Nezahualcoyotl ( Classical Nahuatl : Nezahualcoyōtl [nesawalˈkojoːtɬ] , modern Nahuatl pronunciation ) (April 28, 1402 – June 4, 1472) was a scholar, philosopher ( tlamatini ), warrior, architect, poet and ruler ( tlatoani ) of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian era Mexico . Unlike other high-profile Mexican figures from the century preceding Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , Nezahualcoyotl was not fully Mexica ; his father's people were the Acolhua , another Nahuan people settled in the eastern part of the Valley of Mexico , on the coast of Lake Texcoco . His mother, however, was the sister of Chimalpopoca , the Mexica king of Tenochtitlan .
26-678: (Redirected from Nezahualcóyotl ) 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 Nezahualcóyotl (Mexibús) , a BRT station in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico Malpaso Dam , officially
52-525: A throne, his youth was not marked by princely luxury. His father had set Texcoco against the powerful city of Azcapotzalco , ruled by the Tepanec . In 1418, when the young prince was fifteen, his father was assassinated. The Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco, led by Tezozomoc , conquered Texcoco, and Acolmiztli had to flee into exile in Huexotzinco. After various adventures, during which he took the name Nezahualcoyotl,
78-515: Is a historical title used by the dynastic rulers of āltepēmeh (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 huēyi tlahtoāni [ es ] ( [ˈweːjiˀ t͡ɬaʔtoˈaːniˀ] , "great ruler, emperor")
104-416: Is commonly translated as “hungry coyote” or “fasting coyote.” However, more accurately, it means "coyote with a fasting collar," from nezahualli , a collar made out of bands of paper twisted together. It was worn by those fasting to show others that they shouldn't be offered food. Born Acolmiztli , he was the son of Ixtlilxochitl I and Matlalcihuatzin, the daughter of Huitzilihuitl . Though born heir to
130-543: Is credited with the compilation of a collection of Nahuatl poems, Romances de los señores de Nueva España , and with a chronicle of the history of the Aztecs . The freshwater fish Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl is named after Nezahualcoyotl. Nezahualcoyotl appears on the current 100 peso banknote of Mexico. One of Nezahualcoyotl's historical legacies is as a poet, with a number of works in Classical Nahuatl written in
156-959: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Nezahualcoyotl (tlatoani) He is best remembered for his poetry; for his Hamlet -like biography as a dethroned prince with a victorious return, leading to the fall of Azcapotzalco and the rise of the Aztec Triple Alliance ; and for leading important infrastructure projects, both in Texcoco and Tenochtitlan . According to accounts by his descendants and biographers, Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl and Juan Bautista Pomar , he had an experience of an "Unknown, Unknowable Lord of Everywhere" to whom he built an entirely empty temple in which no blood sacrifices of any kind were allowed — not even those of animals. However, he allowed human sacrifices to continue in other temples. The Nahuatl name Nezahualcoyotl
182-542: The tlatoani Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan requested help from the Huexotzincans against the Tepanecs , Nezahualcoyotl envisioned a single military force in order to fight the mighty kingdom of Azcapotzalco . After being offered support from insurgents inside Acolhuacan and rebel Tepanecs from Coyohuacan , Nezahualcoyotl joined the war. He called for a coalition consisting of many of the most important pre-Hispanic cities of
208-605: The Aztec Empire paid tribute that was distributed among three kings. Fourteen cities in the region of Acolhuacan were under Nezahualcoyotl, including Otompan , Huexotla , Coatlichan, Chimalhuacan , Tepetlaoztoc , Chiauhtla, Tezoyucan, Teotihuacan , Acolman , Tepechpan, Chiconauhtlan, Xicotepec , Cuauhchinanco, and Tulantzino. Nezahualcoyotl, himself half Mexica, adopted the Mexica religious and legal systems in Acolhuacan to help in
234-643: The "Council of Music"). Under his rule, Texcoco flourished as the intellectual center of the Triple Alliance and was home to an extensive library that, tragically, did not survive the Spanish conquest. He also established an academy of music and welcomed worthy entrants from all regions of Mesoamerica . Texcoco has been called "the Athens of the Western World," to quote the historian Lorenzo Boturini Bernaducci . Indeed,
260-438: The "albarrada de Nezahualcoyotl" ("dike of Nezahualcoyotl") to separate the fresh and brackish waters of Lake Texcoco , a system that was still in use over a century after his death. The date of Nezahualcoyotl's death is recorded as being June 4, 1472. He was survived by many concubines and an estimated 110 children. He was succeeded by his son Nezahualpilli as tlatoani of Texcoco . His great-grandson Juan Bautista Pomar
286-738: The 16th and 17th centuries ascribed to him. These attributions are testament to the long lifespan of oral tradition, since Nezahualcoyotl died almost 50 years before the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , and the poems were written down another fifty years after that. Juan Bautista de Pomar was a grandson of Nezahualcoyotl and likely wrote them from memory of the oral tradition. Poems attributed to Nezahualcoyotl include: Tlatoani Tlahtoāni ( Classical Nahuatl : tlahtoāni pronounced [t͡ɬaʔtoˈaːniˀ] , "ruler, sovereign"; plural tlahtohqueh [t͡ɬaʔˈtoʔkeʔ] )
SECTION 10
#1733085057395312-540: The Nezahualcóyotl Dam Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Nezahualcoyotl . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nezahualcoyotl&oldid=1046893741 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
338-405: The court of Texcoco . Nezahualcoyotl is credited with cultivating what came to be known as Texcoco's Golden Age, which brought the rule of law, scholarship and artistry to the city and set high standards that influenced surrounding cultures. Nezahualcoyotl designed a code of law based on the division of power, which created the councils of finance, war, justice and culture (the last actually called
364-697: The literal meaning of "one who speaks". In English, it has been translated variously as "king", "sovereign", "ruler" or, based on its etymology, " speaker ". It takes the plural form tlahtohqueh ( [t͡ɬaʔˈtoʔkeʔ] ), and the construct form * tlahtohcā- , as in tlahtohcāyōtl ("rulership, realm"), tlahtohcātlālli ("royal lands"), and tlahtohcācalli ("royal palace"). Related titles include tlahtohcāpilli ( [t͡ɬaʔtoʔkaːˈpilːiˀ] ), given to princes and other prominent noblemen, and cihuātlahtoāni ( [siwaːt͡ɬaʔtoˈaːniˀ] ), used to designate noblewomen including consorts or princesses . The cihuācōātl
390-538: The prince returned to stay in Tenochtitlan in 1422. His aunts bribed the Tepanec king and allowed for him to be partially educated as a Mexica . His exposure to Mexica culture and politics would influence how he later governed Texcoco. After Tezozomoc's son Maxtla became ruler of Azcapotzalco, Nezahualcoyotl returned to Texcoco, but had to go into exile a second time when he learned that Maxtla plotted against his life. As
416-522: The reconstruction of his city. Motolinia claims he enacted some eighty laws addressing issues such as treason, robbery, adultery, homicide, alcohol abuse, misuse of inheritances, and military misconduct. The Mapa Quinatzin depicts the hanging of a robber for stealing or breaking into a house. Revered as a sage and poet-king, Nezahualcoyotl gathered a group of followers called the tlamatini , generally translated as "wise men." These men were scholars, artists, musicians and sculptors who pursued their art in
442-424: The remains of hilltop gardens, sculptures and a massive aqueduct system show the impressive engineering skills and aesthetic appreciation of his reign. Many believe, however, that of all the creative intellects nurtured by this Texcocan "Athens," by far the greatest belonged to the king himself. He is considered one of the great designers and architects of the pre-Hispanic era. He is said to have personally designed
468-408: 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 tlahtoāni from a pool of four candidates. The term tlahtoāni ( [t͡ɬaʔtoˈaːniˀ] ) is an agent noun derived from the verb tlahtoa , meaning "to speak", thereby carrying
494-489: The south. The two armies simultaneously attacked Acolhuacan from two directions until they controlled the city's main square. After their victory, the coalition began a series of attacks on isolated Tepanec posts throughout the territory of Texcoco. The defeat of the Tepanecs and the total destruction of the kingdom of Azcapotzalco gave rise to the Aztec Triple Alliance between Texcoco, Tenochtitlan, and Tlacopan. Nezahualcoyotl
520-468: The three armies united again and then divided into two. One of them, under Nezahualcoyotl, headed towards Texcoco , laying siege to Acolhuacan on its way, while the other attacked and destroyed Azcapotzalco . At the time the armies met again, Nezahualcoyotl reclaimed Texcoco and decided to conquer Acolhuacan, entering from the north while the Tenochca and Tlacopan allies coming from Azcapotzalco attacked from
546-407: The time: Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan , Tlatelolco , Huexotzingo, Tlaxcala and Chalco . The war was declared a shared and single effort, and the coalition army of more than 100,000 men under the command of Nezahualcoyotl and other important tlatoque headed towards Azcapotzalco from the city of Calpulalpan . This began the military offensive that would reconquer Acolhuacan in 1428. The campaign
SECTION 20
#1733085057395572-410: Was divided into three parts. One army attacked Acolman to the north and the second Coatlinchan to the south. A contingent led by Nezahualcoyotl himself was intended to attack Acolhuacan, only after providing support, upon request, to the first two armies. The coalition conquered Acolman and Otumba , sacking them only due to the sudden Tepanec siege of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. In a tactical move,
598-444: Was eventually crowned Tlatoani of Texcoco in 1431. A decade later, eager to produce a noble heir, Nezahualcoyotl married Azcalxochitzin after the death of her first husband, King Cuahcuauhtzin of Tepechpan. According to Motolinia , Nezahualcoyotl practiced his strict laws judiciously and imposed them on all his subjects. He purportedly killed four of his sons for their sexual relationships with his concubines. Cities conquered by
624-499: 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 tlahtoāni would be the most informed about any conflict and would be the primary decision maker during war. He would also be in charge of gaining support from allied rulers by sending gifts and emissaries from his city-state. During warfare
650-512: Was the second in command after the tlahtoāni , 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 āltepētl . During times of war, the tlahtoāni 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
676-410: 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
#394605