Chimalpopoca ( nci-IPA, Chīmalpopōca, t͡ʃiːmaɬpoˈpoːka for "smoking shield," ) or Chīmalpopōcatzin (1397–1427) was the third
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of
Tenochtitlan (1417–1427).
Biography
Chimalpopoca was born to the Emperor
Huitzilihuitl and Queen
Ayauhcihuatl.
Rule
On the day of Chimalpopoca's coronation in 1417 (some sources say 1416 or 1418), his brother
Tlacaelel I
Tlacaelel I (1397 – 1487) ( nci, Tlācaēllel , "Man of Strong Emotions," from "tlācatl," person and "ēllelli," strong emotion) was the principal architect of the Aztec Triple Alliance and hence the Mexica (Aztec) empire. He was the son ...
was named high priest. From this point on the ecclesiastical and governmental offices among the Aztecs were separate.

When he assumed the throne at age 20, Tenochtitlan was a tributary of the
Tepanec city of
Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco ( nci, Āzcapōtzalco , , from ''wikt:azcapotzalli, āzcapōtzalli'' “anthill” + ''wikt:-co, -co'' “place”; literally, “In the place of the anthills”) is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') i ...
, which was ruled by his grandfather
Tezozomoc. This alliance, and the Mexicas' position within it, was strengthened by Tenochtitlan's loyalty during Tezozomoc's 1418 war with
Ixtlilxochitl I of
Texcoco. The conquered city was granted to Tenochtitlan as a tributary.
Nezahualcoyotl Nezahualcoyotl may refer to:
* Nezahualcoyotl (tlatoani), the ruler of Texcoco
* Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, a city in the State of Mexico
* Nezahualcóyotl metro station, in Mexico City
* The Nezahualcóyotl Award, a literary prize in Mexico
* Nezah ...
, displaced prince of Texcoco, was living in the mountains. Chimalpopoca interceded with Tezozomoc on his behalf, and Tezozomoc agreed to allow Netzahualcoyotl to live in Tenochtitlan under his protection.
In 1426 Tezozómoc assisted Chimalpopoca in the construction of a new aqueduct. This aqueduct was of wood, and ran from the elevated place of
Chapultepec to Tenochtitlan.
Chimalpopoca also had a causeway constructed to
Tlacopan. The causeway contained openings spanned by wooden bridges, which were removed at night. Also during his reign he dedicated a stone for sacrifices in the Tlacocomoco section of Tenochtitlan. To him is attributed the conquest of
Tequizquiac.
Family

Chimalpopoca was the son of
Huitzilihuitl, the previous ruler, but there are some sources that say he was a son of
Acamapichtli, the first ruler of Tenochtitlan, making him Huitzilihuitl's brother.
Gerónimo de Mendieta, in his ''
Historia eclesiástica indiana
Historia may refer to:
* Historia, the local version of the History channel in Spain and Portugal
* Historia (TV channel), a Canadian French language specialty channel
* Historia (newspaper), a French monthly newspaper devoted to History topics
* ...
'', notes the discrepancy and concludes that Huitzilihuitl, Chimalpopoca and
Itzcoatl (Chimalpopoca's successor) must have been brothers, based on his understanding on the Aztec system of
succession
Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence.
Governance and politics
*Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
.
[Gillespie (1989: pp. 12–14)]
He had many wives and children. One of the wives was his cousin
Matlalatzin. His son was
Tezozomoc, king of
Ecatepec.
Three versions of the family tree of the first Aztec rulers:
Chimalpopoca was a grandson of Acamapichtli and
Tezozomoc and half-brother of
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, the ...
.
Death
When Tezozomoc died in 1427 after a long reign, he was succeeded by his son
Tayatzin
Tayatzin was a king of Tepanec city of Azcapotzalco in Mexico. He is also called Quetzalayatzin.
Biography
He was born as a prince, the son of king Tezozomoc and queen Chalchiuhcozcatzin, who was Tezozomoc's main wife.
His half-siblings were ki ...
. However
Maxtla, ruler of
Coyoacan and older half-brother of Tayatzin, soon incited a rebellion among the nobles of Azcapotzalco and usurped the throne. Chimalpopoca allied with Tayatzin, and the two conspired to retake the throne and kill Maxtla. Friendly relations between Tenochtitlan and Azcapotzalco were thus replaced by insults and violent intrigue, apparently involving tit-for-tat assassination attempts. Maxtla sent Chimalpopoca a present of women's clothing.
Teyatzin was killed, and Chimalpopoca decided to offer himself as a sacrifice at the altar of his father Huitzilíhuitl. Some of his nobles joined him. In the middle of the ceremony, before the ''tlatoanis turn, an expeditionary force from Azcapotzalco invaded Tenochtitlan, took Chimalpopoca prisoner and carried him to Azcapotzalco. There he was exhibited in a cage and kept on starvation rations. He committed suicide, hanging himself from a beam with his belt. (Another account says he was strangled by his captors.)
He was succeeded as ''tlatoani'' by his uncle
Itzcoatl.
A rigorous and critical study based in the sources state, however, that Chimalpopoca's death must be interpreted as a coup d'etat. Itzcoatl was the leader of a rebel faction against the Tepanec Empire. Chimalpopoca, as Tezozomoc's grandson, was the main collaborator of this Empire in Tenochtitlan, and consequently was the first victim of Itzcoatl. After the victory of the rebel coalition, the history was rewritten and the defeated Tepanecs was blamed for Chimalpopoca's death. This can be considered the official Mexica history (see Santamarina 2006: cap. XIII).
See also
*
List of Tenochtitlan rulers
Notes
References
*"Azcapotzalco", ''Enciclopedia de México'', vol. 2. Mexico City: 1987.
*"Chimalpopoca", ''Enciclopedia de México'', vol. 4. Mexico City: 1987.
*García Puron, Manuel, ''México y sus gobernantes'', vol. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
*
*Orozco Linares, Fernando, ''Gobernantes de México''. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, .
* See cap. XIII: 373-402.
*
External links
Chimalpopoca entry on The Visual History Project
{{Tenochtitlan rulers
Tenochca tlatoque
15th-century monarchs in North America
15th-century indigenous people of the Americas
1397 births
1427 deaths
15th-century murdered monarchs
15th century in the Aztec civilization
Suicides in North America