|
Chichimecatecuhtli
Chichimecatecuthli (fl. 1520) was a Tlaxcaltec nobleman and military man. He was a general of the armies of Tlaxcala during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, in which he first warred against Hernán Cortés before allying with him along with his people. He belonged possibly to the faction of Ocotelolco. Biography According to Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Chichimecatecuhtli and Xicotencatl the Younger commanded the 50,000 Tlaxcaltec warriors who stopped the Spaniards and their Totonac allies before arriving to Tlaxcala in September 1519, believing them to be vassals to the Aztec Empire. He was in charge of a fifth of the contingent, which hailed from Huejotzingo,Bernal Díaz del Castillo, ''Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España'', chapter LXV while the rest belonged to Xicohtencatl the Elder from Tizatlan, Maxixcatzin from Ocotelolco, Tlahuexolotzin from Tepeticpac and Tecapacaneca de Tepeyanco. The second day of the battle, due to their little success ag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spanish Conquest Of The Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a pivotal event in the history of the Americas, marked by the collision of the Aztec Triple Alliance and the Spanish Empire. Taking place between 1519 and 1521, this event saw the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, and his small army of European soldiers and numerous indigenous allies, overthrowing one of the most powerful empires in Mesoamerica. Led by the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, the Aztec Empire had established dominance over central Mexico through military conquest and intricate alliances. Because the Aztec Empire ruled via hegemonic control by maintaining local leadership and relying on the psychological perception of Aztec power — backed by military force — the Aztecs normally kept subordinate rulers compliant. This was an inherently unstable system of governance, as this situation could change with any alteration in the status quo. A combination of factors including superior weaponry, strategic alliances with oppresse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fall Of Tenochtitlan
The fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was an important event in the Spanish conquest of the empire. It occurred in 1521 following extensive negotiations between local factions and Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. He was aided by La Malinche, his interpreter and companion, and by thousands of indigenous allies, especially Tlaxcaltec warriors. Although numerous battles were fought between the Aztec Empire and the Spanish-led coalition, which was composed mainly of Tlaxcaltec men, it was the siege of Tenochtitlan that directly led to the fall of the Aztec civilization and the ensuing sacking and violence against the survivors. The indigenous population at the time was devastated due to a smallpox epidemic, which killed much of its leadership. Because smallpox had been endemic in Spain for centuries, the Spanish had developed an acquired immunity and were affected relatively little in the epidemic. The conquest of the Aztec Empire was a critical s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xicotencatl I
Xicotencatl I or Xicotencatl the Elder (c. Aztec calendar, 11 House (1425) – c. Aztec calendar, 4 Rabbit (1522)) was a long-lived ''teuctli'' (elected official) of Tizatlan, a Nahua peoples, Nahua ''altepetl'' (city-state) within the Tlaxcala (Nahua state), Confederacy of Tlaxcala, in what is now Mexico. He was instrumental in allying the Tlaxcaltec, Tlaxcaltecs with the Spain, Spanish to overthrow the Aztec Empire, after which he converted to Christianity under the name of Lorenzo Xicotencatl or Don Lorenzo de Vargas. Etymology His Nahuatl name, pronounced , is sometimes spelled Xicohtencatl. Early life At the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire he was very old and of poor health. He was instrumental in aligning the Tlaxcala with Hernán Cortés' Spaniards.Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, Tlaxcalan historian Diego Muñoz Camargo wrote of him that he was more than 120 years old and that he could only see Cortés if he had some ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tlatoani
''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl-speaking peoples in the Valley of Mexico during the Postclassic Period. The title of ' (, "great ruler, emperor") was used by the rulers of the Aztec Empire, an alliance between the ''āltepēmeh'' of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan. Each ''āltepētl'' had its own ''tlahtoāni'' who would concurrently function as its ruler, high priest and commander-in-chief. The ''tlahtoāni'' wielded ultimate authority over all land within the ''āltepētl'', overseeing tribute collection, market activities, temple affairs, and the resolution of judicial disputes. Typically a dynastic ruler hailing from the royal lineage, the ''tlahtoāni'' served for life. However, in certain instances, a council of nobles, elders, and priests could elect a ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sad Night
La Noche Triste ("The Night of Sorrows", literally "The Sad Night"), was an important event during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, wherein Hernán Cortés, his army of Spanish conquistadors, and their native allies were driven out of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. Prologue Cortés' expedition arrived at Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, taking up residence in a specially designated compound in the city. Soon thereafter, suspecting treachery on the part of their hosts, the Spaniards took Moctezuma II, the Aztec king or ''Tlatoani'', hostage. Though Moctezuma followed Cortés' instructions in continually assuring his subjects that he had been ordered by the gods to move in with the Spaniards and that he had done so willingly, the Aztecs suspected otherwise. During the following 98 days, Cortés and his native allies, the Tlaxcaltecs, were increasingly unwelcome guests in the capital. Cortés heads off Spanish punitive expedition In May 1520, news from the Gulf coast re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tlatoque
''Tlahtoāni'' ( , "ruler, sovereign"; plural ' ) is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of (singular ''āltepētl'', often translated into English as "city-state"), autonomous political entities formed by many pre-Columbian Nahuatl-speaking peoples in the Valley of Mexico during the Postclassic Period. The title of ' (, "great ruler, emperor") was used by the rulers of the Aztec Empire, an alliance between the ''āltepēmeh'' of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan. Each ''āltepētl'' had its own ''tlahtoāni'' who would concurrently function as its ruler, high priest and commander-in-chief. The ''tlahtoāni'' wielded ultimate authority over all land within the ''āltepētl'', overseeing tribute collection, market activities, temple affairs, and the resolution of judicial disputes. Typically a dynastic ruler hailing from the royal lineage, the ''tlahtoāni'' served for life. However, in certain instances, a council of nobles, elders, and priests could elect a ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exocannibalism
Exocannibalism (from Greek ''exo-'', "from outside" and cannibalism, "to eat humans"), as opposed to endocannibalism, is the consumption of flesh from humans that do not belong to one's close social group—for example, eating one's enemies. It has been interpreted as an attempt to acquire desired qualities of the victim and as "ultimate form of humiliation and domination" of a vanquished enemy in warfare. Such practices have been documented in various cultures, including the Aztecs in Mexico and the Caribs and Tupinambá in South America. Historically, it has also been used as a practical expediency in especially desperate attritional or guerrilla warfare when the extreme hunger and the abundance of humans being killed coincide to create conditions ripe for cannibalism. Some have interpreted the practice as a form of predation rather than a ritual act, seeing perpetrator and victim in the roles of predator versus prey. Cultural practice Exocannibalism in the form of eating ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curing (food Preservation)
Curing is any of various food preservation and flavoring processes of foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, by the addition of salt, with the aim of drawing moisture out of the food by the process of osmosis. Because curing increases the solute concentration in the food and hence decreases its water potential, the food becomes inhospitable for the microbe growth that causes food spoilage. Curing can be traced back to antiquity, and was the primary method of preserving meat and fish until the late 19th century. Dehydration was the earliest form of food curing. Many curing processes also involve smoking, spicing, cooking, or the addition of combinations of sugar, nitrate, and nitrite. Meat preservation in general (of meat from livestock, game, and poultry) comprises the set of all treatment processes for preserving the properties, taste, texture, and color of raw, partially cooked, or cooked meats while keeping them edible and safe to consume. Curing has been the dominant m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ixtlilxochitl II
Ixtlilxochitl II (c. 1500–c. 1550) was a Nahua nobleman, tlatoani of Texcoco. He allied with Spain during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and assisted Hernán Cortés during the Siege of Tenochtitlan. He converted to Christianity under the name of Fernando Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl and ruled Texcoco in Spain's name until his death. Biography According to his descendant Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl, Ixtlilxochitl was a child prodigy, who being only three years old killed a female servant caught in an infidelity and then justified his act according to Texcocan law. At twelve he led a violent purge of courtiers who had advised his father to execute him for the danger he posed, and by fourteen he was already a renowned captain in the wars against Tlaxcala and Atlixco. In 1516 Nezahualpilli died, and the succession was contested by several of his sons, including Cacamatzin and Ixtlilxochitl. The former gained the support of Moctezuma II, Tlatoani of the Aztec Empi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xaltocan
Xaltocan was a pre-Columbian city-state and island in the Valley of Mexico, located in the center of Lake Xaltocan, part of an interconnected shallow lake system which included Lake Texcoco; this place is now inside the village of San Miguel Jaltocan in Nextlalpan, State of Mexico. The site was originally settled by the Otomi people but following a war in the late fourteenth century where the Otomi were defeated by an alliance of Tepanecs and Mexica the Otomi were driven off the island and relocated to Otumba, Metztitlan and Tlaxcala. The island of Xaltocan was then resettled by Nahuatl speakers. The name can mean either of two things in the Nahuatl language: either 'sandy ground of spiders' or 'where it is planted on the sand'. Overview Xaltocan is known to have been inhabited in the Postclassic period. Ceramics and other archaeological remains dating to this period have been recovered in excavations at the site. It is thought to have been a local center of power capable of e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gonzalo De Sandoval
Gonzalo de Sandoval (1497 – late 1528) was a Spanish conquistador in New Spain (Mexico)Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, and briefly co-governor of the colony while Hernán Cortés was away from the capital (March 2, 1527 to August 22, 1527). Arrival in New Spain Sandoval, who was born in Medellín, Spain, was the youngest of the lieutenants of Cortés. They arrived together in New Spain in 1519. After the subjugation of Moctezuma, Cortés placed him in command at Villa Rica de Vera Cruz as . He seized the messengers of Pánfilo de Narváez, who demanded the surrender of the town, and sent them as prisoners to Cortés. In the ensuing battle, it was Sandoval who captured Narváez. He led the vanguard in the Spanish retreat on the Noche Triste in 1520, and fought in the Battle of Otumba He conducted operations against the Aztecs from a post called , near Tepeaca. Afterwards, Gonzalo led attacks against the towns of Cacatami and Xalacin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brigantine
A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Older usages are looser; in addition to the rigorous definition above (attested from 1695), the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' includes two definitions: "a small vessel equipped both for sailing and rowing, swifter and more easily manœuvred than larger ships" and "(loosely) various kinds of foreign sailing and rowing vessels, as the galleon, galliot, etc." Modern American definitions include vessels without any square sail(s) on the main mast. Mediterranean brigantines In the Mediterranean Basin during the 13th century, a brigantine referred to a sail- and oar-driven war vessel. It was lateen rigged on two masts and had between eight and twelve oars on each side. Its speed, maneuverability, and ease of handling made it a favourite of Med ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
