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control. Ixtlilxochitl, lord of Tetzcoco, had initially acceded to Tetzotzomoc's demand that he make mantles for the Tepanecs.
28 Then, in a clear demand for an admission of vassalage, Tetzotzomoc began sending cotton to be woven every year, but in defiance, Ixtlilxochitl gave the cotton to his own tributaries. The timing of this campaign was propitious, for many towns nominally subject to TetzcocoXaltepec, Otompan, Axapochco, Temazcalapan, and Tolcuauhyocansecretly favored the Tepanecs,29 probably seeing an opportunity to better their positions vis-à-vis the dominant polities. |
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Rather than risking a direct attack, Tetzotzomoc chipped away at the Acolhua domain little by little, and Ixtlilxochitl dared not oppose him because of internal opposition. But after consolidating the support of his loyal provincesTollantzinco, Tepepolco, Huexotla, Coatl-Ichan, and Acolman (Aculma)he punished the traitorous towns.30 Meanwhile, Tetzotzomoc raised an army from the western and southern basin towns,31 met secretly at Aztahuacan, and attacked the loyal Acolhua town of Itztapallocan (Ixtapaluca) in the early morning, vanquishing it after an all-day battle. Ixtlilxochitl was unable to raise an army quickly enough to help,32 and many Acolhua captives were taken and sacrificed in the temples of Azcapotzalco, Tlatelolco, and Tenochtitlan.33 |
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Although the war had ostensibly broken out over breached tributary obligations, it continued the Tepanec consolidation of the basin of Mexico and eliminated a potential rival harboring dissident elements, such as the Otomies. This campaign resulted in the conquest of Otompan, Acolman, Tepechpan, and Tollantzinco, but Tetzcoco itself was not conquered until after the death of Huitzilihhuitl.34 |
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Chimalpopoca "He-Smokes-Like-A-Shield" (Ruled 14171427) |
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Chimalpopoca (see Fig. 19) succeeded to the throne at the age of ten on his father's death.35 Like that of his father, Chimalpopoca's succession caused little disruption in the stability of the political system, as might have been expected in view of Tenochtitlan's subordinate position in the Tepanec Empire.36 |
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During Chimalpopoca's reign the Aztecs aided the Tepanecs in their continued war against the Acolhuas of the eastern basin.37 Though Tetzcoco was eventually conquered, it soon became a major |
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