TLAXCALTECAS: LOCATION, HISTORY, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS - HISTORY - 2025

The Tlaxcalans or Tlaxcala culture was one of the civilizations that inhabited Mesoamerica before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Its territory was mainly in the current Mexican state of Tlaxcala, although there were also settlements in Puebla.

Originally, this town came from three different ethnic groups. In time, they ended up forming a single group. In 1208 they founded one of their most important settlements: the city of Tlaxcala. From there, they were expanding their domains to form a confederation called Tlaxcallan.

Tlaxcala warriors. Source: Afitas20 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

The moment of greatest splendor of the Tlaxcalteca culture occurred around the year 1520. However, their power was threatened by the Aztecs, who came to surround the territories of Tlaxcallan. Armed clashes were frequent, but the Tlaxcalans managed to preserve their independence.

The arrival of the Spanish changed the situation in the area. The Mexica threat led the Tlaxcalans to ally with the conquerors in their campaign to take Tenochtitlan. After the fall of the Aztec capital, the Spanish respected the treatment made with the Tlaxcalans leaders and their people enjoyed some privileges that allowed them to survive the conquest.

Geographical and temporal location

Although evidence has been found of the existence of some isolated settlements in the Poblano-Tlaxcalteca valley dating from 1800 BC, historians agree that the beginning of the culture occurred in the 13th century AD. C.

Thus, in the year 1208 d. C., the Tlaxcalans founded Tlaxcala, a city whose name means "place of corn tortillas." From that town, they began a campaign of military expansion and managed to expand their territories after defeating several nearby towns.

The threat posed by the conquest of the Aztecs did not prevent the Tlaxcalans from experiencing their greatest splendor in the 14th and 15th centuries, especially during the latter.

The arrival of the Spanish was seen by the Tlaxcala leaders as a great opportunity to destroy their traditional enemies: the Aztecs. Thanks to its alliance with the European conquerors, this culture received some privileges that allowed it to survive beyond the 16th century:

Geographic location

Most of the territory controlled by this town was located in the current state of Tlaxcala. This is located in the central area of ​​Mexico, less than 100 kilometers from the capital of the country.

Before the Spanish conquest, Tlaxcala experienced great population growth. In large part, this could have been produced by the good work of the Tlaxcalans in the field of agriculture.

Although his work is under discussion among many experts, one of the most used sources to know the Tlaxcalans is the writings of Toribio de Benavente, a Spanish Franciscan missionary. According to this religious, the Tlaxcala culture was made up of four manors: Tepeticpac, Ocotelulco, Tizatlán and Quiahuixtlán.

Origin and history

The oldest antecedent of the Tlaxcala people were some isolated settlements located in the Poblano-Tlaxcala valley. According to researchers, these were built around 1800 BC. C.

Over time, the population increased, as did the number of settlements. Between 200 a. C. and 700 d. C., the communities grew and began to plan agriculture and to practice commerce.

Theocratic period

Historians claim that Tlaxcala went through two different phases within the theocratic period. In the initial, their culture experienced a great boom. The same happened with its cities, which grew in size and infrastructure.

Despite this growth, it seems that many of its artisans and part of the elites of its cities moved to Teotihuacán, the most important cultural and religious center of the time.

Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacán

The second phase was characterized by advances in agriculture. It was a relatively peaceful and prosperous period.

This situation was not the same throughout the region. In Nativitas, for example, there was the arrival of the Olmec-Xicalanca. These people came from the coast and settled in Tlaxcala with little resistance.

Cholula

The Tlaxcala area underwent several transformations after the arrival of the Olmeca-Xicalancas to Cholula.

On the other hand, between 700 and 1100, several groups of Toltecs also reached the area. At first, the dominant Olmec-Xicalancas enslaved the newcomers. Later, with the help of the Otomi, the Toltec descendants freed themselves and defeated their rulers.

The help of the Otomi was rewarded with the delivery of lands south of Puebla. The Tlaxco culture appeared in one of the areas they occupied.

Three ethnic groups

All the migratory movements mentioned above led to the existence of three important ethnic groups in the region: the Nahuatl, the Otomí and the Pinome. From the union of the three, the Tlaxcala culture emerged.

In 1208, the Tlaxcalans founded the city of Tlaxcala, from where they began to extend their dominions. After conquering several towns, its territory was divided into four sub-states: Tepeticpac, Ocotelulco, Tizatlán and Quiahuixtlán.

Territorial division of the Tlaxcala culture

Although the Tlaxcalans had become one of the most powerful civilizations in Mesoamerica, the threat from other lordships in the Valley of Mexico continued to be very dangerous. To avoid possible attacks, the four sub-states decided to form a confederation: Tlaxcallan.

Each of the components maintained its own government and control of its territory, but coordinated to repel attacks and solve common issues for the confederation.

Tepeticpac was the most important component of Tlaxcallan, especially from the 13th century. Tlaxistlán, its most important city, was defended by walls five meters high.

The second of the lordships that the Tlaxcalans founded was Ocotelulco. This stood out for its economic and commercial power. Artisans, for their part, were much more frequent in the third dominion, Quiahuixtlán, founded by the Chichimecas.

Finally, the dominion of Tizatlán was the political and religious center of the confederation. In addition, it has gone down in history as the place where Tlaxcalans and Spaniards sealed their alliance against the Aztecs.

The Aztecs

The great empire created by the Mexica was the main threat to the Tlaxcalans. These raised great defensive walls to try to defend themselves from the Aztec military power.

Aztec Empire between 1427 and 1520 - Source: Aztec Empire - ru.svg: Kaidor available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license

From the fourteenth century, the armed confrontations between both peoples were constant. The Aztecs had extended their territory throughout Mesoamerica and surrounded the Tlaxcala domains. This meant, economically, that Tlaxcallan was totally isolated.

Despite that, the Aztecs were never able to conquer Tlaxcala. When the Spanish conquerors arrived in the area, the Tlaxcala civilization remained an independent enclave surrounded by the Mexica Empire.

Arrival of the Spaniards

Hernan Cortes

Hernán Cortés and his troops landed on the coast of Veracruz in 1519. There they found various groups of the Totonac culture, who lived under the rule of the Aztecs.

The Totonacs saw the newcomers as an opportunity to end the rule of Tenochtitlán. For this reason, they decided to ally themselves with Cortés and, in addition, they put them in contact with other possible allied peoples, among which were the Tlaxcalans.

The Spaniards headed for Tlaxcallan. Once they entered their lands, they were attacked by an army of 30,000 Tlaxcalans. In that battle, as in other later ones, Cortés's troops caused heavy casualties to their rivals, despite their superior numbers.

Xicohténcatl Axayacatzin, king of Tlaxcala, was impressed by the technological advances and the skill of the Spanish in battle. Before that, he gave permission for them to cross his territory and also invited them to visit Tlaxcala, his capital.

Alliance formation

Cortés stayed in the city of Tlaxcala for about 20 days. During his stay, he reached an agreement with the Tlaxcala leaders to collaborate in the conquest of Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztecs.

On the Spanish side, this led to a considerable increase in its troops. In addition, the Tlaxcala warriors knew the terrain perfectly, as well as the way the Aztecs fought.

Tlaxcala warriors

The Tlaxcalans, for their part, obtained the opportunity to destroy their traditional enemy. Along with this, they also obtained a series of commitments from the Spanish that were very positive for them after the conquest. Among them, not having to pay taxes, having a royal shield and being able to form an indigenous council.

According to some historians, this agreement was negotiated on an equal basis. Despite this, Cortés forced the Tlaxcalans to convert to Christianity and to swear allegiance to the Spanish Crown before signing the alliance.

Conquest of Tenochtitlán

Reconstruction of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Source: search.creativecommons.org

Spaniards and Tlaxcalans headed for Tenochtitlán with the purpose of conquering the city. Cortés's men were joined by some 6,000 indigenous warriors and under his guidance they reached the Anahuac Valley in November 1519.

When they reached Tenochtitlán they were received by Emperor Moctezuma II, who immediately understood the danger posed by the alliance between Tlaxcalans and Spaniards.

Although the first meeting was quite friendly, the situation soon led to the siege of the city. The first invasion attempt ended in victory for the Aztecs, who forced their enemies to flee to Tlaxcala territory to recover.

The leaders of Tlaxcala welcomed Cortés again and promised him more reinforcements. In exchange, they requested part of the war spoils they obtained, control of two nearby provinces and more advantages in terms of future taxes. The Spanish accepted and, with more Tlaxcalans warriors, set out again for Tenochtitlán.

The Spanish contingent and their indigenous allies arrived in the Aztec capital in December 1520. A few months later, in August 1521, they conquered Tenochtitlan and put an end to the Mexica Empire.

Colonial period

Map of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Shadowxfox, from Wikimedia Commons

The Spanish were conquering all the Mesoamerican territories until creating the viceroyalty of New Spain. During this process, they respected most of the promises made to the Tlaxcalans.

Thus, unlike what happened in cities like Tenochtitlán, the Tlaxcala localities were not destroyed. Likewise, the conquerors allowed the inhabitants of Tlaxcallan to keep their indigenous names instead of having to use other Castilian and Christian ones.

This respect for the agreement does not mean that the Tlaxcala culture remained intact. After the conquest, a process of evangelization began very soon, carried out by the Franciscan friars who arrived in America in 1524.

These missionaries not only tried to eliminate the traditional Tlaxcala religion, but they built several churches and monasteries in the area. Tlaxcala, the capital, was renamed "Our Lady of the Assumption" and was the place chosen as the seat of the first archbishopric of New Spain.

Most of the evangelized process took place between 1530 and 1535. It was also then that Tlaxcala received its own coat of arms from the Spanish Crown.

Crown Protection

As noted, the alliance between Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcala leaders offered this culture direct protection from the Spanish Crown. This circumstance protected its inhabitants during the harshest periods of the conquest, especially in the 1530s.

On the other hand, the pact between the conquerors and the Tlaxcalans lasted beyond the conquest. In the following years, the participation of warriors from this town in the military operations developed to quell revolts was frequent. In addition, they participated in expeditions to other areas of the continent.

Tlaxcalans settlers

The role of the Tlaxcalans as allies of the Spanish after the conquest was not limited to providing warriors. On many occasions, they were chosen to establish settlements in various areas of present-day Mexico.

A good example of this function occurred in the 16th century. The Spanish chose groups of Christian Tlaxcalans to settle in northeastern Mexico. Their mission was to help pacify the Chichimecas, nomadic and warrior tribes.

These Tlaxcalans were to serve as an example to the Chichimecas so that they would agree to become subjects of the Spanish Crown and work on the haciendas and mines.

The main Tlaxcala settlements in the Chichimeca area were located in San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Durango, Coahuila and Zacatecas.

This colonization operation mobilized more than 400 Tlaxcala families. In order for them to agree to emigrate to those areas, the leaders negotiated with the Spaniards to grant new advantages.

Among those advantages were the so-called “injunctions of protection”, which ensured that the heirs of these families would not lose the lands that were granted to them. Likewise, the new agreements included the perpetual release of taxes and tributes

According to historians, the Tlaxcala settlers were essential to pacify those areas of Mexico. Over the years, they and the Chichimecas ended up mixing, although they always kept part of their Tlaxcala identity.

After independence

Another of the privileges achieved by the Tlaxcalans and which lasted until the independence of the country was that the city of Tlaxcala maintained its self-government.

At the end of the War of Independence and the First Mexican Empire, Tlaxcala was declared federal territory by the Constitution of 1824. This state was made up of five provinces, although it lost some of the extension it had had before.

Years later, Tlaxcala managed to recover those lost lands through the union with Calpulalpan, in the 1860s. One of the interesting facts about this state is that, between 1885 and 1911, it was ruled by one of the few governors of indigenous origin: Prospero Cahuantzi.

At present, the Nahuas living in Tlaxcala have maintained a certain organization, especially in the western zone of the Malintzin volcano. The towns that have a higher proportion of population with this origin are Acxotla del Monte, San Pedro Xochiteotla, San Cosme Mazatecochco, San Bartolomé Cuahuixmatlac and San Rafael Tepatlaxco, among others.

Scientific and cultural contributions

One of the characteristics that experts attribute to the Tlaxcala culture is its strong patriotic feeling, especially when compared to other civilizations in the area.

That sentiment was reflected in all their festivals and ceremonies not related to religion. In them, they expressed their confidence in the good future of their country.

Some historians claim that this attitude, similar to a modern nationalism, explains his choice to ally with the Spanish against the Aztecs. At that time, the threat to Tlaxcala independence was the Empire of the Mexica, so they decided to reach an agreement to defeat it.

Canvas of Tlaxcala

The town council of the city of Tlaxcala commissioned the elaboration of a colonial codex from Tlaxcala in the second half of the 16th century. The result was the so-called Lienzo de Tlaxcala.

The little information on the codex states that three copies of it were produced. One of them was to be sent to the King of Spain as a gift; another was destined for Mexico City, where it was to be delivered to the viceroy; and the third would be kept in the Tlaxcala town hall itself.

Unfortunately, all these copies have been lost, so their content is only known from a reproduction made much later, in 1773. According to this reproduction, the codex showed some important aspects of the culture, society and alliances of the Tlaxcalans.

Literature

The Tlaxcala writers were characterized by their good use of language. These authors cultivated all genres, from poetry to speeches, through stories. The best known works are Tecuatzin and Tlaxcaltecayotl.

On the other hand, theatrical performances were also frequent. The main theme was his daily life, as well as the exploits of his warriors and gods.

The popularity of the theater led to performances continuing throughout the colonial era. In addition to the authors of the texts, the specialization led to those in charge of wardrobe, stage development and specific actors for the dances and songs.

Architecture and sculpture

In the time before the Spanish conquest, the Tlaxcalans built their fortresses and other buildings with lime and stone. Normally, they chose hills to locate them, as in the cases of Cacaxtla and the ceremonial center of Xochitécatl.

In the case of sculpture, the Tlaxcala authors were distinguished by the rigidity of their creations. In them they represented animals, men and gods.

Shortly before the Spanish arrived, the Puebla-Tlaxcala area achieved considerable prestige for its polychrome ceramics. Many experts consider that their pieces presented more variety and quality than those made by the Aztecs.

Music

As in most pre-Hispanic towns, music played a very important role in the Tlaxcala culture. According to experts, the compositions kept a very fast pace, but atonal.

The most used instruments were the teponaztli and the huéhuetl. The first of them was a kind of drum made of wood. It included two reeds and produced two types of sounds. On the other hand, the huéhuetl was another drum, in this case made of leather. Other Tlaxcala instruments were clay flutes, scrapers, and snails.

Macuilxochitl singing and playing the huéhuetl. Source: Bourbon Codex (public domain)

The music of this culture almost completely disappeared after the arrival of the Spanish. However, some of the instruments did survive.

Like dance, music was closely linked to religious ceremonies. According to the chronicles of the time, there were singers who accompanied the melodies with their songs.

Folk dances

As has been pointed out, traditional Tlaxcala dances were closely linked to their religious beliefs. This caused them to practically disappear when the Franciscans began their evangelizing work.

Instead of the dances dedicated to the ancient gods, especially Camaxtli, the Tlaxcalans began to dance other rhythms more suited to the new Christian beliefs. Thus, dances such as the Moors and Christians or the Carnestolendas arose.

Sciences

The Tlaxcalans developed quite advanced knowledge in subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, natural sciences, and medicine. Everything they knew they used to solve their social or economic problems.

This culture created two different calendars. The first, of a ritual and religious nature, is divided into 20 months of 13 days each, for a total of 260 days. The second, solar or civil, consisted of 18 months of 20 days, to which were added another five days called nemontemi and which were considered disastrous. Each cycle lasted 52 years.

The basis of both calendars were mathematical calculations and astronomical observations. Its astronomers observed phenomena such as eclipses and studied the stars. The conclusions were used to anticipate the fate of the population

On the other hand, his medical techniques used drinks and ointments made with plant products.

References

1. Culture 10. Tlaxcalteca culture. Retrieved from cultura10.org
2. Let's talk about cultures. Tlaxcalteca Culture: Location, Characteristics, Traditions and more. Obtained from hablemosdeculturas.com
3. Infobae. The "betrayal" of the Tlaxcalans: the myth that has persecuted a people for centuries. Obtained from infobae.com
4. History.com Editors. Tlaxcala. Retrieved from history.com
5. Minster, Christopher. Hernan Cortes and His Tlaxcalan Allies. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. People Pill. Xicotencatl I, Tlaxcaltec ruler. Retrieved from peoplepill.com
7. Tuul Tv. History of the Tlaxcala culture. Obtained from tuul.tv