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''Tlatoani'' ( , "one who speaks, ruler"; plural ' or tlatoque) is the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an , a
pre-Hispanic In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...
state. It is the noun form of the verb "tlahtoa" meaning "speak, command, rule". As a result, it has been variously translated in English as "king", "ruler", or "speaker" in the political sense. Above a tlahtoani is the ''Weyi Tlahtoani,'' sometimes translated as "Great Speaker", though more usually as "
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
" (the term is often seen as the equivalent to the European " great king"). A ' () is a female ruler, or
queen regnant A queen regnant (plural: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigni ...
. The term refers to "vice-leader". The leaders of the Mexica prior to their settlement are sometimes referred to as , as well as colonial rulers who were not descended from the ruling dynasty. The ruler's lands were called , and the ruler's house was called ''Nahuatl dictionary'' (1997). Wired humanities project. Retrieved January 1, 2012, fro
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/ref> The city-states of the Aztec Empire each had their own tlatoani, or leader. He would be the high priest and military leader for his city-state and would be considered its commander-in-chief. The tlatoani was the ultimate owner of all land in his city-state and received tribute, oversaw markets and temples, led the military, and resolved judicial disputes. He would often be a descendant of the royal family, but in some cases, he would be elected. Since the Tlatoani was allowed to have several wives, his legacy would be easily maintained. After being established as the tlatoani, he would be the tlatoani of his region for life. The tlatoani was chosen by a council of elders, nobles, and priests, which would select from a pool of four candidates.


Commanding hierarchy

The siwākōātl was the second in command after the tlatoani, was a member of the nobility, served as the supreme judge for the court system, appointed all lower court judges, and handled the financial affairs of the altepetl.


Tlatoani during times of war

During times of war, the tlatoani would be in charge of creating battle plans, and making strategies for his army. He would draft these plans after receiving information from various scouts, messengers, and spies who were sent out to an enemy '' āltepētl'' (city-state). Detailed information was presented to him from those reports to be able to construct a layout of the enemy. This was essential because this ensured the safety and success of each battle. These layouts would be heavily detailed from city structures to surrounding area. The Tlatoani would be the most informed about any conflict and would be the primary decision maker during war. In modern terms, in the US, the Tlatoani would be the commander-in-chief, which is the president of the United States. The commander-in-chief is responsible for the armed forces or a military branch by exercising commands that must be followed. He would also be in charge of gaining support from allied rulers by sending gifts and emissaries from his city-state. During warfare the tlatoani would be informed immediately of deaths and captures of his warriors. He would also be in charge of informing his citizens about fallen or captive warriors, and would present gifts to the successful ones.


Tlatoque of Tenochtitlan

There were eleven tlatoque of Tenochtitlan. Beginning with Itzcoatl, the tlahtoani of Tenochtitlan was also the hueyi tlahtoani of the Aztec Empire. # Acamapichtli: 1376–1395 # Huitzilihuitl: 1395–1417 # Chimalpopoca: 1417–1427 # Itzcoatl: 1427–1440 #
Moctezuma I Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina (), Huehuemoteuczoma or Montezuma I ( nci, Motēuczōma Ilhuicamīna , nci, Huēhuemotēuczōma ), was the second Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, t ...
: 1440–1469 # Axayacatl: 1469–1481 # Tizoc: 1481–1486 # Ahuitzotl: 1486–1502 # Moctezuma II: 1502–1520 # Cuitláhuac: 1520 # Cuauhtémoc: 1520–1521


See also

* Aztec Emperors family tree * Aztec Empire * List of Texcoco rulers * List of Tlatelolco rulers *
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...


References


Sources

* * * * * * {{Refend


Further reading

* Carrasco, David. ''Daily Life of The Aztecs: People of the Sun and Earth''. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1998. * Sahagun, Bernardino de. '' Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain''. Translated and edited by
Arthur J. O. Anderson Arthur James Outram Anderson (November 26, 1907 – June 3, 1996) was an American anthropologist specializing in Aztec culture and translator of the Nahuatl language. Early life He was born on November 26, 1907. In the 1970s he began working wi ...
and Charles E. Dibble. 13 vols. Santa Fe: School of American Research, and University of Utah, 1950-1982. * Somervill, Barbara A. ''Great Empires of the Past: Empire of the Aztecs. ''New York: Chelsa House, 2010. Royalty in the Americas Royal titles Titles and offices of Native American leaders Nahuatl words and phrases Monarchy Aztec Empire