Empire of Azcapotzalco

Empire of Azcapotzalco Azcapotzalco Huetlathocayotl
1152–1901
of Azcapotzalco Coat of arms
Religion	Traditional Tepanec Religion
Government	Monarchy
Huetlatoani
• ??? - 1170	Matlacoatl I
• 1283 - 1343	Acolhuatzin
• 1343 - 1367	Acolhuanacatl
• 1367 - 1426	Tezozomoc
• 1426 - 1440	Tayahauh
History
• Foundation of Azcapotzaltongo	1152
• Flowers and Clouds Revolution	1901
Succeeded by Coalition of Coconeh Calpotlin

The Azcapotzalco Empire, also known as the Tepanec Empire and, in Nahuatl, as the Azcapotzalco Huetlathocayotl or Tepanecapan , was an empire that correspond roughtly to the modern Coalition of Coconeh Calpotlin, that first formed in the Xaltocan Valley before expanding into one of the most proeminent power in Nepantia.

The Empire waged wars of conquest and expanded rapidly after its formation, becoming a major opponent of the Thae Kaew Empire during the early 16th century, before their influence started to dwindle because of the Teltetzaltin Plague. They resumed their expansion after they fought against Pavirata during the second Nurabi Holy War in Nepantia. The Empire's history is generally divided into two dynasties : the Matlacoians who ruled from the foundation of the Tlathocayotl until 1612, at which point the Nezahualkanids emerged, taking the title of Huehuetlatoani (Eldest Speaker). They would rule until the Flowers and Clouds Revolution and the dissolution of the Empire. The Nezahualkanids rule was one of centralization but also great liberation, as the Philosophers became more and more influents, weakening the cultural hegemony of the Traditional Tepanec Religion and its many cults.

Like all empires, it featured great diversity in terms of economies, ethnicities, languages, and religion, even if it had an official state-religion with its own official clergy who often served in positions of political power. Economically, the empire was predominantly agricultural, with all lands owned by the tlahtohqueh and the pipiltin, the Tepanec aristocracy. The lack of industrialization during the 19th century and the refusal of the imperial court to reform itself and the way lands were managed played a central role in the creation of the Calpullist base of power.

Etymology

The name "Tepanecas" is a derivative term, corresponding to their original mythical city, Tepanohuayan (the passing by), also known as Tepano. Ideographically it is represented as a stone, for its etymology comes from Tepan (over the stones). Their conquered territories received the name Tepanecapan (land of the tepanecas) (lit. "over the tepanecas").

History

Pre-imperial history

Glyph denoting the Tepanecs

The Tepanecs people are a sub-group of the Nahuatl people who arrived in the Xaltocan Valley in the late 12th century. Their migration story is similar to those of other polities in the area, with supernatural sites, individuals, and events, joining earthly and divine history as they sought political legitimacy. According to these stories, their place of origin was called Tepanohuayan.

The Tepanecs arrived later than their Nahuatl sister-cultures, such as the Acolhua whom had already established a kingdom, Acolhuacan. The first colony of the Tepanecs was Azcapotzaltongo, only changing their capital to Azcapotzalco after their alliance with the Chichimec kingdom of Tenayuca. Acolhuanacatl, third Tlatoani of the Tepanecs, would become the ruler of both Azcapotzalco and Tenayuca, marking the first great expansion of the Tepanecs.

Under Tezozomoc (1367-1426), a balance of powers had been reached in the region between Tepanecapan, Acolhuacan, and Colhuacan. The latter was a small Toltec state that had remained independent despite the fall of the Second Tulla, and it notably employed nahuatl mercenaries to resist against the two other, stronger, factions. Diplomatic blunders led to the separation of these mercenary tribes from their Toltecs employers, and they instead allied themselves with the Tepanecs, leading to the destruction of the old city-state. The balance broke, the Tepanecs became the strongest faction in the valley, to the point that by the end of Tezozomoc's rule, they had vassalized their Acolhuas rivals.

The last event of the pre-imperial history in traditional chronicles is the Maxtla Civil War during which the eponymous Maxtla allied with the Acolhuas to become the Tepanec Tlatoani instead of his brother, Tayahauh. Tayahauh was ultimately victorious, and the kings and families that supported him would form the core of the oligarchy that dominated the rest of the Matlacoian Dynasty. Tayahauh, following a serie of important reforms, took the title of Huetlatoani, placing himself as more than an hegemon, but as an emperor.

Imperial reforms

An example of a commoner rising through the thirteen ranks

Tayahauh and his "prime minister", the king of the Tenochca Chimalpocoa, enacted a series of sweeping reforms that marked the transition from one form of rulership to another. The history of the Tepanecs was rewritten and documents that were contradictory with these revisions were destroyed. They introduced a social hierarchy made of thirteen ranks, with people of lower-birth being able to climb the ranks through the capture of enemy fighters in battle. It nonetheless made a great distinction between nobility and commoners. The title of "Quauhpilli", or "knight", nonetheless served as a connexion between the two groups, being awarded to commoners for outstanding military or civil service. A new tribute system established collectors that taxed the population directly, bypassing the authority of local dynasties. Subject kings were also granted tributary holdings in lands far from their capitals. This law ensured that the aristocracy would remain supportive of the Empire's wars of conquest. If a city's king rebelled, he lost the tribute he received from foreign land. Furthermore, cities directly under the Huetlatoani rules were to no longer be divided among his descendants, but ruled by appointed governors. Cities that had rebelled would also see their kings replaced by governors.

By royal decree, a religiously supervised school was built in every neighborhood. Commoner neighborhoods had a school called a "telpochcalli" where they received basic religious instruction and military training. A second, more prestigious type of school called a "calmecac" served to teach the nobility, as well as commoners of high standing seeking to become priests or artisans.

First wave of expansion

While Tayahauh had begun expanding his empire following the civil war by defeating the nearby southern rival of Tlalnahuac (whom lord, Miquiuix, was the maternal uncle of the first Huetlatoani), it was his son Tecollotzin, who really expanded Azcapotzalco's hegemony. The conquest of Huaxtepec, praised for its beautiful nature, also granted the Tepanecs access to the Mezcala River and its valley. The Empire would continue to expand rapidly, only halted by sporadic revolts during period of perceived weakening, thourought the reigns of three more Emperors : Chimalopoca (1469-1489), Tezozomoc II (1489-1519), and Teltetzaltin (1519 - 1524). It would culminate with the Totonac Wars where the Tepanecs would come to clash with the Thae Kaew Empire at its height.

Crisis of the 16th century

The Thae-Tepanec conflict was still ongoing when the Teltetzaltin Plague started to spread, consequence of the massive populations displacements and arrival of soldiers from all around the Daeshan Sea. It was name after the Huetlatoani Teltetzaltin, the most famous of its victims.

After Teltezaltin death, his son and successor Tayahauh II began a vast project of public health to stop the epidemy. Systematic quarantines, construction of new hospitals, creation of a new agency charged with the inspection of canals and sanitation. Ultimately the situation improved, but infant mortality would remain higher than during the previous century. The higher involvment of the Palace in provincial affairs, the reduction in manpower available, and the de-facto tax-augmentation, the populatin dwindled but the tributes remained the same, would have a lasting impact in the relationship between the Emperor and its aristocracy.

Tayahauh II's successor, Tecollotzin II (1547 - 1579), would further reform the administration and military of the Empire, and would prove the return of Azcapotzalco as a regional power during the Nurab Holy Wars for Nepantia.

Government

The early Tepanecs Huetlatoani adopted structures and institutions inspired by the previous great culture of the region, the Toltecs, and was ruled through indirect means. Ethnically very diverse and territorially discontinuous, it was more a system of tributes than a single unitary form of government. The hegemonic nature of the Tepanec leadership can be seen in the fact that generally local rulers were restored to their positions once their city-state was conquered and the Emperor did not interfere in local affairs as long as the tribute payments were made.

The Empire was organized into city-states individually known as Altepetl ruled by a monarch, the Tlatoani (lit. "Speaker"). The Tlatoque was a driving force inside the empire, generally defending a conservative and federal line against an always growing central government. The Tlatoque were opposed to the imperial bureaucracy, composed of governors and inspectors who wished for an always greater centralization and harmonization of the territories before the law. These opposing forces would remain until the very end, under various forms, until the Flowers and Clouds Revolution ended the previous political balance.

Central administration

After the Chimalpocoian reforms, the Empire transitioned from a confederation to a feudal network, with the Huetlatoani as the supreme authority when it came to external issues of the Empire. It was the Viceroy, the Cihuacōātl, the first of whom was Chimalpocoa himself, who handled internal affairs and day-to-day management of Azcapotzalco and other Altepen that depended directly on the Emperor and not any other Tlatoani. The Cihuacoatl was always chosen among the Huetlatoani's relatives. When Ixtlilxochitl of the Nezahualid Dynasty proclaimed himself as "Huehuetlatoani" (Lit. "Eldest Speaker"), he multiplied the number of Cihuacoatl. The "original" Cihuacoatl was henceforth known as the Viceroy of Tepanecapan, and two more were created: the Viceroys of Acōlhuahcān and of Tizatlan. Other Nezahualids would continue to create more Cihuacoatl, who became de-facto governors of large provinces handling multiple High-Stewards (Huecalpixque), such as the Cihuacoatl of Chalcahpan, and of Tecopan.

Very early on, the inner-council of the Emperor was fixed to four members : the tlacochcalcatl; the tlaccatecatl; the ezhuahuacatl; and the tlillancalqui. All Huetlatoani had held a position inside the inner-council before he was crowned, and it thus became an important source of legitimacy. The actions of any one member of the Council could easily be blocked by the other three, providing a simple system of checks on the ambition higher officials. These four council members were also generals and members of various military societies. The ranks of the members were not equal, with the tlacochcalcatl and tlaccatecatl having a higher status than the others as they were members of the two most prestigious military societies.

Provincial administration

Traditionally, provinces and altepetl were governed by hereditary tlatoani. As time went on, defeated Tlatoani or rebelious ones were replaced by other officials. First Calpixque, or Stewards, were imposed on an Altepetl. They were always in pair, one remaining in Azcapotzalco to supervise the storage of the tribute, the other being tasked of collecting the tribute. With the growth of the Empire, Huecalpixque appeared, responsible of an entire "tributary province". Huecalpixque and Calpixque were essentially managers of the provincial tribute system. At the top of the hierarchy was the Petlacalcatl, a position which evolved in time into something akin to a finance minister.

When a tributary province was deemed dangerous or prone to rebellion, a Military Governor called a Cuauhtlatoani was placed at the head of provincial supervision. He would be permanently assigned to and reside in "his" province until Azcapotzalco deemed it was no longer necessary to maintain a permanent military presence in the area. Under the Nezahualid Dynasty, "pacified" provinces would also be assigned permanent governors in the form of Cihuacoatl, even if it was a very gradual reform.