The Triple Alliance of 1428 was founded by three rulers, each of whom led one of the three member city-states. The three founders were Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan, Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco, and Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan. The three rulers were united by a common enemy in the Tepanec Empire of Azcapotzalco, and they agreed to overthrow the Tepanec ruler and to share the costs and benefits of imperial expansion. The alliance would last for nearly a century, and it would allow the three city-states to dominate central Mexico so that none could have achieved alone.
Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan
Itzcoatl, the fourth Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, ruled from 1427 to 1440. His name means “obsidian serpent,” a reference to his sharp political mind. A skilled politician and a brilliant military leader, he 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.
Itzcoatl led the military campaign against Azcapotzalco, and he was the principal architect of the Triple Alliance. He was also responsible for the destruction of the older Mexica records and the rewriting of Mexica history so that emphasized the legitimacy of his dynasty. He was succeeded by Moctezuma I, who continued the work of consolidating and expanding the empire.
Nezahualcoyotl of Texcoco
Nezahualcoyotl, the king of Texcoco, was one of the great figures of Mesoamerican history. Nezahualcoyotl, whose name means “fasting coyote,” ruled from 1431 to 1472, and he is remembered as a brilliant ruler, a great poet, and a patron of the arts. He was the son of Ixtlilxochitl, the king of Texcoco who had been killed by the Tepanecs in 1418, and he had been in exile since the Tepanec conquest of his city.
Nezahualcoyotl returned to Texcoco with Mexica support in 1431, and he became the king of the Acolhua state. He was a principal architect of the Triple Alliance, and he contributed administrative and intellectual leadership to the coalition. He was also a great patron of culture, and he built a famous palace and gardens at Texcoco, where he gathered poets, philosophers, and artists from across Mesoamerica.
Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan
Totoquihuaztli, the king of Tlacopan, was the junior partner in the Triple Alliance. Totoquihuaztli, whose name means “he who hunts birds,” ruled Tlacopan from about 1427 to 1440. Totoquihuaztli was a skilled diplomat and a brave warrior, and he played an important role in the campaign against the Tepanecs. He was the smallest and most subordinate of the three founders, and he accepted a junior role in the alliance in exchange for the protection and the benefits of the coalition.
Totoquihuaztli was succeeded by a series of rulers, but Tlacopan remained a junior partner in the alliance throughout the imperial period. The rulers of Tlacopan participated in the major campaigns of the alliance, and they received a share of the tribute from the subject provinces, but they never achieved the prominence of their allies in Tenochtitlan and Texcoco.
The Legacy of the Three Founders
The three founders of the Triple Alliance are remembered as three of the most important figures in the history of Mesoamerica. Their decision to form an alliance in 1428 changed the political map of central Mexico, and it allowed the three city-states to dominate the valley and to expand their influence over a wide area. The alliance would last for nearly a century, and it would be the political framework within which the Mexica developed their imperial institutions and their imperial religion.
The legacy of the three founders is also evident in the modern Mexican state. The image of the three allies, working together against a common enemy, has been invoked by various Mexican political and cultural movements, including the Mexican Revolution and the Chicano movement. The Triple Alliance is also an important part of the Mexican national identity, and it is widely remembered in Mexican popular culture and in the national mythology.
Related Articles
- The Triple Alliance and Imperial Expansion — the broader context
- How did the Triple Alliance defeat the Tepanec Empire? — the campaign
- What was the role of Tlacopan in the Triple Alliance? — the junior partner
- The Tlatoani and the Imperial Office — the rulers
- History of the Aztec Civilization — the broader history