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and Tetzcocoasking for help in the construction, to which they all agreed. Tenochtitlan was seen as overwhelmingly powerful since each city assessed its military prospects against the Aztecs on an individual basis. The important equation was how strong each city was in relation to Tenochtitlan, not how strong they all were. No city could know with certainty how much allied assistance the Aztecs could actually muster at any time. So while Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina's request was cast in terms of religious devotion, it was actually a test of political allegiance: acquiescence was a tacit acceptance of vassalage to the Aztecs, And refusal was an assertion of political independence. Thus the construction of Huitzilopochtli's temple was at least as much a measure of political fealty as of religious devotion, but the act could be rationalized as one of friendship and piety. |
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Only the Chalcas refused,
6 and to ignore their refusal would have encouraged other cities to follow Chalco's example.7 On Tenochtitlan's request, therefore, armies were raised from Azcapotzalco, Tlacopan, Coyohuacan, Xochimilco, Cuitlahuac, and Tetzcoco.8 The Chalcas were not defeated outright in this conflict. Both sides suffered many casualties and took many prisoners, including two hundred by the Aztecs,9 who claimed victory. The victory may have been tactical but was not decisive, and conflicts with the Chalcas continued. However, this show of force was apparently sufficient to chastise the Chalcas and to maintain the cohesion of the empire. The only other dissension in the basin was another conflict with Tlatelolco: King Cuauhtlahtoa took advantage of the uncertainty associated with Tenochtitlan's succession to assert Tlatelolco's independence. |
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Having largely secured his hold on the empire, especially on cities within the basin of Mexico, Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina launched his first major campaign into present-day Morelos and Guerrero10 to consolidate the conquests of his predecessor in the old Tepanec domain. This campaign included Cohuixco, Oztoman, Quetzallan, Ichcateopan, Teoxahuallan, Poctepec, Tlachco, Tlachmalacac, Chilapan, Cuauhteopan, and Tzompanhuacan (see map 6).11 These towns had also been asked for specific items for building the temple of Huitzilopochtli, but instead they killed the king's messengers, so the Aztecs conquered them.12 Chontalcoatlan, Tepecuacuilco, Tlalcozauhtitlan, and Ohuapan also became subjects at this time, but probably submitted peacefully after the conquest of other major cities in the region. |
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