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59]; Paso y Troncoso 193942, 10:119; Sahagún 1954:2. However, while the early conquests (Tlappantzinco, Cuauhtepec, Totoltenco, and Atl-Chayahuacan) apparently involved battles, none of the later conquests did to any notable extent, and the subjugation of the region probably proceeded peacefully. Writing from the Tarascan perspective, Brand (1971:64448) believes these Pacific coast conquests to be unlikely, but this is a decidedly minority view. |
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38. The probable route for such a campaign was south from the basin of Mexico, through Cuauhnahuac and along the Amacozac River to the Mexcallan River and Tlalcozauhtitlan (188 km. or 117 mi.; 6 to 10 days). By going up the drainage of the Mexcallan and Tlappanec rivers, the army reached Tlappan (113 km. or 70 mi.; 4 to 6 days). At that point the journey could have taken one of two likely routes, going in either direction on a single large loop. The army could have gone to Tlappantzinco (45 km. or 28 mi.; 2 days), and then to Pochtlan (68 km. or 42 mi.; 2 to 3 days), Iztac-Tlallocan (63 km. or 39 mi.; 2 to 3 days), and Tototepec (65 km. or 40 mi.; 2 to 3 days). From there the route would follow the coast to Cuauhtepec (165 km. or 102 mi.; 5 to 9 days) and Nexpan (30 km. or 19 mi.; 1 to 2 days), where a division may have occurred. The army probably proceeded up the Omitlan River drainage to Acatl-Iyacac (75 km. or 47 mi.; 2 to 4 days) and then back to Tlappan (48 km. or 30 mi.; 2 days) before backtracking to Tenochtitlan. |
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If the Iztac-Tlallocan conquests were a separate thrust, they were easily accessible from Tlappantzinco by crossing a small mountain range and entering the Rio de la Cuehara drainage, which passes Pochtlan, Iztac-Tlallocan, and Tototepec. The last town is on the coastal plain and permits easy access to all other coastal areas. If these conquests were part of the overall Guerrero thrust, a simple continuation to the northwest would bring the army to Cuauhtepec and the remaining towns. |
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Towns in the coastal region also became tributaries, as far up the coast as Acalecan (383 km. or 237 mi.; 10 to 20 days), although it is not clear that the army actually penetrated that far. The entire army may not have been needed, and it would have posed a major additional logistical challenge. An expansion that incorporated Acapolco (85 km. or 53 mi.; 3 to 4 days, from Nexpan) and Cihuatlan (143 km. or 89 mi.; 5 to 7 days farther) would probably have been sufficient, with the other cities acceding. The return via Tetellan (del Rio) (375 km. or 233 mi.; 12 to 20 days, from Acalecan) would involve crossing the lower Sierra Madre del Sur, probably north of Acapolco, into the Iyetlan River drainage, which runs directly to Tetellan. From there the Balsas River drainage provides an almost direct route to Cuauhnahuac and the basin of Mexico. The side trek to Acalecan was an additional 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), requiring an added 50 to 84 days of army march time, although emissaries alone could have accomplished the trip in significantly less time. |
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39. Torquemada 197583,1:258 [bk. 2, chap. 63]. |
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40. Chimalpahin 1965:113 [relación 3], 224 [relación 7]; Ixtlilxóchitl 197577, 2:155 [chap. 59]; Torquemada 197583, 1:258 [bk. 2, chap. 63], 263 [bk. 2, chap. 66]. Although Totomihuacan and Xicochimalco are dated a little later, their geographical location and sequential listing argue for the |
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