Acolnahuacatl, the Tepanecs conquered Azcapotzalco and made it their center.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Tepaneks under Tezozómoc , who is said to have lived for 100 years, reached the height of their power. In addition to almost the entire valley of Mexico, they also ruled parts of the Toluca and Morelos valleys .

After the death of Tezozomóc (1426), his son Maxtla ascended the throne in Azcapotzalco after probably poisoning his brother and rival Tayauh. Under his rule, the friendly relations with the Mexica ( Aztecs ) in Tenochtitlán , who were dominated by the Tepanecs, turned into enmity. In 1426 Maxtla had the grandson of Tezozómoc and ruler of the Mexica Chimalpopoca imprisoned, whereupon he died.

Maxtla tried to storm Tenochtitlán, but the new ruler of the Mexica, Itzcóatl , fought back the forces from Azcapotzalco in 1428 with support from Texcoco and the Tepanec city of Tlacopán . Azcapotzalco was sacked and Maxtla was killed with his own hands by Nezahualcoyotl , the ruler of Texcoco, in a sacrificial ceremony.

After this victory, the Tepaneks of Tlacopán formed the Aztec Triple Alliance with the Mexica of Tenochtitlán and the Acolhua of Texcoco , which eventually rose to become the Aztec Empire , the most powerful state in Mesoamerica . Instead of Azcapotzalco, Tlacopán grew to become the most important city of the Tepanecs, but never reached the size and importance of Tenochtitlán and Texcoco.

literature