Biografia de moctezuma ii accomplishments

This battle reportedly ended with Mexicas killed or captured. However, the Mexica are said to have dealt a similar number of casualties in this one-day battle. The result of this battle was indecisive, as some reported it as a victory, but it seems Moctezuma II took it as a defeat and was highly upset about it, to the point that he complained against the gods.

He lists the number of Huexotzinco-Cholula casualties as killed and captured in one other engagement afterwards, which resulted in Mexicas killed or captured. It was approximately in the year or when the first large-scale conflicts between Mexico and Tlaxcala began. In this period, Moctezuma thought about placing the entire country under siege, understanding that most of it was surrounded by territories belonging to the empire.

The ruler of Huejotzingo, Tecayahuatzin, sympathized with Moctezuma despite their connections with Tlaxcala and conflicts in the past, and through bribes and propaganda attempted to ally with Cholula and local Otomi populations to attack Tlaxcala, though with little success. The Tlaxcalans became greatly worried about this and began to grow suspicious of all allies they had fearing a betrayal, as Huejotzingo was one of Tlaxcala's closest states, as proven by its support at the battle of Atlixco.

Moctezuma, however, had the disadvantage that many of his dominions surrounding Tlaxcala did not want to fight them, as many of them used to be their allies in the past even with all the promises Moctezuma made, and therefore his support was actually quite limited. One of the first battles occurred in Xiloxochitlan today known as San Vicente Xiloxochitla [ es ] , where multiple atrocities were committed.

Despite this, the Tlaxcalan resistance managed to hold out, and after a great struggle, the Huexotzinca armies were repelled, though during the fight the Ocotelolca commander Tizatlacatzin was killed. Many other smaller battles took place in other parts of the border, though none of them were successful. The Huexotzinca became greatly worried and knew they couldn't win the war alone, therefore a prince named Teayehuatl decided to send an embassy to Mexico to request aid against the Tlaxcalans.

This was not the first time the Huexotzinca had requested aid from Mexico for similar reasons, as the first time was actually around the year , during the reign of Ahuizotl, though this previous request was denied. The advance was quick, but the Tlaxcalans used the territories they had captured from Huejotzingo to advance safely to Atlixco through the captured areas with little population before the Mexica-Huejotzingo forces spread.

The battle lasted 20 days, and both armies suffered huge losses, as the Tlaxcalans had a famous general captured and the Mexica lost so many men that they requested emergency reinforcements, asking for "all kinds of people in the shortest possible time". The Tlaxcalans claimed victory in that fight, and the Mexica were fought into a complete standstill.

The Tlaxcalans even went as far as burning down the royal palaces of Huejotzingo and stealing as much food as they could. Approximately in the year , Huejotzingo abandoned its alliance with the empire. The devastating wars that broke out against Huejotzingo caused this nation, which had been the most powerful nation in the Valley of Puebla in the opening years of the 16th century, to become weak enough to be conquered by Tlaxcala.

This was the point at which Tlaxcala became Mexico's most powerful rival in the central Mexican area. The nation which used to be their main military focus was now the subject of a nation that would later bring the killing blow to the Mexica Empire. The war between Mexico and Tlaxcala would eventually have devastating consequences, as the Tlaxcalans decided an alliance with Spain against Mexico on 23 September after a few battles proved that an alliance with this nation could help them destroy Moctezuma's reign.

Moctezuma ordered that he be kept informed of any new sightings of foreigners at the coast and posted extra watchguards and watchtowers to accomplish this. Moctezuma was aware of this and sent gifts to the Spaniards, probably to show his superiority to the Spaniards and Tlaxcalteca. Though some indigenous accounts written in the s partly support this notion, it is still unbelievable for several reasons.

As Aztec rulers spoke an overly polite language that needed a translation for their subjects to understand, it was difficult to determine what Moctezuma said. Also, according to Spanish law, the king had no right to demand that foreign peoples become his subjects, but he had every right to bring rebels to heel. Six days after their arrival, Moctezuma became a prisoner in his own house.

Exactly why this happened is not clear from the extant sources. According to the Spanish, the arrest was made as a result of an attack perpetrated by a tribute collector from Nautla named Qualpopoca or Quetzalpopoca on a Spanish Totonac garrison. The garrison was under the command of a Spanish captain named Juan de Escalante and the attack was in retaliation for the Totonac rebellion against Moctezuma which started in July after the Spanish arrived.

This attack resulted in the death of many Totonacs and approximately seven Spaniards, including Escalante. Moctezuma claimed innocence for this incident, claiming that though he was aware of the attack as Quetzalpopoca brought him the severed head of a Spaniard as a demonstration of his success, he never ordered it and was highly displeased by these events.

Around 20 days after his arrest, Quetzalpopoca was captured, together with his son and 15 nobles who allegedly participated in the attack, and after a brief interrogation, he admitted that indeed Moctezuma was innocent. He was publicly executed by burning soon after, but Moctezuma remained prisoner regardless. Despite his imprisonment, Moctezuma continued to live a somewhat comfortable life, being free to perform many of his daily activities and being respected as a monarch.

However, despite still being treated as a respected monarch, he had virtually lost most of his power as emperor as the Spaniards oversaw nearly all of his activities. Moctezuma repeatedly protected the Spaniards against potential threats using the little power he had left, either under the threat of the Spanish or by his own will, such as during the succession crisis in Texcoco mentioned above , when he ordered for the ruler of Texcoco, Cacamatzin, to be arrested as he was planning to form an army to attack the Spaniards.

During his absence, tensions between Spaniards and Aztecs exploded into the Massacre in the Great Temple , and Moctezuma became a hostage used by the Spaniards to ensure their security. The details of his death are unknown, with different versions of his demise given by different sources. Four leaders of the Aztec army met with Moctezuma to talk, urging their countrymen to cease their constant firing upon the stronghold for a time.

Regardless of the earlier orders to hold fire, however, the discussion between Moctezuma and the Aztec leaders was immediately followed by an outbreak of violence. To pacify his people, and undoubtedly pressured by the Spanish, Moctezuma spoke to a crowd but was struck dead by a rock. They had hardly finished this speech when suddenly such a shower of stones and darts were discharged that our men who were shielding him having neglected for a moment their duty because they saw how the attack ceased while he spoke to them he was hit by three stones, one on the head, another on the arm and another on the leg, and although they begged him to have the wounds dressed and to take food, and spoke kind words to him about it, he would not.

Indeed, when we least expected it, they came to say that he was dead. According to the Codex, the bodies of Moctezuma and Itzquauhtzin were cast out of the Palace by the Spanish; the body of Moctezuma was gathered up and cremated at Copulco. And four days after they had been hurled from the [pyramid] temple, [the Spaniards] came to cast away [the bodies of] Moctezuma and Itzquauhtzin, who had died, at the water's edge at a place called Teoayoc.

For at that place there was the image of a turtle carved of stone; the stone had an appearance like that of a turtle. During the siege of the city, the sons of Moctezuma were murdered by the Aztecs, possibly because they wanted to surrender. By the following year, the Aztec Empire had fallen to an army of Spanish and their Native American allies, primarily Tlaxcalans , who were traditional enemies of the Aztecs.

The Great Montezuma was about forty years old, of good height, well proportioned, spare and slight, and not very dark, though of the usual Indian complexion. He did not wear his hair long but just over his ears, and he had a short black beard, well-shaped and thin. His face was rather long and cheerful, he had fine eyes, and in his appearance and manner could express geniality or, when necessary, a serious composure.

He was very neat and clean and took a bath every afternoon. He had many women as his mistresses, the daughters of chieftains, but two legitimate wives who were Caciques [ N. He was quite free from sodomy. The clothes he wore one day he did not wear again till three or four days later. He had a guard of two hundred chieftains lodged in rooms beside his own, only some of whom were permitted to speak to him.

It was stated that he had reigned for seventeen years, and was the best king they ever had in Mexico, and that he had personally triumphed in three wars against countries he had subjugated. I have spoken of the sorrow we all felt when we saw that Montezuma was dead. We even blamed the Mercedarian friar for not having persuaded him to become a Christian.

His prose is characterized by simple descriptions and explanations, along with frequent personal addresses to the King. Moctezuma [ sic ] came to greet us and with him some two hundred lords, all barefoot and dressed in a different costume, but also very rich in their way and more so than the others. They came in two columns, pressed very close to the walls of the street, which is very wide and beautiful and so straight that you can see from one end to the other.

Moctezuma came down the middle of this street with two chiefs, one on his right hand and the other on his left. And they were all dressed alike except that Moctezuma wore sandals whereas the others went barefoot, and they held his arm on either side. Historian Matthew Restall claims that the Codex depicts Moctezuma as weak-willed, superstitious, and indulgent.

Other historians have noted that the Codex may not necessarily cast Moctezuma as cowardly and responsible for Spanish colonization. Rebecca Dufendach argues that the Codex reflects the native informants' uniquely indigenous manner of portraying leaders who suffered from poor health brought on by fright. His chronicle may relate mostly to the genealogy of the Aztec rulers.

He described Moctezuma's issue and estimated them to be nineteen — eleven sons and eight daughters. These were purportedly interpreted as signs of a possible disaster, e. Some speculate that the Aztecs were particularly susceptible to such ideas of doom and disaster because the particular year in which the Spanish arrived coincided with a "tying of years" ceremony at the end of a year cycle in the Aztec calendar, which in Aztec belief was linked to changes, rebirth, and dangerous events.

The belief of the Aztecs being rendered passive by their superstition is referred to by Matthew Restall as part of "The Myth of Native Desolation" to which he dedicates chapter 6 in his book Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. This warning caused Moctezuma great fear and he made a series of erratic decisions immediately after, such as severe punishments against his soldiers for disappointing results after battles against the Tlaxcalans.

Ethnohistorian Susan Gillespie has argued that the Nahua understanding of history as repeating itself in cycles also led to a subsequent rationalization of the events of the conquests. In this interpretation, the description of Moctezuma, the final ruler of the Aztec Empire before the Spanish conquest, was tailored to fit the role of earlier rulers of ending dynasties—for example, Quetzalcoatl, the mythical last ruler of the Toltecs.

Moctezuma had numerous wives and concubines by whom he fathered an enormous family, but only two women held the position of queen — Tlapalizquixochtzin and Teotlalco. His partnership with Tlapalizquixochtzin, daughter of Matlaccoatzin of Ecatepec , also made him king consort of Ecatepec since she was queen of that city. Of his many wives may be named the princesses Teitlalco, Acatlan, and Miahuaxochitl, of whom the first named appears to have been the only legitimate consort.

By her, he left a son, Chimalpopoca , who fell during the Noche Triste , [ ] and a daughter, Tecuichpoch , later baptized as Isabel Moctezuma. By the Princess Acatlan were left two daughters, baptized as Maria and Mariana also known as Leonor ; [ ] the latter alone left offspring, from whom descends the Sotelo-Montezuma family. Though the exact number of his children is unknown and the names of most of them have been lost to history, according to a Spanish chronicler, by the time he was taken captive, Moctezuma had fathered children and fifty of his wives and concubines were then in some stage of pregnancy, though this estimate may have been exaggerated.

Among his many children were Princess Isabel Moctezuma , Princess Mariana Leonor Moctezuma, [ ] and sons Chimalpopoca not to be confused with the previous huey tlatoani and Tlaltecatzin. Moctezuma was physically fit and practised a variety of sports, among them archery and swimming. He was well-trained in the arts of war, as he was experienced on the battlefield from an early age.

Among the sports he practised, he was an active hunter , and often used to hunt for deer, rabbits , and various birds in a certain section of a forest likely the Bosque de Chapultepec that was exclusive to him and whomever he invited. It was prohibited for anyone without permission to enter, and allegedly any trespassers would be put to death.

He also used to invite servants to this forest, should he order for certain animals to be hunted for him, which would often be done for the entertainment of his guests. Moctezuma was recorded to have been heavily obsessed with cleanliness and personal hygiene , such as bathing multiple times a day in his private pool; as well as not wearing the same clothes every day.

Moctezuma was passionate about chocolate; he had it flavoured with vanilla or other spices such as chili peppers , and his chocolate was whipped into a froth that dissolved in the mouth. No fewer than 60 portions each day reportedly may have been consumed by Moctezuma II, and 2, more by the nobles of his court. There he married Francisca de la Cueva de Valenzuela.

In , the holder of the title became a Grandee of Spain. Many indigenous peoples in Mexico are reported to worship deities named after the Aztec ruler, and often a part of the myth is that someday the deified Moctezuma shall return to vindicate his people. Hubert Howe Bancroft , writing in the 19th century Native Races , Volume 3 , speculated that the name of the historical Aztec emperor Moctezuma had been used to refer to a combination of different cultural heroes who were united under the name of a particular salient representative of Mesoamerican identity.

As a symbol of resistance against the Spanish, the name of Moctezuma has been invoked in several indigenous rebellions. He is also the subject of Roger Sessions ' dodecaphonic opera Montezuma , and the protagonist in the modern opera La Conquista by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero , where his part is written in the Nahuatl language. Contents move to sidebar hide.

Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Teotlalco Tlapalizquixochtzin. Name [ edit ]. Regnal number [ edit ]. Biography [ edit ]. Ancestry and early life [ edit ]. Coronation [ edit ]. Reign [ edit ]. Internal policy [ edit ]. Natural disasters [ edit ].

Policies and other events during his reign [ edit ]. Construction projects [ edit ]. See also: Casas Nuevas de Moctezuma. Territorial expansion during his rule, military actions and foreign policy [ edit ]. Early military campaigns [ edit ]. Rebellions [ edit ]. Territorial expansion [ edit ]. Texcoco crisis [ edit ]. Nezahualpilli's death [ edit ].

Succession crisis [ edit ]. Elections [ edit ]. Spanish involvement [ edit ]. War with Tlaxcala, Huejotzingo and their allies [ edit ]. Battle of Atlixco [ edit ]. Tlaxcala Cholula Tliliuhquitepec. Planning and preparations [ edit ]. Battle [ edit ]. Aftermath [ edit ]. Other battles against Huejotzingo and its allies [ edit ]. Invasion of Tlaxcala [ edit ].

Initial stages [ edit ]. Late stages [ edit ]. Contact with the Spanish [ edit ]. First interactions with the Spanish [ edit ]. Host and prisoner of the Spaniards [ edit ]. Death [ edit ]. Contemporary depictions [ edit ]. Depiction in early post-conquest literature [ edit ]. Indigenous accounts of omens and Moctezuma's beliefs [ edit ].

Cihuacoatl warning with sadness about the destruction of the empire. Two depictions of the 6th omen in the Florentine Codex. Personal life [ edit ]. Wives, concubines, and children [ edit ]. Activities [ edit ]. Legacy [ edit ]. Descendants in Mexico and the Spanish nobility [ edit ]. Indigenous mythology and folklore [ edit ]. Symbol of indigenous leadership [ edit ].

Portrayals and cultural references [ edit ]. Art, music, and literature [ edit ]. Other references [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. Notes [ edit ]. He was a direct descendant of the tlatoani Ixtlilxochitl II, [ 29 ] who allied with the Spanish conquistadors during the conquest of the empire because of his rivalry with Moctezuma and his decisions, and it is possible his opinions of Moctezuma were highly biased because of this event.

References [ edit ]. Tarlton Law Library. Archived from the original on 11 January Retrieved 10 March The Penguin history of Latin America. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN OCLC University Press of Colorado. Richard []. Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. Revised Edition.

Biografia de moctezuma ii accomplishments

Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Ancient Nahuatl Poetry. Archived from the original on 10 March Boban 72 ]. JSTOR Retrieved 2 March Real Academia de la Historia in Spanish. Retrieved 29 December Retrieved 13 December Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on 7 December Oxford: Oxford University Press. Translated by Tena, Rafael.

New York: D. Los Angeles: University of California: 97— Retrieved 25 January Universidad Complutense de Madrid: — Evans, Susan Toby; Pillsbury, Joanne eds. Palaces of the Ancient New World. Washington, D. Archived from the original PDF on 30 January Retrieved 24 January Retrieved 18 December ISSN Archived from the original on 10 December Retrieved 10 December Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians.

Austin: University of Texas Press: 42— 48, Retrieved 15 December Historia de los reyes y de los estados soberanos de Acolhuacan". Retrieved 22 December The Americas. Cambridge University Press: — S2CID Malintzin's choices: an Indian woman in the conquest of Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. World History Encyclopedia.

Retrieved 18 October Mexico, , p. Retrieved 13 July University of Texas Press. Retrieved July 7, History of Mexico. L — Struggle and Survival in Colonial America 1st ed. Berkeley: University of California Press. Mexico: Editores Mexicanos Unidos, S. Estudios Latinoamericanos 29 : — The Academy of American Franciscan History: — Retrieved 16 November Archived from the original on 4 March Washington State University.

Chocolate, served spiced and frothy, was a staple of his diet and symbolic of his elite status. Moctezuma became emperor in or , succeeding his uncle Ahuitzotl. His coronation marked a shift in Aztec governance. He centralized power by reorganizing provincial divisions and replacing many advisors with individuals loyal to him, reinforcing his authority.

Moctezuma widened the divide between the pipiltin nobles and macehualtin commoners , barring commoners from high offices or palace service. This elitist approach contrasted with the meritocratic practices of previous emperors and aimed to consolidate noble power while distancing commoners from governance. Early in his reign, a devastating drought caused widespread famine.

Moctezuma organized relief efforts by importing food from unaffected regions like Totonacapan. However, his increase in tribute demands to mitigate the crisis sparked discontent in some provinces, planting seeds of rebellion. He subdued the Zapotec and Yopi peoples, reinforcing imperial dominance. His campaigns focused not only on expansion but also on suppressing rebellions in key regions such as Oaxaca and Guerrero.

Moctezuma oversaw significant construction projects, including the expansion of his palace, which featured gardens, courtyards, and the Totocalli House of Birds , a renowned zoo with diverse species. He improved infrastructure by enhancing the Chapultepec aqueduct, ensuring fresh water supply to Tenochtitlan. Despite frequent warfare, Moctezuma attempted to maintain diplomatic ties with neighboring states like Tlaxcala and Huejotzingo.

Early in his reign, he invited rival leaders to his coronation in secret, showcasing Aztec power while avoiding direct confrontation. In , reports of foreign arrivals reached Moctezuma. Moctezuma, informed by omens and cautious of potential threats, sent emissaries bearing gifts to the Spaniards, hoping to assert dominance or appease them. However, he was soon taken prisoner, ostensibly to prevent rebellion or retaliation against the Spaniards.

Moctezuma died on 29 June during the chaotic period following the massacre at the Great Temple. Accounts of his death vary: Spanish sources claim he was struck by stones thrown by his own people, while indigenous records suggest the Spaniards killed him. His death marked a turning point in the Aztec resistance against Spanish forces.

Early Spanish accounts often portrayed him as indecisive and superstitious, aligning with colonial narratives of conquest. Indigenous perspectives are more divided, depicting him as both a strong leader and a ruler whose policies exacerbated social divides. Modern interpretations emphasize his achievements while acknowledging the challenges he faced against an unprecedented external threat.

His life and reign remain central to discussions of pre-Hispanic Mexican history, reflecting both the heights of Aztec civilization and its eventual downfall. What were the Pre-Columbian Civilizations in America? He restricted the royal court and administrative positions to nobles pipiltin , widening the gap between them and commoners macehualtin by disallowing commoners from palace service.

A severe drought and resulting famine afflicted central Mexico shortly after he assumed power, prompting him and his allies to import food and temporarily raise tributes. He dispatched emissaries with gifts and intelligence-gathering objectives, closely monitoring foreign arrivals while reinforcing defenses and watchtowers on the eastern coast.

Spanish sources claim he was struck by stones hurled by his own people, while indigenous accounts allege he was killed by the Spaniards; either way, he died in mid amid escalating conflict.