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probably faced some competition from the traditional heirs of the previous rulers, and were dependent on the Aztecs for the maintenance of their positions. But with this replacement of Cuetlachtlan's leaders, the Aztecs had signaled a willingness to alter local status relationships, deal directly with the people, and replace the existing leadership. The conditions of subordination for target towns (or at least towns that had previously been conquered and had then rebelled) had shifted from a quantitative continuum of relative harshness to the potential for a qualitative change. |
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Axayacatl further consolidated his control over the area by also conquering Totonacapan Cuauhxoxouhcan, Tetl-Icoyoccan, and Tlahuililpan (see map 10).
9 Several other towns, including Tecalco, Tepeyacac, Oztoticpac, Matlatlan, Ahuilizapan, Cuezcomatl-Iyacac, Poxcauhtlan, Quetzaloztoc, Tlaollan, and Mixtlan,10 were also incorporated or reincorporated into the empire at this time, although probably not by direct military action.11 |
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Following this eastward thrust, there was a minor campaign to secure the area north of the basin of Mexico. The line of march probably proceeded almost directly north to Xochitlan and then Chiapan (both during campaign season 147273) before returning home (see map 11). Xilotepec, located in the valley through which the army must have traveled, was probably conquered at this time as well.12 |
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But Axayacatl's most famous conquest, of Tenochtitlan's sister city, Tlatelolco, occurred in 1473 (see Map 3).13 There had been repeated conflicts between the two cities previously.14 Tlatelolco was not strong enough to sever its increasingly subordinate relationship with Tenochtitlan under normal conditions. But Aztec control had been weakened by the recent death of King Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan and by Axayacatl's still fragile grip on the empire, and its position deteriorated further with the death of Tetzcoco's King Nezahualcoyotl in 1472.15 |
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Nezahualcoyotl had been a major political figure in the Triple Alliance and a skilled military commander, so his death and the resulting succession problems were serious problems for the Aztecs. Nezahualcoyotl was succeeded by Nezahualpilli, aged seven, over opposition from his brothers, who sought to generate support from Chalco for their own candidacy.16 As a result, a strong leader was gone, the new king was still weak, and there was dissension within the upper nobility. |
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