Huey tlatoani ("great orator" in Nahuatl) is the term used to designate the Mexican rulers who led and commanded the civilization of Mexico from the 15th century until the conquest of the Spanish between 1519 and 1521.
The Mesoamerican city-states of pre-Hispanic times, called altépetl (a term also referred to the inhabitants of the territory), made up the main territorial structure of the Valley of Mexico, which reached its climax with the founding of its capital Tenochtitlán in 1325.
Acamapichtli was the first huey tlatoani in history. Photo: John Carter Brown Library The Huey Tlatoani were the rulers in charge of Tenochtitlán, from where they directed all the military movements of the other cities. They served as supreme leaders of the Mexica Empire, commanding wars, controlling tributes and expanding their dominance throughout the national territory.
Origin
Starting with the founding of Tenochtitlán, the Mexica established a system of government for which they assigned a man who was in charge of taking the reins of each step of civilization in order to seize power in the main city-states.
The figure of huey tlatoani belonged to a lineage of nobles and warriors. The title was awarded to them by family inheritance, passing from father to son or father to brother. They were chosen by the council, generally made up of nobles closely related to the same ruling family of the entity.
The council also fulfilled the role of advising the huey tlatoani on matters of war, tribute, and strategic geopolitics.
They had a great influence on the leaders when choosing their successors, as demonstrated in the appointment of Axayácatl, sixth huey tlatoani. Although he was the youngest of three brothers, he was first elected to command when Moctezuma I, his predecessor, followed the recommendation of a council member.
They fulfilled the most leading role in the Triple Alliance, formed around the year 1428 between the Huey Tlatoani of Tenochtitlán and the leaders of Texcoco and Tlacopan.
The three joined forces to defeat Maxtla, who had imposed a mandate that did not correspond to him in the succession of the Tepanec throne when Tezozomoc died, who by then was an important ally of the Mexica.
Maxtla took Azcapotzalco, the most important city of the Tepanec Empire, and began a war against the Mexica.
Itzcóatl was the fourth huey tlatoani. Photo: John Carter Brown Library It was Itzcóatl, the fourth huey tlatoani, who took the reins of the battle and finally, moved by the force of the Triple Alliance, managed to defeat Maxtla so that the Mexica would dominate the Valley of Mexico for many years, expanding their forces throughout the region.
Features
The huey tlatoani dominated decision-making, wars, tax collection, and religion in the Mexica civilization. All this boosted by the Cihuacoatl, who were in charge of the main altépetl as second in command, only below the huey tlatoani in the hierarchy.
He also served as a judge when determining the fate of traitors or those who did not agree with his will.
The Huey Tlatoani were in charge of establishing the battle plans: how, when and where an attack should begin to conquer new territories.
In the most civil area, they had the responsibility of promulgating and enforcing the laws, as well as executing and maintaining organized the collection of tributes in all the cities.
He was also the one who had the duty and the obligation to motivate the troops when a confrontation was looming, as well as to offer the words of hope and resistance in the defeats.
They did not always fulfill this role as speakers, but as creators of the discourse. Some Huey Tlatoani delivered their message to the more experienced members of the council, who finally took it upon themselves to convey the word of the leaders to the soldiers.
Major huey tlatoani
Acamapichtli
It was the first huey tlatoani of the Mexica. Successor of Tenoch, the last quāuhtlahto. This position was the one with which the leaders of the war were appointed before the emergence of the huey tlatoani.
The name Acamapichtli, translated from Nahuatl, means "the one who wields the cane." He was a great ruler who transcended with his reforms and strategic political movements for the good of civilization, changing the way in which the houses of the towns were built and marking a more organized territorial division in Tenochtitlán.
The battles were no exception and, among so many victories, he especially counts on those obtained in Mizquic, Xochimilco or Cuitlahuac.
Itzcoatl
"The obsidian serpent" was the fourth huey tlatoani, son of Acamapichtli. He is credited with the command that led to the victory of the Mexica over the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco. This milestone laid the foundations for the emergence of the Triple Alliance between Tenochtitlán, Texcoco and Tlacopan.
By winning this war, the Triple Alliance led by Itzcóatl dominated the power of the Valley of Mexico for decades until the Purépecha of Michoacán allied with the Spanish conquerors. This union would finally end the superiority of the Huey Tlatoani dynasty.
Axayacatl
After the death of Nezahualcóyotl and Totoquihuaztli, leaders of Texcoco and Tlacopan, the Triple Alliance was compromised and threatened mainly by Moquihuix, a Tlatoani from Tlatelolco, a neighboring region of Tenochtitlán.
Axayácatl "face of water", debuted as the sixth huey tlatoani waging the civil war against Tlatelolco and its troops, whom he easily defeated in his first great battle.
From then on, he once again consolidated the power of the Mexica beyond the Triple Alliance and embarked on a path of struggle that considerably increased hegemony throughout the national territory.
Ahuízotl
He was the eighth huey tlatoani, one of the most transcendental for his abilities as a warrior, diplomatic leader and manager of civic order through the economy.
During his 16 years of government, he earned the respect of the people by including in his productive system even the inhabitants of the cities he conquered, giving them the opportunity to integrate and contribute to the development of society.
He led a great expansion of the Mexica civilization through the southern and central regions of Mexico, always as a commander in front of the battles for conquest.
Moctezuma Xocoyotzin
Ninth huey tlatoani who ruled from 1502 to 1520. He won countless battles that positioned him as commander of the Mexica for 18 years.
However, his mark on power was stained in recent years as a leader and marked the beginning of the end of the rule of the Mexica.
Moctezuma allowed the Spaniards to enter Tenochtitlán thinking that they were sent by the gods, since their arrival coincided with the date of return that the god Quetzalcóatl had announced.
In this way, the Huey Tlatoani lost the respect of his people, who rebelled against his mandate and took up arms on their own initiative to drive the Spanish out of the city.
Commanded by Hernán Cortés, the Spanish besieged Tenochtitlán years later and put an end to the rule of the Mexica.
References
- Villalpando, José Manuel; Rosas, Alejandro. History of Mexico through its rulers. Planet (2003).
- Edsall, T., Conflict in the Early Americas: An Encyclopedia of the Spanish Empire's Aztec, Incan, and Mayan Conquests (2013).
- Van Tuerenhout, DR, The Aztecs: New Perspectives (2005).
- Miguel León Portilla, México-Tenochtitlan, its space and sacred times (1979).
- Miguel León Portilla, Seven essays on Nahuatl culture (1958).