The Americas

Azcapotzalco

This was a pre-Columbian state in the Valley of Mexico, on the western shores of Lake Texcoco. Reputedly founded in AD 995, by the Chichimecs, the name means 'at the anthill'. These semi-nomadic people were generally viewed as barbarians by the later Aztecs and Spanish, and the Aztecs themselves displaced the original native inhabitants when the Tepanecs first arrived here and in their sister city of Tepanecin the thirteenth century. The name is a lumping together of various tribal groups such as the otherwise unknown Caxcanes, Guachichiles, Guamares, Tecuexes, and Zacatecos, the now-extinct Opata, and the surviving Chichimeca Jonaz, Coras, Huicholes, Mayos, O'odham, Otomies, Pames, Tepehuanes, and Yaquis. In modern Mexico the city has supplied its name to the local administrative borough.

995

The city of Azcapotzalco is reputedly founded by Chichimec groups. At some point between this date and the city's colonisation by Aztecs, it appears to be dominated by the Toltec empire.

Aztecs

The Tepanec tribe of Aztec / Nahua migrants arrived in the region in the thirteenth century, and took over cities such as Azcapotzalco from the native inhabitants. After being one of the most powerful cities under Tezozomoctli to the point that it dominated Tenochtitlan, the eventual seat of the Aztec emperors, later Azcapotzalco was apparently a subject of Tepanec in the fifteenth century, but with its own line of rulers.

1168 - late 12th C

Acosta Acolhua

1239 - c.1250

Tetzotzoaloc

1283 - 1414

The Tepanec people expand, taking Cuauhnahuac, Cuitlahuac, and Culhuacan to the east, and many other cities besides. However, while their cities of Azcapotzalco and Tepanec originally seem to be part of a unified state, by the mid-fourteenth century at the latest they appear to become independent of one another.

Seventeenth century glyph to denote Azcapotzalco

fl c.1330s

Tezozomoctli / Tezozomoc (I)

1353 - 1426

Tezozomoctli / Tezozomoc (II)

Military genius and strong political leader.

1372

Tezozomoctli's son, Cuacuapitzahuac, is offered the throne of Tlatelolco. Tezozomoctli himself is one of the region's most powerful rulers, and he manages to secure Tenochtitlan and Tetzcoco as tributary states. He also marries one of his daughters to Huitzilihuitl, ruler of Tenochtitlan, and later installs a son as ruler of a new city or settlement by the name of Atlacuihuayan.

c.1416

Relations between Ixtlilxochitl of Tetzcoco and Tezozomoctli have been deteriorating for some time, and now open hostilities break out. Tezozomoctli is supported by his son-in-law, Huitzilihuitl of Tenochtitlan, and together they conquer and sack many Aztec cities, including Acolman, Chalco, Cuauhtitlan, Otompa, Tetzcoco, Tollantzingo, Tultitlan, and Xaltocan.

1427

Tayatzin

Son. Throne usurped by Tepanec, and later killed.

1427 - 1520

Following Tezozomoctli's long reign and death, he is succeeded by his son, Tayatzin. Maxtla of Tepanec, the older half-brother of Tayatzin, soon incites a rebellion among Azcapotzalco's nobles and usurps the throne. Chimalpopoca of Tenochtitlan allies himself with Tayatzin, and the two conspire to retake the throne and kill Maxtla. In the end, Tayatzin is killed and Maxtla gains Azcapotzalco.

The Azcapotzalco title, Tepaneca tecuhtli, 'Lord of the Tepanecs', is inherited by Totoquilhuaztli of Tlacopan. Azcapotzalco itself is probably incorporated within the Aztec empire.

1520

Azcapotzalco is conquered and, after a period of Spanish governance from Tenochtitlan, is soon incorporated into the colonial administrative region of New Spain.