Tizocic (), or Tizocicatzin (), usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh
''tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan. His name means, "He who makes sacrifices" or "He who does penance." Either Tizoc or his successor
Ahuitzotl
Ahuitzotl (, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that more likely, the ...
was the first ''tlatoani'' of Tenochtitlan to assume the title ''Huey Tlatoani'' ("supreme ''tlatoani''") to make their superiority over the other cities in the Triple Alliance (
Aztec Empire
The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...
) clear.
Biography
Family
Tizoc was a son of the princess
Atotoztli II and her cousin, prince
Tezozomoc. He was a grandson of Emperors
Moctezuma I
Moctezuma I (–1469), also known as Montezuma I, Moteuczomatzin Ilhuicamina ( ) or Huehuemoteuczoma ( ), was the second Tlatoani, Aztec emperor and fifth king of Tenochtitlan. During his reign, the Aztec Empire was consolidated, major expansion ...
and
Itzcoatl
Itzcoatl ( , "Obsidian Serpent", ) (c. 1380–1440) was the fourth king of Tenochtitlan, and the founder of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1427 to 1440. Under Itzcoatl the Mexica of Tenochtitlan threw off the domination of the Tepanecs and esta ...
. He was a descendant of the King
Cuauhtototzin.
He was successor of his brother
Axayacatl
Axayacatl (; ; ; meaning "face of water"; –1481) was the sixth of the of Tenochtitlan and Emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance.
Biography
Early life and background
Axayacatl was a son of the princess Atotoztli II and her cousin, prince ...
and was succeeded by his other brother,
Ahuitzotl
Ahuitzotl (, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that more likely, the ...
; his sister was the Queen
Chalchiuhnenetzin, married to
Moquihuix, tlatoani of
Tlatelōlco. He was an uncle of Emperors
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler ('' tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", an ...
,
Moctezuma II
Moctezuma Xocoyotzin . ( – 29 June 1520), retroactively referred to in European sources as Moctezuma II, and often simply called Montezuma,Other variant spellings include Moctezuma, Motewksomah, Motecuhzomatzin, Moteuczoma, Motecuhzoma, Motē ...
and
Cuitláhuac and grandfather of
Diego de San Francisco Tehuetzquititzin.
Reign
Most sources agree that Tizoc took power in 1481 (the
Aztec year "2 House"), succeeding his older brother. Although Tizoc's reign was relatively short, he began the rebuilding of the
Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan (a task completed by his younger brother in 1487), and also put down a rebellion of the Matlatzincan peoples of the
Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...
Valley.
According to the , during Tizoc's reign the of
Tonalimoquetzayan,
Toxico,
Ecatepec,
Cillán,
Tecaxic,
Tolocan,
Yancuitlan,
Tlappan,
Atezcahuacan,
Mazatlán
Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican list of states of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding , known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast across from th ...
,
Xochiyetla,
Tamapachco,
Ecatliquapechco and
Miquetlan were conquered.
Death
Tizoc died in 1486, though it is still somewhat unclear how. Some sources suggest that he was
poison
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
ed, others that he fell to illness.
In popular culture
* The ''Obsidian and Blood'' series by
Aliette de Bodard
Aliette de Bodard (born November 10, 1982) is a French-American speculative fiction writer. She has received accolades including the British Fantasy Award, BSFA Award, Ignyte Award, Locus Award, and Nebula Award.
Writing
De Bodard published he ...
is set in the last year of the reign of
Axayacatl
Axayacatl (; ; ; meaning "face of water"; –1481) was the sixth of the of Tenochtitlan and Emperor of the Aztec Triple Alliance.
Biography
Early life and background
Axayacatl was a son of the princess Atotoztli II and her cousin, prince ...
and the first years of the reign of Tizoc, with their youngest brother
Ahuitzotl
Ahuitzotl (, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that more likely, the ...
appearing as a primary character. The second book, ''Harbinger of the Storm'' is primarily set during the election of Tizoc as tlatoani after the death of Axayacatl.
See also
*
List of Tenochtitlan rulers
This is a list of Mesoamerican rulers of the ''altepetl'' of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) from its foundation in 1325 until the end of the line of indigenous rulers. From onwards, the rulers of Tenochtitlan were monarchs and used the title ' ...
*
Stone of Tizoc
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tizoc
Year of birth missing
1486 deaths
Tenochca tlatoque
15th-century monarchs in North America
15th-century murdered monarchs
15th-century Aztec nobility
Deaths by poisoning
Moctezuma family