Itzcoatl, the fourth Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, ruled from 1427 to 1440, and he was the founder of the Mexica imperial dynasty. Itzcoatl, whose name means “obsidian serpent,” was a skilled politician and military leader who had been chosen as Tlatoani in 1427. He was determined to overthrow the Tepanec yoke and to establish Mexica independence, and he succeeded in one of the most consequential political transformations in the history of Mesoamerica.
The Early Life of Itzcoatl
Itzcoatl was the son of Acamapichtli, the first Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, and a slave woman. His birth was illegitimate, and he was raised in relative obscurity in the household of his father. Yet Itzcoatl showed early promise as a military leader, and he distinguished himself in several campaigns against the enemies of the Mexica. His military success attracted the attention of the Mexica nobility, and he was chosen as Tlatoani in 1427.
The choice of Itzcoatl as Tlatoani was a deliberate one, and it was based on several considerations. First, Itzcoatl was a member of the Mexica royal family, and he was a close relative of several of the previous rulers. Second, Itzcoatl had a reputation for being a skilled military leader, and he had commanded Mexica forces in several campaigns. Third, Itzcoatl had a reputation for being a shrewd politician, and he was believed to be able to lead the Mexica in the challenging times ahead.
The Overthrow of the Tepanec Empire
Itzcoatl led the coalition of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan that overthrew the Tepanec Empire of Azcapotzalco in 1428. The campaign was launched in 1428, and it lasted for about two years. The decisive battle took place in 1430, when the coalition forces defeated the Tepanec army and captured Azcapotzalco.
The defeat of the Tepanec Empire was followed by the founding of the Triple Alliance, a coalition of three city-states that would dominate central Mexico for nearly a century. The alliance was the political framework within which the Mexica developed their imperial institutions and their imperial religion, and it was the foundation of the Mexica imperial project.
The Rewriting of Mexica History
Itzcoatl is also famous for the destruction of the older Mexica records and the rewriting of Mexica history so that emphasized the legitimacy of his dynasty. According to the Codex Mendoza and other sources, Itzcoatl ordered the burning of the older codices and the creation of new codices that portrayed the Mexica as a chosen people with a divine mission.
The rewriting of Mexica history shaped the Mexica imperial project, and it helped to legitimize the new imperial order. The new history portrayed the Mexica as the descendants of a noble line of rulers, and it emphasized the divine favor that had been bestowed upon them. The new history also portrayed the conquest of the Tepanec Empire as a divinely ordained event, and it justified the Mexica imperial ambitions as a fulfillment of the divine will.
The Legacy of Itzcoatl
Itzcoatl is remembered as one of the great rulers of Mexica history, and he is celebrated as the founder of the Mexica imperial dynasty. His decision to form the Triple Alliance and to lead the overthrow of the Tepanec Empire was one of the most consequential decisions in the history of Mesoamerica, and it set the stage for the rise of the Mexica state.
Itzcoatl was succeeded by Moctezuma I, who continued the work of consolidating and expanding the empire. The line of Mexica rulers founded by Itzcoatl would last for nearly a century, and it would rule the Mexica state until the Spanish conquest of 1521.
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