Moctezuma I
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| Moctezuma I | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan | ||
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| Moctezuma I in the Codex Mendoza. | ||
| Reign | 13 Flint (1440) – 3 House (1469) | |
| Born | 10 Rabbit (1398) | |
| Died | 3 House (1469) | |
| Predecessor | Itzcoatl | |
| Successor | Axayacatl | |
| Wife/wives | Chichimecacihuatzin | |
| Issue | Atotoztli or Huitzilxochtzin♀ Iquehuacatzin♂ Mahchimaleh♂ |
|
| Father | Huitzilihuitl | |
| Mother | Miahuaxihuitl | |
Moctezuma I (10 Rabbit (1398) – 3 House (1469)), also known as Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina or Huehuemotecuhzoma, was the fifth Aztec emperor.
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[edit] Name
His first name, originally pronounced [moteːkʷˈsoːma] in Classical Nahuatl, means "he frowns like a lord". It is also written Montezuma, Motecuhzoma, as well as several other spellings. Ilhuicamina, pronounced [ilwikaˈmiːna], means "he shoots an arrow into the sky". In Aztec writing, he can be indicated by either a diadem represent "lord", or an arrow piercing a stylized representation of the sky.
Huehemotecuhzoma means "old man Moctezuma" or "Moctezuma the Elder", to distinguish him from Moctezuma II.
[edit] Family
Moctezuma was the son of Huitzilihuitl, the second Aztec emperor, and Miahuaxihuitl, the daughter of Tezcacohuatzin, the tlatoani of Cuauhnahuac. According to legend, after Huitzilihuitl's request for Miahuaxihuitl was refused by Tezcacohuatzin, he fired a hollow arrow containing jewels into Miahuaxihuitl's palace, and Miahuaxihuitl miraculously became pregnant with Moctezuma after swallowing a jewel. This may be the origin of the name Ilhuicamina. Moctezuma would later wed Chichimecacihuatzin, his mother's niece.
[edit] Reign
Moctezuma took power in the year 13 Flint (1440), after the death of his uncle Itzcoatl. As tlatoani, Moctezuma solidified the alliance with two neighboring peoples, Tlacopan (a small sovereign kingdom) and Texcoco. In this skillfully crafted Triple Alliance, 4/5ths of a newly conquered territory would be divided between Texcoco and the Aztecs, with the remaining 1/5th given to Tlacopan.
Among the Aztecs' greatest achievements, Moctezuma I and Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco organized the construction and completion of a double aqueduct pipe system, supplying the city of Tenochtitlan with fresh water.
Moctezuma extended the boundaries of the Aztec empire beyond the Valley of México to the Gulf Coast, subjugating the Huastec people and Totonac peoples and thereby gaining access to exotic goods such as cocoa, rubber, cotton, fruits, feathers, and seashells.
Circa 1458, Moctezuma lead an expedition into Mixtec territory against the city-state of Coixtlahuaca, the pretext being the mistreatment of Aztec merchants. Despite the support of contingents of Tlaxcala and Huexotzingo warriors, traditional enemies of the Aztecs, the Mixtecs were defeated. While most of the defeated chieftains were allowed to retain their positions, the Mixtec ruler Atonal was ritually strangled and his family was taken as slaves. The Codex Mendoza records that the tribute owed by Coixtlahuaca consisted of 2000 blankets (of 5 types), 2 military outfits with headresses and shields, green gemstone beads, 800 bunches of green feathers, 40 bags of cochineal dye, and 20 bowls of gold dust.
Similar campaigns were conducted against Cosamaloapan, Ahuilizapan (Orizaba), and Cuetlachtlan (Cotaxtla).
[edit] Notes
- ^ Map based on Hassig (1988)
[edit] References
- Hassig, Ross (1988). Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2121-1.
- Townsend, Richard F. (2000). The Aztecs, revised ed., London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28132-7.
- Weaver, Muriel Porter (1993). The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors: Archaeology of Mesoamerica, 3rd ed., San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 0-01-263999-0.
| Preceded by Itzcóatl |
Tlatoani of Tenochtitlán 13 Flint (1440) – 3 House (1469) |
Succeeded by Axayácatl |
