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priests and other officials prisoner, and burned the building. When the soldiers of Chiapan saw this, they fled.
5 The army also conquered Xilotepec, Cuauhhuacan, and Cozcacuauhtenanco.6 |
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The entire campaign was relatively close to the basin of Mexico through easy terrain. The army apparently marched northwest to Chillocan and then crossed the mountains into the valley of Tolocan. Once there, Xiquipilco, Cozcacuauhtenanco, and Cillan were all within easy reach over level ground. Then the army turned northeast and marched up valleys to Xocotitlan, Chiapan, and Xilotepec. At that point it moved east and south to Cuauhhuacan and then returned to Tenochtitlan. |
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Thereafter Ahuitzotl was crowned before the rulers of all the subject towns.7 Enemy lords from Michhuacan, Metztitlan, Tlaxcallan, Huexotzinco, Cholollan, Tliliuhqui-Tepec, and Yopitzinco declined to attend, though lesser officials from Yopitzinco and Cholollan were sent.8 These lords had attended the ceremonies of previous Aztec rulers, and their rejection of this invitation reflected the lowered esteem in which the Aztecs were now held. |
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Reasserting Aztec power was a major concern of the nobles who depended on the income from Tenochtitlan's tributaries, and it must have been a matter of considerable personal concern to Ahuitzotl as well. Tenochtitlan could ill afford another weak leader, and the fate of any such leader would probably be swifter than Tizoc's but equally final. |
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Apan was also conquered at this time,9 probably to consolidate the Aztec Empire and reassert its dominance, but this was a simple effort requiring only a march up the Teotihuacan valley and then a short trek to the east on a level plain. Despite Ahuitzotl's conquests the state of the empire was poor following four or five years of neglect under Tizoc, and Ahuitzotl quickly undertook a second major campaign. This time he went into the Huaxtec region, which, like many other areas of the empire, had rebelled. During the campaign season of 148788 the army marched to Cuauhchinanco (165 km. or 102 mi.; 5 to 9 days), where it received support. Thereafter, the Aztec army fought and conquered the Cuextecs.10 Xolotlan, Xiuhcoac, Tochpan, Tetzapotitlan, and Nauhtlan were also conquered,11 as were several other towns in the region, including Tozapan, Tamapachco, Micquetlan, Tlatlauhqui-Icxic, Huexotla, Mollanco, Atocpan, Tecpantepec, and Zacatlan (see map 15).12 Given the descriptions of the campaign and the route taken, it seems likely that, except for Hue- |
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