Third Tlatoani of Tenoch*lanFor other people named Chimalpopoca, see Chimalpopoca (disambiguation).

Chimalpopoca (Cl*ical Nahuatl: Chīmalpopōca for "smoking shield," modern Nahuatl pronunciation:(help·info)) or Chīmalpopōcatzin (1397–1427) was the third Emperor of Tenoch*lan (1417–1427).

Contents

• 1 Biography
  • 1.1 Rule
• 2 Family
• 3 Death
• 4 See also
• 5 Notes
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Biography

Chimalpopoca was born to the Emperor Huitzilihuitl and Queen Ayauhcihuatl.

Rule

On the day of Chimalpopoca's coronation in 1417 (some sources say 1416 or 1418), his brother Tlacaelel I was named high priest. From this point on the ecclesiastical and governmental offices among the Aztecs were separate.

Chimalpopoca impersonating the god Huitzilopochtli.

When he *umed the throne at age 20, Tenoch*lan was a tributary of the Tepanec city of Azcapotzalco, which was ruled by his grandfather Tezozomoc. This alliance, and the Mexicas' position within it, was strengthened by Tenoch*lan's loyalty during Tezozomoc's 1418 war with Ixtlilxochitl I of Texcoco. The conquered city was granted to Tenoch*lan as a tributary.

Nezahualcoyotl, displaced prince of Texcoco, was living in the mountains. Chimalpopoca interceded with Tezozomoc on his behalf, and Tezozomoc agreed to allow Netzahualcoyotl to live in Tenoch*lan under his protection.

In 1426 Tezozómoc *isted Chimalpopoca in the construction of a new aqueduct. This aqueduct was of wood, and ran from the elevated place of Chapultepec to Tenoch*lan.

Chimalpopoca also had a causeway constructed to Tlacopan. The causeway contained openings spanned by wooden bridges, which were removed at night. Also during his reign he dedicated a stone for sacrifices in the Tlacocomoco section of Tenoch*lan. To him is attributed the conquest of Tequizquiac.

Family

Chimalpopoca (right) captured by the Tepanecs

Chimalpopoca was the son of Huitzilihuitl, the previous ruler, but there are some sources that say he was a son of Acamapichtli, the first ruler of Tenoch*lan, making him Huitzilihuitl's brother. Gerónimo de Mendieta, in his Historia eclesiástica indiana, notes the discrepancy and concludes that Huitzilihuitl, Chimalpopoca and Itzcoatl (Chimalpopoca's successor) must have been brothers, based on his understanding on the Aztec system of succession.

He had many wives and children. One of the wives was his cousin Matlalatzin. His son was Tezozomoc, king of Ecatepec.

Three versions of the family tree of the first Aztec rulers:

Chimalpopoca was a grandson of Acamapichtli and Tezozomoc and half-brother of Moctezuma I.

Death

When Tezozomoc died in 1427 after a long reign, he was succeeded by his son Tayatzin. However Maxtla, ruler of Coyoacan and older half-brother of Tayatzin, soon incited a rebellion among the nobles of Azcapotzalco and usurped the throne. Chimalpopoca allied with Tayatzin, and the two conspired to retake the throne and kill Maxtla. Friendly relations between Tenoch*lan and Azcapotzalco were thus replaced by insults and violent intrigue, apparently involving *-for-tat **ination attempts. Maxtla sent Chimalpopoca a present of women's clothing.

Teyatzin was killed, and Chimalpopoca decided to offer himself as a sacrifice at the altar of his father Huitzilíhuitl. Some of his nobles joined him. In the middle of the ceremony, before the tlatoani's turn, an expeditionary force from Azcapotzalco invaded Tenoch*lan, took Chimalpopoca prisoner and carried him to Azcapotzalco. There he was exhibited in a cage and kept on starvation rations. He committed suicide, hanging himself from a beam with his belt. (Another account says he was strangled by his captors.)

He was succeeded as tlatoani by his uncle Itzcoatl.

A rigorous and critical study based in the sources state, however, that Chimalpopoca's death must be interpreted as a coup d'etat. Itzcoatl was the leader of a rebel faction against the Tepanec Empire. Chimalpopoca, as Tezozomoc's grandson, was the main collaborator of this Empire in Tenoch*lan, and consequently was the first victim of Itzcoatl. After the victory of the rebel coalition, the history was rewritten and the defeated Tepanecs was blamed for Chimalpopoca's death. This can be considered the official Mexica history (see Santamarina 2006: cap. XIII).

See also

• Mexico portal
• Biography portal

• List of Tenoch*lan rulers

Notes

References

• "Azcapotzalco", Enciclopedia de México, vol. 2. Mexico City: 1987. (in Spanish)
• "Chimalpopoca", Enciclopedia de México, vol. 4. Mexico City: 1987. (in Spanish)
• García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, vol. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984. (in Spanish)
• Gillespie, Susan D. (1989). The Aztec Kings: The Construction of Rulership in Mexica History. The University of Arizona Press: Tucson & London. ISBN:0-8165-1339-2.
• Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN:968-38-0260-5. (in Spanish)
• Santamarina, Carlos (2006). El sistema de dominación azteca. El Imperio Tepaneca. Madrid: Fundación Universitaria Española. ISBN:978-84-7392-619-5. See cap. XIII: 373-402. (in Spanish)
• Hubert Howe Bancroft (1883). The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: The native races. 1886. History Company.

External links

• Chimalpopoca entry on The Visual History Project