CHOLULA MASSACRE: ANTECEDENTS, CAUSES, DEVELOPMENT, CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The Cholula massacre was committed by the forces led by Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico. On October 18, 1519, an army formed by the Spanish and their Tlaxcalans and Totonacs allies killed more than five thousand Cholultecas in the important ceremonial center of Cholula, located in the current Mexican state of Puebla.

The Cholultecas were a tributary people of the Mexica and traditional enemies of the Tlaxcalans. The latter had allied with the Spanish to get rid of the Mexica rule and had contributed a large number of warriors to complete the conquest of Tenochtitlán.

Cholula massacre by Spanish conquerors in 1519. Described by their Tlaxcala allies. 1773 reproduction of the 1581 original of the Lienzo de Tlaxcala - Source: Unknown - Lienzo de Tlaxcala, Public Domain, Cortés's troops had been well received in Cholula, but according to Spanish chroniclers it was a trap. These same sources affirm that the massacre took place after La Malinche notified Cortés that the Mexica had sent 20,000 warriors to prepare an ambush for the Spanish conquerors.

This massacre was a serious warning to the rest of the peoples of Mesoamerica. As a result, many of them chose to join the Spanish against the Mexica. With little resistance, Cortés and his people arrived at the capital of the Aztec Empire and subdued Moctezuma.

Background

Hernan Cortes. Source:

Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

After his campaign of conquest in Tabasco, Cortés was informed of the existence of an important city full of wealth. It was Tenochtitlán, capital of the Aztec Empire.

At San Juan de Ulúa, Cortés received an embassy sent by the tlatoani Moctezuma, the Mexica emperor. He had sent gifts as a sign of peace, but rejected the Spanish conqueror's claim to visit his capital.

Despite this, Cortés began an expedition of conquest. Along the way he found several towns subdued by the Mexica and set out to make them allies.

Alliances with indigenous peoples

The Spanish conqueror got the support of the Totonacas, one of the towns forced to pay tribute to the Mexica.

Totonac Civilization, by Diego Rivera. Source: Painting: Diego Rivera Photo: Drkgk / CC0

Later, in his march towards the interior, he had to face the Tlaxcalans, traditional enemies of the Mexica. After defeating them, he convinced them to form an alliance to end the empire.

The Cholultecas

Among the most important city-states of the Puebla-Tlaxcala valley was Cholula. Furthermore, it was a close ally of the Mexica and its location made it a strategic objective of the first order to reach Tenochtitlán.

Discussions between Cholultecas and Teochichimecas upon reaching the Tlaxcala valley. Source: Wolfgang Sauber / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Cholula was also an important commercial and religious center. There was a great temple dedicated to Tláloc, in addition to being a center of worship for Quetzalcóatl.

Drawing of Quetzalcoatl found in a codex. Via wikimedia commons.

Sending a Tlaxcala emissary

The Spanish wanted the Cholula leaders to join their alliance against the Mexica. To achieve this, they used the Tlaxcalans, despite the fact that they were staunch enemies of the Cholultecas.

Thus, the Tlaxcalans sent an ambassador named Patlahuatzin to Cholula with the mission of convincing their rulers to agree to dialogue with Cortés.

The Cholultecas' reaction was to skin Patlahuatzin's face and hands. The indignant Tlaxcalans asked Cortés for revenge, but he heeded the invitation made by Moctezuma and decided to go to Cholula together with his indigenous allies.

Causes of the killing

The Cholula massacre is part of the actions that took place during the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Most of the historical sources come from the Spanish or their allies, who justify what happened by a possible ambush prepared against the expedition of Cortés.

The ambush hypothesis

The chronicles written by Bernal Díaz del Castillo affirm that Moctezuma had sent an army made up of 20,000 warriors to prepare an ambush on the outskirts of Cholula.

Portrait of Bernal Díaz del Castillo

In addition, other sources indicate that the Cholultecas themselves had the intention of catching some 20 Spaniards and sacrificing them in honor of Quetzalcóatl.

Ylamateuhtli, an old woman belonging to the nobility of the city, reported these plans to Malinche and she immediately notified Cortés.

Development

When Cortés and his followers arrived in Cholula, a retinue from the city came out to greet them, including the rulers of the city. After making the customary gifts, they apologized to the Spanish conqueror for not having come to Tlaxcala, a city with which they maintained a great rivalry.

The Cholula rulers invited the Spaniards and the Totonacs to enter the city, but asked the Tlaxcalans to remain outside. Cortés agreed to his request.

According to Cortés himself in a letter addressed to King Carlos I of Spain, the city had more than 20,000 houses and some 365 temples and he described it as beautiful.

Carlos I of Spain

Suspicions

The Cholultecas were very hospitable to the Spaniards for the next two days and offered them lodging and food. However, from the third day they seemed to shy away from contact with the conquerors.

The Totonacs warned Cortés that they had found hidden holes in the streets and interpreted them as horse traps. In addition, they informed the conqueror that there had been some sacrifices of children to the gods of war, a common ritual before the start of any confrontation.

Cortés put his men on alert and warned the Tlaxcalans to give them 300 soldiers. During the night, the Spanish debated whether to leave the city for Huejotzingo or Tlaxcala or to attack the Cholultecas by surprise. Finally, they settled on this last action.

The slaughter

Oil on the Cholula Massacre Source: Félix Parra (1845-1919)

When dawn broke, Cortes informed the city rulers that he was aware of the ambush. Later, he ordered them arrested.

After this, the conqueror fired his shotgun into the air, the agreed signal to begin the attack. The Spaniards had far superior weapons and, furthermore, they took the Cholultecas off guard.

Together with their Tlaxcala and Totonac allies they attacked the inhabitants of the city, regardless of whether they were women, children or if they were unarmed. The massacre cost the lives of between 5,000 and 6,000 people. In addition, hundreds of Cholultecas were captured.

Petition for clemency

The survivors petitioned Cortés for clemency and argued that they had been compelled by the Mexica.

The conqueror ordered to stop the slaughter and agreed with the leaders who were alive to surrender. Among the conditions were that human sacrifice cease and that they convert to Catholicism.

Although at first many Cholultecas refused to abandon their gods, they finally agreed to become allies of the Spanish. Five days later, the city returned to normal.

The 20,000 Aztec warriors who were supposedly waiting for the Spanish to attack them never appeared, neither near Cholula nor during the journey that the conquerors made to reach Tenochtitlán.

Consequences

The first result of the Cholula massacre, apart from the deaths, was the conversion to Christianity of the Cholultecas and the signing of an alliance with the Spanish.

Despite the justification of Cortés and Díaz del Castillo, several years later Bartolomé de las Casa and Fray Toribio de Benavente condemned the massacre, which they described as unnecessary and exaggerated. Both religious indicated that the only motive had been to terrorize the natives so that they would not confront the Spanish.

Fray Toribio de Benavente

Warning to the Mexica

The massacre served as a warning to the Mexica and the rest of the indigenous peoples of the consequences of resisting the conquest. The result was that many of the indigenous confederations submitted to the demands of the Spanish.

Arrival in Tenochtitlán

The Site of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. Steve Cadman from London, UK / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

After three months of travel, Cortés and his army reached Tenochtitlán with practically no resistance. Moctezuma received the conquerors with honors and offered them gold and other gifts.

Capture of Moctezuma by Cortés. Source: Jan Karel Donatus Van Beecq (1638-1722)

This, however, was not enough for Cortés, who continued with his plans of conquest until taking Tenochtitlán and ending the Aztec Empire.

Characters

Hernan Cortes

Hernán Cortés was born in the Extremaduran town of Medellín, then belonging to the Crown of Castile. While still young, he decided to improve his fortune by traveling to the New World. His first destinations were Hispaniola and Cuba, where he was mayor of the second city founded by the conquerors.

Despite the fact that the governor of Cuba, Diego Velazquez, expressly forbade it, Cortés organized an expedition to conquer present-day Mexico. Once on the continent, he obtained the support of several indigenous peoples subjected by the Mexica.

In his campaign he had the help of a native woman, Malinche, who served as his interpreter and with whom he had a son.

The governor of Cuba tried to arrest Cortés, but without success. After taking Tenochtitlán, the King of Spain would end up recognizing his conquests and named him Marquis of the Oaxaca Valley, although not viceroy.

The Malinche

Also known as Malintzin or by her Christian name, Doña Marina, Malinche was a woman of Nahuatl ethnicity born in the current state of Veracruz, around the year 1500.

La Malinche was one of the 19 women handed over as slaves to the Spanish conquerors by the indigenous people of Tabasco. Her role during the conquest went beyond that of an interpreter, since she also acted as a counselor and intermediary for Cortés. Their common son was one of the first mestizos in America.

In Cholula he was the one who warned the conqueror of the existence of a plan to ambush them, an action that led to the massacre that killed some 5,000 people.

Ylamateuhtli

Although its existence was only supported by what is collected in the Cholula Codex, it is considered that Ylamateuhtli, baptized as Doña María, had a very important role in the Cholula massacre.

According to the indicated codex, Tlamateuhtli was the wife of Quetzalcoatzin, a cacique who ruled a secondary manor of Cholula. This woman warned Malinche of the supposed ambush that was being prepared against the Spanish. In addition, she offered her house and the hand of her son to save her life.

Cortés interpreted this notice as a gesture of goodwill and appointed Ylamateuhtli Queen of Cholula.

References

1. Mariló TA The Cholula massacre: The massacre perpetrated by Hernán Cortés and his allies on the way to Tenochtitlán. Obtained from ancient-origins.es
2. EcuRed. Cholula massacre. Obtained from ecured.cu
3. The Sun of Puebla. This is the story of the massacre in Cholula, the massacre starring Hernán Cortés. Obtained from elsoldepuebla.com.mx
4. Minster, Christopher. The Cholula Massacre. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
5. McCafferty, Geoffrey G. The Cholula massacre: factional histories and archeology of the spanish conquest. Recovered from antharky.ucalgary.ca
6. Burns, Savanah Nicole. Hernán Cortés: Cholula's Massacre at Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. Retrieved from historicalmx.org
7. Heritage History. The Massacre of Cholula. Retrieved from heritage-history.com