Axayacatl

Axayacatl ( Nahuatl for, water face ') ( † 1482 ) was in 1469 (possibly until 1471 ) to 1482 ruler of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. He was the son of Tezozomoc, the son of Itzcoatl (not to be confused with the Tepanec princes ), and Atotoztli, the daughter of his predecessor Moctezuma I.

Little is known about Axayacatl youth. As in 1469, Moctezuma I died, had to be determined, a new ruler. After acrimonious debates, the parties finally agreed on the just 19 years old Axayacatl; possibly because he was the favorite of Tlacaelel candidate, the proxy ( CIHUACOATL ) of Moctezuma I. There are, however, sources that speak for the period prior to the election of a two-year reign of Atotoztli and Tezozomoc, so the exact date of the accession to the throne Axayacatl is not secured.

There are not many reliable facts also about his life. Thus, it is unclear whether he continued after his enthronement one begun by his father campaign against the location on the Gulf of Mexico city Cuetlaxtlán or moved with his warriors in the direction of Tehuantepec and Huatolco on the Pacific coast. After that Axayacatl turned against Tlatelolco, the neighboring city of Tenochtitlán. Probably led dynastic disputes and the great economic importance of the neighboring town the reason for this conflict. The resistance of Tlatelolco was quickly broken. Their ruler Moquilhuix fell at the age of 70 years in a duel with Axayacatl, who had to manage the city after the conquest of military governors.

Later Axayacatl led a campaign against the settlements in the valley of Toluca, to address the lying west of Tenochtitlan increasingly powerful kingdom of the Tarascan. From there began a direct attack against the Tarascan, which however ended in a crushing defeat for the Aztecs; but could be a counter-attack to Toluca be stopped. The balance of power was maintained until the arrival of the Spaniards, on the whole, there is no page in the following years began another serious campaign.

Axayacatl died in 1482 at the age of only 30 years. He was succeeded by his elder brother Tizoc; Moctezuma and his sons Cuitláuac were later also ruler of Tenochtitlan.