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85-448: Children of the Pipiltin were given extensive education in preparation for the role they would play in their adult life. They were sent to the calmecac , which was the center for higher learning, to study the ancient wisdom as well as "elegant forms of speech, ancient hymns, poems and historical accounts, religious doctrines, the calendar, astronomy, astrology, legal precepts and the art of

170-510: A cuicacalli , for public shows during religious rituals. The bottom floor had two rooms which were used by the government. One of them was used for Moctezuma's advisors and judges who dealt with the situations of the commoners (likely the Tlacxitlan ). The other room was for the war council (likely the Tequihuacalli ), where high-ranking warriors planned and commanded their battles. As part of

255-583: A speech scroll . The Aztecs did not use regnal numbers ; they were given retroactively by historians to more easily distinguish him from the first Moctezuma, referred to as Moctezuma I . The Aztec chronicles called him Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin , while the first was called Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina or Huehuemotecuhzoma ('Old Moctezuma'). Xocoyotzin ( IPA: [ʃoːkoˈjoːt͡sin̥] ) means 'honored young one' (from xocoyotl 'younger son' + suffix -tzin added to nouns or personal names when speaking about them with deference). Moctezuma II

340-675: A tecpan (palace) of his own. This was a particularly large palace, which was somewhat larger than the National Palace that exists today which was built over it, being about 200 meters long and 200 meters wide. However, little archaeological evidence exists to understand what his palace looked like, but the various descriptions of it and the space it covered have helped reconstruct various features of its layout. Even so, these descriptions tend to be limited, as many writers were unable to describe them in detail. The Spanish captain Hernán Cortés ,

425-451: A humiliating defeat at Atlixco during a flower war against Huejotzingo ( see below ), many sites in Oaxaca rebelled, likely under the idea that the empire's forces were weakened. However, Moctezuma was able to raise an army numbering 200,000 and marched over the city of Yancuitlan (today known as Yanhuitlan ), a city which had been previously conquered by Tizoc , and conquered Zozollan in

510-404: A long conflict of interests between the nobility, merchants, and warrior class. The struggle occurred as the result of the conflicting interests between the merchants and the nobility and the rivalry between the warrior class and the nobility for positions of power in the government. Moctezuma likely sought to resolve this conflict by installing despotist policies that would settle it. However, it

595-488: A potential threat to the government; among these policies was the obligation of the nobility to reside permanently in Tenochtitlan and abandon their homes if they lived elsewhere. Regarding his economic policies, Moctezuma's rule was largely affected by natural disasters in the early years. As mentioned before, the famine during his first years as tlatoani resulted in a temporary increase in tribute in some provinces to aid

680-417: A result of astrological predictions halting some Mexica military operations to a degree. Moctezuma would try to campaign against these rebellions one at a time throughout the following years, campaigning against territories in Oaxaca, including Icpatepec again, in 1511 or 1512. Some of these revolts occurred as far south as Xoconochco (today known as Soconusco ) and Huiztlan (today, Huixtla ), far down where

765-475: A series of rituals that lasted hours, the new students were bathed, named, and marked upon the hip and chest to "designate their adult role." After the children's ears had been pierced and the ceremony was concluded, the Aztec temple held a celebratory feast. Instruction at the calmecac did not begin gradually. Four-year-olds were immediately introduced to adult ceremonies, with discipline and punishment beginning at

850-453: A tribute to Tenochtitlan, and they received multiple rewards as the result, including the permission to rebuild their main temple (which had been partially destroyed during the Battle of Tlatelolco which occurred during Axayacatl 's reign). This campaign had a highly violent result; Moctezuma, after receiving information on the cities gathered by his spies, ordered for all adults in the sites above

935-481: A war against Icpatepec is recorded to have happened again in that year. After the campaigns in the Oaxaca region, Moctezuma began to move his campaigns into northern and eastern territories around 1514, conquering the site of Quetzalapan, a Chichimec territory through the Huastec region , taking 1332 captives and suffering minimal casualties, with only 95 reported losses. Likely around this time, many other territories in

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1020-478: Is [motɛːkʷˈs̻oːmaḁ] . It is a compound of a noun meaning 'lord' and a verb meaning 'to frown in anger', and so is interpreted as 'he frowns like a lord' or 'he who is angry in a noble manner'. His name glyph , shown in the upper left corner of the image from the Codex Mendoza below , was composed of a diadem ( xiuhuitzolli ) on straight hair with an attached earspool , a separate nosepiece, and

1105-449: Is a combination of the words calli , meaning "house," and the word mecatl , meaning "cords, ropes, whips." Taken together, calmecac can be read as "the house of whips or penitence." It has also been directly translated as the Nahuatl word for school. The cords were sometimes made of malinall grass and used in acts of penance. Piercing parts of the body with sharp grass or other implements

1190-438: Is also true that many of his elitist policies were put in place because he did not want to "work with inferior people", and instead wanted to be served by and interact with people he deemed more prestigious, both to avoid giving himself and the government a bad reputation and to work with people he trusted better. However, some of his policies also affected the nobility, as he had intentions of reforming it so that it would not pose

1275-434: Is that contrary to popular belief, Tlaxcala was not Mexico's most powerful rival in the central Mexican region in this period, and it would not be so until the final years of pre-Hispanic Mexico in 1518–19. In the opening years of the 16th century, Huejotzingo was Mexico's actual military focus, and it proved itself to be one of the most powerful political entities until these final years, as a series of devastating wars weakened

1360-473: The tlatoani of this name ), were killed. All the population of Tototepec, except for the children, was massacred by the Mexica forces, and about 1350 captives were taken. Another campaign was launched in 1515 to conquer Acocozpan and Tetenanco and reconquer Atlitepec, which had been previously conquered by Ahuizotl in 1493. Quetzaltepec was conquered on the same campaign as Tototepec, as both reportedly murdered

1445-730: The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan . During his reign, the Aztec Empire reached its greatest size. Through warfare, Moctezuma expanded the territory as far south as Xoconosco in Chiapas and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec , and incorporated the Zapotec and Yopi people into the empire. He changed the previous meritocratic system of social hierarchy and widened the divide between pipiltin (nobles) and macehualtin (commoners) by prohibiting commoners from working in

1530-589: The Chalco region, was assigned to pay an additional tribute of stone and wood twice or thrice a year for Tenochtitlan's building projects. This tributary policy eventually backfired, as some of the empire's subjects grew disgruntled with Moctezuma's government and launched rebellions against him, which eventually resulted in many of these provinces—including Totonacapan (under the de facto leadership of Chicomacatl ), Chalco and Mixquic (which were near Tenochtitlan)—forming alliances with Spain against him. The famine at

1615-574: The Mexica Empire ), reigning from 1502 or 1503 to 1520. Through his marriage with Queen Tlapalizquixochtzin of Ecatepec , one of his two wives, he was also king consort of that altepetl . The first contact between the indigenous civilizations of Mesoamerica and Europeans took place during his reign. He was killed during the initial stages of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire when conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men fought to take over

1700-675: The calmecac and telpochcalli are in Bernardino de Sahagún 's Florentine Codex of the General History of the Things of New Spain (Books III, VI, and VIII) and part 3 of the Codex Mendoza . The calmecac of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan , was located in the ceremonial centre of the city and was dedicated to Quetzalcoatl . It was situated conveniently close to the Templo Mayor, where calmecac graduates destined for priesthood would perform

1785-423: The calmecac and the telpochcalli . Emperor Moctezuma II was educated at and graduated from Tenochtitlan's calmecac . Students as young as five to seven years of age would enter the calmecac, which would be their home for the duration of their training. The parents brought their children to the calmecac to partake in a dedication ceremony in the presence of the calmecac and telpochcalli authorities. In

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1870-514: The calmecac emphasizes the possibilities of upward mobility for young commoner men, ( macehualtin ), educated in the telpochcalli . Promising sons of nobles would be trained especially by the military orders of the Jaguar warriors ( ōcēlōmeh [oːseːˈloːmeʔ] ) or Eagle warriors ( cuāuhtin [ˈkʷaːʍtin] ) in their quarters, the cuāuhcalli ( [kʷaːʍˈkalːi] ). Codex Mendoza's account largely ignores class distinctions between

1955-529: The calmecac in Tenochtitlan, rural villages throughout the Aztec empire would have had calmecacs of their own, ensuring that all civilians had access to comprehensive instruction in religious practice. Moctezuma II Moctezuma Xocoyotzin ( c.  1466 – 29 June 1520), referred to retroactively in European sources as Moctezuma II , was the ninth Emperor of the Aztec Empire (also known as

2040-426: The telpochcalli might have been by lesser wives' or concubines' sons or younger sons, perhaps of commoner status so that the boys did not have to compete with noble youths in the calmecac . However, although the calmecac has been characterized as for elites only, Sahagun's account says that at times the macehualtin were assigned to the calmecac as well and trained for the priesthood. Codex Mendoza's account of

2125-456: The tlacxitlan , the criminal court of Tenochtitlan (which aside from judging criminals also had the job of freeing "unjustified" slaves), to free those children and offer food to those noblemen. Another natural disaster, of lesser intensity, occurred in the winter of 1514, when a series of dangerous snowstorms resulted in the destruction of various crops and property across Mexico. During his government, he applied multiple policies that centered

2210-400: The Aztec government, including academic, economic, judicial, diplomatic, and administrative roles. Students commenced formal military training around age fifteen. While the calmecac served primarily as a center for religious and military instruction in order to swell both ranks with diligent and skilled priests and soldiers, students also "learned various manual skills." The name calmecac

2295-672: The Mexican- Guatemalan border is today. These territories were highly important to the empire and had been previously conquered by his predecessor Ahuizotl , thus Moctezuma had to maintain them under his control. These revolts occurred in so many locations that the empire was unable to deal with all of them effectively. The empire's expansion during Moctezuma's rule was mainly focused on southwestern Mesoamerican territories, in Oaxaca and modern-day Guerrero . The earliest conquests in this territory were held by Moctezuma I . The first important conquest during Moctezuma's rule occurred in

2380-516: The Tlaxcalan allies of the Spanish. At the beginning of his rule, he attempted to build diplomatic ties with Tlaxcala, Huexotzinco (today, Huejotzingo ), Chollolan ( Cholula ), Michoacan , and Metztitlán , by secretly inviting the lords of these countries to attend the celebrations for his coronation before the continuation of the flower wars , which were wars of religious nature arranged voluntarily by

2465-471: The Triple Alliance attacking from various locations and having over 200 wooden ladders constructed under Moctezuma's orders. The Mexica eventually emerged victorious, successfully conquering the city. Several military defeats occurred in some of these expansionist campaigns, however, such as the invasion of Amatlan in 1509, where an unexpected series of snowstorms and blizzards killed many soldiers, making

2550-561: The age of 50 to be killed to prevent a rebellion once the cities were conquered, similar to the war in Tlachquiauhco. The conquest was done by dividing the army that was brought in 3 divisions; one from Tlacopan, one from Texcoco, and one from Tenochtitlan, so that each one attacked a different city. The Tenochtitlan company attacked Jaltepec. Moctezuma came out victorious and then returned to Mexico through Chalco, where he received many honors for his victory. This war likely happened in 1511, as

2635-422: The age of five years, as the sons of the kings were expected to receive their education at a much earlier age than the rest of the population. According to some sources, Moctezuma stood out in his childhood for his discipline during his education, finishing his works correctly and being devout to the Aztec religion . Moctezuma was an already famous warrior by the time he became the tlatoani of Mexico, holding

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2720-430: The age of seven. The students received instruction in songs, rituals, reading and writing, the calendar ( tōnalpōhualli [toːnaɬpoːˈwalːi] ) and all the basic training which was also taught in the telpochcalli . The priests oversaw all aspects of the students' education, preparing the children for a variety of careers outside of priesthood. Elite students, in particular, could progress to multiple jobs within

2805-498: The beginning of his reign, while others, such as his tributary policies, were created as the result of various events, like the famine which occurred at the beginning of his rule. His policies, in general, had the purpose of centralizing the government in his person through the means of implementing policies to settle the divide between the nobility and commoners and abolishing some of the more feudal policies of his predecessors, while also making his tributary policies more severe to aid

2890-465: The beginning of his rule also resulted in the abolishment of the huehuetlatlacolli system, which was a system of serfdom in which a family agreed to maintain a tlacohtli ( slave or serf) perpetually. This agreement also turned the descendants of the ones who agreed into serfs. During his campaign against Jaltepec and Cuatzontlan ( see below ), he made negotiations with the Tlatelolca to obtain

2975-532: The beginning of the revolt by Icpatepec as the result. The Xaltepeca had done this before with previous tlatoanis and other nations. Moctezuma and the recently elected ruler of Tlacopan themselves went to the fight, along with Tlacaelel 's grandson and cihuacoatl of Mexico in this period Tlacaeleltzin Xocoyotl. A large portion of the weapons and food was brought by Tlatelolco , though they were initially hesitant to do so, but were ordered by Moctezuma to offer it as

3060-481: The conquests of Mazatzintlan and Zacatepec, which formed part of the Chichimec region. The approximate number of military engagements during his rule before European contact was 73, achieving victory in approximately 43 sites (including territories already within the empire), making him one of the most active monarchs in pre-Hispanic Mexican history in terms of military actions. However, his rule and policies suffered

3145-601: The construction of Moctezuma's palace, various projects were made which made it more prestigious by providing entertainment to the public. One of the most famous among these projects was the Totocalli  [ es ] (House of Birds), a zoo which had multiple sorts of animals, mainly avian species, but also contained several predatory animals in their section. These animals were taken care of by servants who cleaned their environments, fed them, and offered them care according to their species. The species of birds held within

3230-580: The dead bodies of sacrificial victims were also used to feed these animals, and after the battle known as La Noche Triste , which occurred during the early stages of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in June 1520 (during which Moctezuma died ), the bodies of dead Spaniards may have been used to feed them. This place was highly prestigious, and all sorts of important people are said to have used to visit this place, including artists, craftsmen, government officials, and blacksmiths . The Totocalli , however,

3315-450: The division between the commoner and noble classes, which included the refusal to offer certain honors to various politicians and warriors for being commoners. He also prohibited any commoners or illegitimate children of the nobility from serving in his palace or high positions of government. This was contrary to the policies of his predecessors, who did allow commoners to serve in such positions. Moctezuma's elitism can be attributed to

3400-405: The enemies, though the fight was brief, as the people of Ayotlan surrendered to the Mexica shortly after he arrived. Approximately in the year 1490, Moctezuma obtained the rank of tequihua , which was reached by capturing at least 4 enemy commanders. The year in which Moctezuma was crowned is uncertain. Most historians suggest the year 1502 to be most likely, though some have argued in favor of

3485-437: The government of the empire on his person, though it is difficult to tell exactly to which extent those policies were applied, as the records written about such policies tend to be affected by propaganda in favor of or against his person. According to Alva Ixtlilxóchitl, among Moctezuma's policies were the replacement of a large portion of his court (including most of his advisors) with people he deemed preferable, and increasing

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3570-557: The government." As the Aztecs began settling what would later become their homelands, an elite emerged (the Pipiltin ) that claimed descent from the Toltecs , the former empire of Central Mexico . The new hereditary elite unified the clans that had been the center of Aztec life and paved the way for a conquest empire. Some sources describe the Pipiltin as the offspring of tlahtohqueh and teteuctin , which were different social classes within

3655-580: The greatest leaders Mexico had, a great conqueror who tried his best to maintain his nation together at times of crisis, while others depict him as a tyrant who wanted to take absolute control over the whole empire. Accounts of how he died and who were the perpetrators (Spaniards or natives) differ. His story remains one of the most well-known conquest narratives from the history of European contact with Native Americans, and he has been mentioned or portrayed in numerous works of historical fiction and popular culture. The Classical Nahuatl pronunciation of his name

3740-454: The high rank of tlacatecuhtli (lord of men) and/or tlacochcalcatl (person from the house of darts) in the Mexica military , and thus his election was largely influenced by his military career and religious influence as a priest, as he was also the main priest of Huitzilopochtli 's temple. One example of a celebrated campaign in which he participated before ascending to the throne was during

3825-464: The last stages of the conquest of Ayotlan, during Ahuizotl's reign in the late 15th century. During this campaign, which lasted 4 years, a group of Mexica pochteca merchants were put under siege by the enemy forces. This was important because the merchants were closely related to Ahuizotl and served as military commanders and soldiers themselves when needed. To rescue the merchants, Ahuizotl sent then-prince Moctezuma with many soldiers to fight against

3910-402: The main commander of the Spanish troops that entered Mexico in the year 1519, himself stated in his letters to the king of Spain that he would not bother describing it, claiming that it "was so marvelous that it seems to me impossible to describe its excellence." The palace had a large courtyard that opened into the central plaza of the city to the north, where Templo Mayor was. This courtyard

3995-409: The merchants sent by Moctezuma in the area. The Mexica managed to raise an army of 400,000 and first conquered Tototepec. Quetzaltepec was also conquered, but it rebelled along with various sites across Oaxaca soon after when the Mexica lost the Battle of Atlixco against Huejotzingo . Being a fortified city with six walls, the Mexica put the city under siege for several days, with the each of groups of

4080-592: The mid 2000s when a team of archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) began working on the site as part of History's Urban Archaeology Program (PAU) after the 1985 earthquake damaged the area. The calmecac was typically reserved for sons of Aztec noblemen, while the young commoner men, macehualtin, received military training in the Tēlpochcalli ( [teːɬpot͡ʃˈkalːi] "house of youth"). The placement of noble youth in

4165-447: The parties involved with no territorial purposes, but instead to capture and sacrifice as many soldiers as possible. During this period, Mexico and Tlaxcala still were not at war, but the tension between these nations was high, and the embassy sent for this purpose was put in a highly risky situation, for which reason Moctezuma chose as members of the embassy only experts in diplomacy , espionage , and languages. Fortunately, his invitation

4250-467: The political establishments founded during the pre-Hispanic era, leaving just a few in place. Among the few policies that lasted was the divide between the nobility and the commoners, as members of the pre-Hispanic nobility continued to enjoy various privileges under the Viceroyalty of New Spain , such as land ownership through a system known as cacicazgo . Moctezuma, like many of his predecessors, built

4335-416: The population during natural disasters and to compensate for a less expansionist focus in his military campaigns. Most of the policies implemented during his rule would not last long after his death, as the empire fell into Spanish control on 13 August 1521 as a result of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , one year after he died. The new Spanish authorities implemented their laws and removed many of

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4420-470: The population. Moctezuma and the lords of Texcoco and Tlacopan, Nezahualpilli , and Totoquihuatzin, attempted to aid the population during the disaster, including using all available food supplies to feed the population and raising tributes for one year. The drought and famine ultimately lasted three years, and at some point became so severe that some noblemen reportedly sold their children as slaves in exchange for food to avoid starvation. Moctezuma ordered

4505-452: The population. Some provinces, however, ended up paying more tribute permanently, most likely as the result of his primary military focus shifting from territorial expansion to stabilization of the empire through the suppression of rebellions. Most of the provinces affected by these new tributary policies were in the Valley of Mexico . For example, the province of Amaquemecan , which formed part of

4590-615: The process. Abundant territorial expansion was carried out following this. Another notable rebellion occurred in Atlixco (in modern-day Puebla ), a city neighboring Tlaxcala which had previously been conquered by Ahuizotl. This rebellion occurred in 1508, and was repressed by a prince named Macuilmalinatzin. This wasn't the first conflict that occurred in this region, as its proximity with Tlaxcala and Huejotzingo would cause multiple conflicts to erupt in this area during Moctezuma's reign. A large series of rebellions occurred in 1510, likely as

4675-457: The region and probably turned the Kingdom of Tlachinollan (modern-day Tlapa ) into a tributary province during the rule of Lord Tlaloc between 1461 and 1467 (though the kingdom would not be invaded and fully conquered until the reign of Ahuizotl in 1486, along with Caltitlan, a city neighboring west of Tlapa). In between the years of 1503 and 1509, a campaign was launched against Xipetepec, and another

4760-484: The region were also conquered. He also went to war against the Tarascan Empire for the first time since Axayácatl was defeated in his disastrous invasion. This war caused high casualties on both sides. The Mexica succeeded at taking a large amount of captives, but failed to conquer any territory. Among the final military campaigns carried out by Moctezuma, aside from the late stages of the war against Tlaxcala, were

4845-456: The rest were sacrificed in his honor on the fourth day of his coronation. In Nopala, Mexica soldiers committed a massacre and burned down the temples and houses, going against Moctezuma's wishes. After the campaign, celebrations for his coronation continued in Tenochtitlan. Moctezuma's territorial expansion, however, would not truly begin until another rebellion was suppressed in Tlachquiauhco (today known as Tlaxiaco ), where its ruler, Malinalli,

4930-405: The rituals they had been trained in. The main shrine was judged to be 150 feet tall and was a larger structure than the Templo Mayor. The calmecac's courtyard roof featured prominently visible motifs in the shape of spirals, each of which reached eight feet in height. Aztec rulers built their own individual versions of the calmecac upon the preceding one. These seven buildings were discovered in

5015-481: The rooftop spirals during the PAU excavation, the ornaments became "one of the most distinctive motifs of ancient Mexico. The calmecac tied together the military, political and sacred hierarchies of the community. Schools that qualified as calmecacs furthered the Aztec religion and forms of government and ensured continued stability by training the society's youth in academic, political, and military skills. In addition to

5100-449: The royal palaces. Though two other Aztec rulers succeeded Moctezuma after his death, their reigns were short-lived and the empire quickly collapsed under them. Historical portrayals of Moctezuma have mostly been colored by his role as ruler of a defeated nation, and many sources have described him as weak-willed, superstitious, and indecisive. Depictions of his person among his contemporaries, however, are divided; some depict him as one of

5185-592: The ruling nobility. The name was also where the Pipil people of western El Salvador get their name, as they are descendants of Toltec people who migrated and settle in El Salvador. The authority and prestige of the Pipiltin were based on the belief that they descended from the original migrant founders of the Aztecs and came from a mythical place. Due to this heritage, they enjoyed privileges such as special family dispensation,

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5270-454: The same year; Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxóchitl states that the coronation took place on 24 May 1503. However, most documents say Moctezuma's coronation happened in the year 1502, and therefore most historians believe this to have been the actual date. After his coronation, Moctezuma set up thirty-eight more provincial divisions, largely to centralize the empire. He sent out bureaucrats, accompanied by military garrisons, who made sure tax

5355-475: The state into being conquered by Tlaxcala. During his reign, he married the queen of Ecatepec , Tlapalizquixochtzin , making him king consort of this altepetl , though according to the chronicle written by Bernal Díaz del Castillo , very few people in Mexico knew about this political role, being only a few among his closest courtiers among those who knew. The first military campaign during his rule, which

5440-456: The surviving ones too low in numbers to fight. An important campaign was the conquest of Xaltepec (today known as Jaltepec ) and Cuatzontlan and the suppression of the last revolt in Icpatepec, all in Oaxaca. This war started as the result of provocations given by Jaltepec against Moctezuma through killing as many Mexicas as they could find in their area, as some sort of way to challenge him, and

5525-530: The use of force and often ended with violent results. As mentioned previously, the first campaign during his reign, which was done in honor of his coronation, was the suppression of a rebellion in Nopallan (today known as Santos Reyes Nopala ) and Icpatepec (a Mixtec town that no longer exists which was near Silacayoapam ), both in modern-day Oaxaca . The prisoners taken during this campaign were later used as slaves or for human sacrifice . After Mexico suffered

5610-615: The use of privilege goods and dwellings that were appropriate to their station. Calmecac The Calmecac ( [kaɬˈmekak] , from calmecatl meaning "line/grouping of houses/buildings" and by extension a scholarly campus) was a school for the sons of Aztec nobility ( pīpiltin [piːˈpiɬtin] ) in the Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerican history, where they would receive rigorous training in history, calendars , astronomy, religion, economy, law, ethics and warfare. The two main primary sources for information on

5695-481: The weapons and resources needed. As a result of these negotiations, Tlatelolco was given more sovereignty; they were permitted to rebuild their main temple which was partially destroyed in the Battle of Tlatelolco in a civil war during Axayácatl 's reign, act largely independently during military campaigns, and be absolved from paying tribute. Many of these policies were planned together with his uncle Tlilpotonqui , cihuacoatl of Mexico and son of Tlacaelel , at

5780-685: The year 1503. A work currently held at the Art Institute of Chicago known as the Stone of the Five Suns is an inscription written in stone representing the Five Suns and a date le 11 reed, which is equivalent to 15 July 1503 in the Gregorian calendar . Some historians believe this to be the exact date on which the coronation took place, as it is also included in some primary sources. Other dates have been given from

5865-413: The year 1504 when the city of Achiotlan (today known as San Juan Achiutla ) was conquered. This war, according to some sources, was supposedly mainly caused by "a small tree which belonged to a lord of the place which grew such beautiful flowers Moctezuma's envy couldn't resist it", and when Moctezuma asked for it, the lord of the city refused to offer it, thus starting the war. After the conquest, this tree

5950-603: The year 1507, the year of the New Fire Ceremony , abundant military action occurred. Among the towns that are listed to have been conquered this year are: Tecuhtepec (from which multiple prisoners were sacrificed for the ceremony), Iztitlan, Nocheztlan (an important town northeast of Achiutla), Quetzaltepec, and Tototepec. The conquest of Tototepec formed part of the conquests of some of the last few Tlapanec territories of modern-day Guerrero, an area which had already been in decline since Moctezuma I began his first campaigns in

6035-520: The zoo were widely varied, holding animals like quetzals , eagles , true parrots , and others, and also included water species like roseate spoonbills and various others that had their pond . The section with animals other than birds, which was decorated with figures of gods associated with the wild, was also considerably varied, having jaguars , wolves , snakes , and other smaller predatory animals. These animals were fed on hunted animals like deer , turkeys , and other smaller animals. Allegedly,

6120-439: Was a place where hundreds of courtiers would hold multiple sorts of activities, including feasts and waiting for royal business to be conducted. This courtyard had suites of rooms that surrounded smaller courtyards and gardens. His residence had many rooms for various purposes. Aside from his room, at the central part of the upper floor, there were two rooms beside it which were known as coacalli (guest house). One of these rooms

6205-654: Was accepted, and Moctezuma used this opportunity to show his greatness to the lords who attended. However, because the invitation was secret to avoid a scandal for inviting his rivals to this ceremony, Moctezuma ordered that no one should know that the lords were present, not even the rulers of Tlacopan (today known as Tacuba) and Texcoco, and the lords saw themselves often forced to pretend to be organizers to avoid confusion. Though Moctezuma would continue to hold meetings with these people, where various religious rituals were held, it did not take long for large-scale conflicts to erupt between these nations. An important thing to note

6290-476: Was also Nezahualcóyotl 's grandson; he was a son of emperor Axayácatl and one of Nezahualcóyotl's daughters, Izelcoatzin or Xochicueyetl. Two of his uncles were Tízoc and Ahuizotl , the two previous emperors. As was customary among Mexica nobles, Moctezuma was educated in the Calmecac , the educational institution for the nobility. He would have been enrolled into the institution at a very early age, likely at

6375-539: Was being paid, national laws were being upheld and served as local judges in case of disagreement. Moctezuma's reign began with difficulties. In the year 1505, a major drought resulted in widespread crop failure , and thus a large portion of the population of central Mexico began to starve. One of the few places in the empire not affected by this drought was Totonacapan , and many people from Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco sought refuge in this region to avoid starvation. Large amounts of maize were brought from this area to aid

6460-403: Was built for the lords of Tlacopan and Texcoco, the other two members of the Triple Alliance, who came to visit. The other room was for the lords of Colhuacan , Tenayohcan (today known as Tenayuca ) and Chicuhnautlan (today, Santa María Chiconautla  [ es ] ). The exact reason why this room had this purpose remains uncertain, though a few records like Codex Mendoza say the reason

6545-563: Was burnt and destroyed, along with many other constructions, in the year 1521 during the Siege of Tenochtitlan , as the Spanish captain Hernán Cortés ordered for many of the buildings that formed part of the royal palaces to be burnt to demoralize the Mexica army and civilians. Though Cortés himself admitted that he enjoyed the zoo, he stated that he saw it as a necessary measure in his third letter to King Charles I of Spain . Another construction

6630-474: Was done in honor of his coronation, was the violent suppression of a rebellion in Nopala and Icpatepec. For this war, a force of over 60,000 soldiers from Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, Tepanec lands, Chalco , and Xochimilco participated, and Moctezuma himself went to the frontlines. Approximately 5100 prisoners were taken after the campaign, many of whom were given to inhabitants of Tenochtitlan and Chalco as slaves, while

6715-448: Was done to connect with the cosmos and preserve eternal unity. This unity was visibly symbolised by spirals, or cutaway shell motifs. The spirals featured on the Tenochtitlan calmecac were designed to look like snails and symbolised the unity intrinsic to the Aztec religion. After Spanish invaders destroyed the capital's calmecac , their artwork misrepresented the spirals as much smaller. When archaeologist Raúl Barrera uncovered seven of

6800-479: Was killed after trying to start the rebellion. In this campaign, all adults above the age of 50 within the city were killed under Moctezuma's orders as he blamed them for the rebellion. A characteristic fact about Moctezuma's wars was that a large portion of them had the purpose of suppressing rebellions rather than conquering new territory, contrary to his predecessors, whose main focus was territorial expansion. During his reign, multiple rebellions were suppressed by

6885-534: Was launched (as mentioned previously) in 1507 against Tototepec, which had previously been a territory conquered by Tlachinollan in the mid-14th century. The campaign in Tototepec occurred as the result of a large group of Mexica merchants sent by Moctezuma being killed after they attempted to trade for some of the resources of the area on his behalf. During the conquest of Tototepec, two important Mexica noblemen, Ixtlilcuechahuac and Huitzilihuitzin (not to be confused with

6970-587: Was supposedly taken to Tenochtitlan. The second conquest occurred in Zozollan, a place neighboring east of Achiutla, on 28 May 1506, during the campaign against the Yanhuitlan rebellion. This conquest had a particularly violent result, as a special sacrifice was held after the campaign where the prisoners captured in Zozollan were the victims. "The Mexicans killed many of the people from Zozola [ sic ] which they captured in war", according to old sources. In

7055-409: Was that these lords were personal friends of Moctezuma. There was also another room which became known as Casa Denegrida de Moctezuma (Spanish: Moctezuma's Black House), a room with no windows and fully painted black which was used by Moctezuma to meditate . Remains of this room have been found in recent years in modern Mexico City . The upper floor had a large courtyard which was likely used as

7140-597: Was the Chapultepec aqueduct , built in 1506 to bring fresh water directly from Chapultepec to Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. This water was driven to the merchant ports of the city for people to drink and to the temples. This aqueduct was destroyed less than a year after Moctezuma's death, during the Siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521, as the Spaniards decided to destroy it to cut Tenochtitlan's water supply. Some Mexica warriors attempted to resist its destruction, but were repelled by

7225-503: Was the great-grandson of Moctezuma I through his daughter Atotoztli II and her husband Huehue Tezozómoc (not to be confused with the Tepanec leader ). According to some sources, Tezozómoc was the son of emperor Itzcóatl , which would make Moctezuma his great-grandson, but other sources claim that Tezozómoc was Chimalpopoca 's son, thus nephew of Itzcóatl, and a lord in Ecatepec . Moctezuma

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