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Fig. 23.
Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina ("He-frowned-like-a-lord He-pierces-the-sky-
with-an-arrow"). (Tovar 109; courtesy of the John Carter Brown
Library, Brown University) |
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and military prowess weighed increasingly heavily in the selection process. Once the ruler was chosen, his willingness to sustain the empire had to be demonstrated to his tributaries, so each king initiated his reign with a show of force. |
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Among Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina's first recorded conquests were the cities of Xochimilco, Azcapotzalco, Colhuacan, Coyohuacan, and Huexotla, in the basin of Mexico
3 (see map 3). However, since these cities had all been conquered by the previous king, Itzcoatl, they probably merely acknowledged vassalage and were not actually conquered anew.4 But Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina did embark on a successful campaign to force recognition of his rule on the remaining independent cities in the basin. |
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Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina used the pretext of constructing a temple to Huitzilopochtli to consolidate his power in the basin.5 He sent messengers to the lords of all the surrounding townsAzcapotzalco, Coyohuacan, Colhuacan, Xochimilco, Cuitlahuac, Mizquic, |
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