Ixtlilxochitl I
Encyclopedia
Ixtlilxochitl Ome Tochtli was the ruler (tlatoani
) of the Acolhua
city-state of Texcoco from 1409 to 1418 and the father of the famous "poet-king" Nezahualcoyotl
.
city of Azcapotzalco
and its tlatoani Tezozomoc. However, Ixtlilxochitl grew restive in this role and, in preference to Tezozomoc's daughter, married the Mexica
princess Matlalcihuatzin, a daughter of Huitzilihuitl
, tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.
In 1414, Ixtlilxochitl took the title Chichimeca Tecuhtli ("Lord of the Chichimecs") and urged the Mexica
to ally with him against Azcapotzalco. However, Huitzilihuitl
, perhaps in deference to his wife, Tezozomoc's daughter, maintained his support of Tezozomoc and Azcapotzalco.
The following year, the Tepanec forces, including Mexica contingents, again laid siege to Texcoco this time driving out Ixtlilxochitl, who was finally cornered in the foothills of Mount Tlaloc
. His young son Nezahualcoyotl
witnessed his death from the branches of a nearby tree.
Texcoco was awarded to Tenochtitlan as a tributary, and Nezahualcoyotl fled into exile in Huexotzingo. Ten years later Nezahualcoyotl would avenge his father's death and retake Texcoco with the help of Itzcoatl
, the next tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.
Tlatoani
Tlatoani is the Nahuatl term for the ruler of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic state. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king". A is a female ruler, or queen regnant....
) of the Acolhua
Acolhua
The Acolhua are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in or around the year 1200 CE. The Acolhua were a sister culture of the Aztecs as well as the Tepanec, Chalca, Xochimilca and others....
city-state of Texcoco from 1409 to 1418 and the father of the famous "poet-king" Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...
.
Early years as tlatoani
Claiming descent from the legendary Chichimec chieftains Xolotl and Nopaltzin, Ixtlixochitl became tlatoani of Texcoco in 1409 after the death of his father, Techotlala. For several years thereafter, Ixtlilxochitl continued to pay tribute to the powerful TepanecTepanec
The Tepanecs or Tepaneca are a Mesoamerican people who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the late 12th or early 13th centuries. The Tepanec were a sister culture of the Aztecs as well as the Acolhua and others—these tribes spoke the Nahuatl language and shared the same general pantheon, with...
city of Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco (altepetl)
Azcapotzalco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl , capital of the Tepanec empire, in the Valley of Mexico, on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.The name Azcapotzalco means "at the anthill" in Nahuatl...
and its tlatoani Tezozomoc. However, Ixtlilxochitl grew restive in this role and, in preference to Tezozomoc's daughter, married the Mexica
Mexica
The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico.Mexica may also refer to:*Mexica , a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling*Mexica , a 2005 novel by Norman Spinrad...
princess Matlalcihuatzin, a daughter of Huitzilihuitl
Huitzilíhuitl
Huitzilihuitl was the second tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, governing from 1396 to 1417, .- Family and childhood :...
, tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.
In 1414, Ixtlilxochitl took the title Chichimeca Tecuhtli ("Lord of the Chichimecs") and urged the Mexica
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
to ally with him against Azcapotzalco. However, Huitzilihuitl
Huitzilíhuitl
Huitzilihuitl was the second tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, governing from 1396 to 1417, .- Family and childhood :...
, perhaps in deference to his wife, Tezozomoc's daughter, maintained his support of Tezozomoc and Azcapotzalco.
Tezozomoc attacks
In response to Ixtlilxochitl's defiance, Tezozomoc led a large army, including Mexica forces, against Texcoco. Despite some initial successes, Tezozomoc was repulsed. Ixtlilxochitl reacted to this victory by taking the battle to Azcapotzalco, and besieged it for several months. Unable to take the city, however, Ixtlilxochitl lifted the siege, and returned to Texcoco.The following year, the Tepanec forces, including Mexica contingents, again laid siege to Texcoco this time driving out Ixtlilxochitl, who was finally cornered in the foothills of Mount Tlaloc
Mount Tlaloc
Mount Tlaloc is a mountain in central Mexico, located east of Mexico City. Its height is 13,615 ft. . It was a sacred mountain of the Aztecs who worshipped the raingod Tlaloc here. On the summit there are remains of an Aztec shrine where ceremonies, among them human sacrifices, were carried...
. His young son Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...
witnessed his death from the branches of a nearby tree.
Texcoco was awarded to Tenochtitlan as a tributary, and Nezahualcoyotl fled into exile in Huexotzingo. Ten years later Nezahualcoyotl would avenge his father's death and retake Texcoco with the help of Itzcoatl
Itzcóatl
Itzcoatl was the fourth emperor of the Aztecs, ruling from 1427 to 1440, the period when the Mexica threw off the domination of the Tepanecs and laid the foundations for the eventual Aztec Empire.- Biography :...
, the next tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.