Tlacopan was the smallest and most junior of the three members of the Triple Alliance. The city was located on the western shore of Lake Texcoco, on the mainland opposite Tenochtitlan, and it had a long history as a Tepanec ally before it joined the coalition against Azcapotzalco in 1428. Tlacopan contributed a smaller share of warriors and received a smaller share of the tribute than its two larger allies, but it played an important role in the coalition and in the imperial expansion that followed.
The Origins of Tlacopan
Tlacopan was a Tepanec city that had been founded in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, and it had been a loyal ally of Azcapotzalco for most of its history. The city was strategically located on the western shore of Lake Texcoco, and it controlled the main road from the Valley of Mexico to the west. The city was also an important commercial center, and it was famous for its obsidian workshops, which produced a wide range of tools and weapons.
Tlacopan joined the coalition against Azcapotzalco in 1428, when Totoquihuaztli, the king of Tlacopan, agreed to support Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan and Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco in the campaign against the Tepanec ruler Maxtla. The reasons for Tlacopan’s defection are not entirely clear, but it is likely that Totoquihuaztli was concerned about the aggressive policies of Maxtla, and he saw the coalition as an opportunity to improve Tlacopan’s position in the region.
The Role in the Alliance
Tlacopan played a junior role in the Triple Alliance, and it was the smallest and most subordinate of the three members. The treaty that established the alliance specified that Tenochtitlan would receive two-fifths of the tribute from future conquests, Texcoco would receive two-fifths, and Tlacopan would receive one-fifth. The treaty also specified that Tlacopan would provide a smaller share of the warriors for the joint campaigns, and it would have a smaller voice in the deliberations of the alliance.
Despite its junior status, Tlacopan played an important role in the alliance and in the imperial expansion that followed. The city contributed warriors for the major campaigns, and it participated in the diplomatic and ceremonial life of the alliance. The rulers of Tlacopan were required to attend the major ceremonies in Tenochtitlan, and they were required to renew their oath of loyalty to the Tlatoani on a regular basis.
The Contributions of Tlacopan
Tlacopan contributed several important things to the alliance. First, it provided a strategic position on the western shore of Lake Texcoco, which gave the alliance control of the main road from the Valley of Mexico to the west. Second, it contributed its obsidian workshops, which produced a wide range of tools and weapons for the alliance’s armies. Third, it provided a base for the military campaigns against the Tarascan frontier, which was an important area of conflict in the imperial period.
Tlacopan also played an important role in the diplomatic life of the alliance. The city was located on the road to the Tarascan Empire, and it served as a base for the envoys and the merchants who traveled to the Tarascan territory. The rulers of Tlacopan had a good knowledge of the peoples of the western frontier, and they often served as the principal envoys of the alliance in its dealings with these peoples.
The Decline of Tlacopan
Tlacopan remained a junior member of the Triple Alliance throughout the imperial period, but it gradually declined in importance as Tenochtitlan and Texcoco grew more powerful. The city suffered a major flood in 1449, and it was forced to ask for assistance from its larger allies. The city was also affected by the Spanish conquest, and it was eventually incorporated into the colonial system along with its two allies.
The decline of Tlacopan was a reflection of the broader dynamics of the alliance, in which Tenochtitlan gradually became the dominant partner and Texcoco remained a junior but important ally. The alliance held together for nearly a century, but it was always characterized by the dominance of Tenochtitlan, and the junior partners had limited influence in the major decisions of the empire.
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- Diplomacy, Alliances, and Imperial Relations — the diplomacy
- History of the Aztec Civilization — the broader history