Huitzilihuitl#Reign

Huitzilíhuitl was born in Tenochtitlan, and was the son of Acamapichtli, first tlatoani of the Mexica, and Queen Tezcatlan Miyahuatzin, and had a half-brother Itzcoatl. His maternal grandfather was Acacitli. Only 16 years old when his father died, Huitzilihuitl was elected by the principal chiefs, warriors and priests of the city to replace him. At that time, the Mexica were tributaries of the Tepanec city-state of Azcapotzalco.Álvarez (1987, entry "Huitzilopochtli"; Enciclopedia de México).

Huitzilíhuitl, a good politician, continued the policies of his father, seeking alliances with his neighbors. He founded the Royal Council or Tlatocan and established four permanent electors to advise the new king, in his inexperience, at the beginning of each reign.García Purón (1984, p.31)

File:Huitziláihuitl, the Second Aztec King (Reigned 1395–1417) WDL6719.png.]]

He married Ayauhcihuatl, daughter of Tezozómoc, the powerful tlatoani of Azcapotzalco, and obtained a reduction of tribute payments to the symbolic level. Their son Chimalpopoca would succeed his father as tlatoani. After the death of Ayaucíhuatl, Huitzilíhuitl married a second time, to Miahuaxihuitl. They had a son, Moctezuma I, who also succeeded to the throne as the fifth Huey Tlatoani of Aztecs.García Purón (1984, pp.35)

During his reign, the weaving industry grew. It provided cotton cloth not only for Tenochtitlan, but also for Azcapotzalco and Cuauhnāhuac. The Mexicas no longer had to dress in coarse ''ayates" of maguey fibers, but were able to change to soft, dyed cotton.García Purón (1984, p.32)

Huitzilíhuitl also wanted to introduce potable water into the city, bringing it to the island from the mainland over the brackish water of the lake. But the nobles not approving the cost, he was unable to put his plan into operation. He constructed a fort on a rock on the island.

In 1409, the ruler of Texcoco, Techotlala, died and the throne passed to Ixtlilxóchitl I. In the following years, relations between Ixtlilxóchitl and Tezozómoc of Azcapotzalco deteriorated, breaking into open hostilities c. 1416.

In spite of having given his daughter Matlalchihuatzin in marriage to Ixtlilxóchitl, Huitzilíhuitl joined his father-in-law in making war on Texcoco.There is a problem with the chronology at this point. Huitzilíhuitl was 16 when he ascended to the throne. Under the more likely dating of his reign, that means he was born in 1379 or 1380. It is unlikely he was married to a close relative of Tezozómoc, a more powerful lord, before he became tlatoani, because until then his prospects were uncertain. So in all likelihood his first child was born no earlier than late 1396, probably no earlier than 1397. Matlalcihuatzin's son Nezahualcóyotl was born in 1402. If she was Huitzilíhuitl's daughter, she would have been only 5 years old (give or take 1 year) when her son was born, perhaps younger. Even under the less likely dating of Huitzilíhuitl's reign, she would have been only 11 (or younger), give or take a year. And Huitzilíhuitl himself would have been 22±1 or 28±1, quite young to be a grandfather. Since the 1402 birth of Nezahualcóyotl seems well established, this casts doubt on the dates of Huitzilíhuitl's reign, or the age at which he took power, or his relationship to Matlalcihuatzin. If she were a sister or other relative rather than a daughter, that could resolve the conflict. Enciclopedia de México says sister, but many other sources say daughter. He assisted in the conquest and sacking of the cities of Tultitlan, Cuauhtitlan, Chalco, Tollantzingo, Xaltocan, Otompa and Acolman. Huitzilíhuitl profited from the booty of these conquests and also from the traffic of the canoes on the lakes surrounding Tenochtitlan.

Huitzilíhuitl died, probably in 1417, before the end of the war between Azcapotzalco and Texcoco. His successor, his son Chimalpopoca, continued to support Tezozómoc and Azcapotzalco.

Among his wives were Queen Ayauhcihuatl, Queen Cacamacihuatl, Queen Miahuaxihuitl, and Queen Miyahuaxochtzin.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

{{Portal|Mexico|Biography}}

• List of Tenochtitlan rulers

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• {{cite book |year=1987 |title=Enciclopedia de México |volume=7 |editor= Álvarez, José Rogelio |edition=Special 2nd |location=México, D.F.|publisher=Compañía Editora de Enciclopedias de México, and Secretaría de Educación Pública |isbn=968-6234-00-4 |oclc=183190717|language=es}}
• {{cite book |author=Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, Domingo de San Antón Muñón |author-link=Chimalpahin |year=1997 |orig-year=c.1621 |title=Codex Chimalpahin, vol. 2: society and politics in Mexico Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Texcoco, Culhuacan, and other Nahua altepetl in central Mexico; the Nahuatl and Spanish annals and accounts collected and recorded by don Domingo de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin (continued) |others=Arthur J.O. Anderson and Susan Schroeder (eds. and trans.), Susan Schroeder (general ed.), Wayne Ruwet (manuscript ed.) |series=Civilization of the American Indian series, no. 226 |location=Norman |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |isbn= 978-0-8061-2950-1 |oclc=36017075}}
• {{cite book |author=García Puron, Manuel |year=1984 |title=México y sus gobernantes: biografías, vol. 1: México indígena -- la conquista -- el virreinato |edition=Revised |others=with revisions by Salvador Rivero y Martínez |series=Biblioteca mexicana, no. 32|location=México, D.F |publisher=Joaquín Porrúa |oclc=11543389|language=es}}
• {{cite book |editor=León-Portilla, Miguel |editor-link=Miguel León-Portilla |year=1980 |title=Native Mesoamerican Spirituality: Ancient myths, discourses, stories, doctrines, hymns, poems from the Aztec, Yucatec, Quiché-Maya and other sacred traditions |others=edited with a foreword, introd., and notes by Miguel León-Portilla; translations by Miguel León-Portilla [et al.] ; preface by Fernando Horcasitas |publisher=Paulist Press |location=New York |isbn=0-8091-0293-5 |oclc=6450751 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/nativemesoameric0000unse }}
• {{cite book |author=Orozco Linares, Fernando |year=2005 |title=Gobernantes de México: desde la época prehispánica hasta nuestros días |edition=16th impression, 3rd revised |location=México, D.F. |publisher=Panorama Editorial |isbn=968-38-0260-5 |oclc=78272361 |language=es |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/gobernantesdemex0000oroz }}
• {{cite book |author=Smith, Michael E. |author-link=Michael E. Smith (archaeologist)|year=2003 |title=The Aztecs |edition=2nd |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |location=Malden, MA |isbn=0-631-23015-7 |oclc=48579073}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717041750/http://thevisualhistory.com/TVH/index.html#ce1300 Huitzilihuitl entry on The Visual History Project]
• {{Cite Appletons'|wstitle=Huitzilihuitl|year=1892 |short=x}}

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title=Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan|years=1396–1417|

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after=Chimalpopoca

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{{Tenochtitlan rulers}}

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Category:Tenochca tlatoque

Category:14th-century monarchs in North America

Category:15th-century monarchs in North America

Category:1370s births

Category:1410s deaths

Category:Year of birth uncertain

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Category:14th-century Aztec people

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Category:People from Zumpango