Military Council

Late autumn of the year Eleven Rabbit (1490). As the harvest ends, the war season has come again. Ahuitzotl chose this year’s destination as present-day southern Guerrero. He summoned the two allied rulers, Nezahualpiltzintli of Tetzcoco and Totoquihuaztli Xocoyotl of Tlacopan, and representatives from other neighboring cities. They agreed that war should be declared immediately and decided to gather their armies.

This campaign was a logical extension of the earlier conquests of Teloloapan, Oztoman, and Alahuiztlan. If the Empire succeeds, they could gain plenty of tributary cities in the fertile southern lands. But this was also part of the strategy of gradual encirclement of the Irechequa Tzintzuntzani—the largest enemy of the Mexica Empire.

1 : Huei Tlahtoani Ahuitzotl

Ahuitzotl (re. 1486~1502) was the eighth ruler of the city of Tenochtitlan, and regarded as one of the greatest conqueror of the Mexica Empire. His attire here is primarily based on Hernando Alvarado Tezozomoc’s Cronica Mexicana :

“King Ahuitzotl armed himself, took the coat of the ichcahuipilli (quilted armor) and covered his body very well with rich cloaks and thin underwears. He then took his sheid and on his hand a sword with sharp blades. And then he took his sigil and tied to himself, carrying by the same banner a little golden drum at the top of the featherwork. And he braided his hair at the top of his head with rich featherwork, and took a crossed band (matemecatl [bracelet]), and at the throat of the feet golden leather called icxipepetlactli (...) Having arrived to the ports and subjects of the enemies called Mazatlan, they made their forts and tents, very hardy shacks, tough, and they take later the sigil of the precious king, featherwork of the king Ahuitzotl, it was a cuaxolotl (turkey) of gold that was very beautiful, on top of the tent and pavilion of Ahuitzotl. They put it as a sign that King Ahuitzotl lives and resides there.”

The details are based on my previous work, Military Attire of huey tlatoani Ahuitzotl. Here, Ahuitzotl is sitting on the reed throne called tepotzoicpalli. His golden drum is placed on the front of the reed throne. Behind the throne are two quetzaltonatiuh (quetzal feather sun) banners.

2 : Tlacochcalcatl Motecuhzoma

Motecuhzoma (re. 1502~1520) later ascends to the throne after Ahuitzotl’s death, but at this time he was serving the rank of Tlacochcalcatl. He was around the age of twenty-five in 1498, which makes him two years older than Xochimazatl.

Tlacochcalcatl was one of the highest military titles, alongside Tlacateccatl. He was in charge of transporting supplies and distributing weapons among the soldiers. He presided over the tlacochcalco, the main armory of Tenochtitlan. Tlacochcalcatl was also a member of the ‘council of four’, an advisory body to the tlahtoani.

The attire of Tlacochcalcatl here is based on Codex Mendoza. He is wearing a white tzitzimitl (a skeletal deity with disheveled hair) helmet, and a white battle suit with red and yellow stripes and the stylized image of a liver in the center. His shield, which can be barely seen in the drawing, is an ihuiteteyo chimalli (down ball shield). His back device consists of three pamitl (flag) banners topped with quetzal feathers.

3 : Tlacateccatl Tliltototl

Tliltototl is mentioned in Juan de Torquemada’s “Monarquía indiana” as follows :

“Among those who stood out the most, there was Motecuhzuma. This Motecuhzuma captured some in this war (...) Another Mexican named Tliltototl, who later became captain general of the Mexicans, also did many brave things and killed and captured many enemies. Upon returning from this war, Ahuitzotl held great festivals.”

“He [Ahuitzotl] waged the war against the Izquixochiteca, and defeated them, then against the Amaxteca. He went inland, towards Guatemala. He arrived at Tecuantepec and surrendered and subjugated that province, and his armies went to Guatemala. Their captain was Tliltototl, and he did wonderful things on this journey and returned with great strength and power.”

Although he is never explicitly mentioned as Tlacateccatl, it can be assumed as such because, while it is clear that he was a ‘captain general’ during Ahuitzotl’s reign, the Tlacochcalcatl at the time is known to be Motecuhzoma. Tlacateccatl is often paired with Tlacochcalcatl in the sources, both as the highest military officers and the members of the ‘council of four’. Tlacateccatl devised the initial planning of a campaign and organized the army in general.

The attire of Tlacateccatl is based on Codex Mendoza. He is wearing a red battle suit with a yellow quaxolotl back device. The parasol is topped with a feather ornament in the shape of the canine deity Xolotl (hence the name quaxolotl). He is holding a tepoztopilli spear.

4 : Mexicatl Tequihua Xochimazatl

Xochimazatl is my Mexica OC. This is his first campaign since he received the rank of tecuhtli (lord). Mexicatl Tequihua is one of the titles used by valiant warriors. Tequihua means, in a general sense, ‘brave warrior’. As a military rank, the warrior who had captured four captives received this. Sources mention various titles of tequihua, such as mexicatl tequihuah, tolnahuacatl tequihuah, and cihuatecpanecatl tequihuah. It can be assumed that they were divided according to individuals’s merits and functions. However, they were lower than more prestigious ranks such as Otomi or Cuachic.

Xochimazatl’s attire is based on Codex Florentine. He is wearing a yellow and green battle suit. His shield is a cuextecatl chimalli (Huastec-style shield). He is armed with a blue macuahuitl.

5 : Tlamacazqui Coyochimalli

Coyochimalli is my Mexica OC, who is an uncle of Xochimazatl. He is a tlamacazqui, the priest of Tenochtitlan. He is wearing typical Mexica priest’s attire. The jacket, called xicolli, was exclusively worn by priests. He is holding a xiquipilli incense bag. On his back is hanging a tobacco gourd called yetecomatl. The overall appearance is based on Codex Mendoza and Magliabecchiano.

6 : Tetzcoca Tlacochcalcatl Teuhchimaltzin

Teuhchimaltzin was a Tetzcoca nobleman who was an expert on southern coastal lands. He is mentioned in the “Historia de la Nación Chichimeca” by Alva Ixtlilxóchitl as follows :

“He [Teuhchimaltzin] was very familiar with the lands along the coast of the South Sea, having spent his entire life conquering and building defenses there.”

According to Alva Ixtlilxóchitl, Teuhchimaltzin used his scheme to assassinate the powerful lord of Zacatula, Yopicatl Atonal. Therefore, the nobles of Zacatula agreed to surrender and swear allegiance to Tetzcoco. Then, Teuhchimaltzin carried out the typical post-conquest policies of the Empire:

“Teuhchimaltzin responded by first demanding hostages to ensure his safety and the safety of the people he would bring with him. They summoned the children of their lord and other lords and noblemen, who were to remain in the outpost while Teuhchimaltzin went to take possession of the territory and place it under the control of the empire. Upon arriving, the first thing he did was assume command of the forces and fortifications of the Zacatultecas. He also took other measures in accordance with the laws and customs of the empire. He installed the heir to the lordship of that province as ruler and restored the other nobles to their prior status and rank. Then he returned victorious to his homeland and entered the city of Tetzcoco triumphantly to great praise and fanfare.”

Teuhchimaltzin was active during the reign of Ahuitzotl, so it is likely that Teuhchimaltzin participated and helped Mexica tlatoani’s campaign in the region he is so familiar with. He was appointed as Tlacochcalcatl of the Acolhua army by Tetzcoca tlatoani Nezahualpilli (re. 1473-1515).

His attire is based on Codex Matritenses, which was produced at Tepepolco in the Acolhua (Tetzcoco) region. He is wearing a pillihuiehuatl (green feathered tunic), xiuhtentetl (turquoise lip-plug), mayananacochtli (green june beetle earplugs), and quetzalpapalotl (quetzal feathered butterfly back device). He is armed with a macuahuitl.

7 : Local Cuitlateca

Linguistically and ethnically, in the postclassic period, southern Guerrero was highly diverse. There were numerous pockets of different language groups dotted throughout the province. This diversity was so extreme that even some cities, such as the aforementioned Zacatula, had their own language.

This local is Cuitlatec. They lived across the border between Irechequa Tzintzuntzani (Purepecha Empire) and the Mexica Empire. Some Cuitlateca served as garrison troops of the Irechequa, while others paid tribute to Tenochtitlan. His long hair is braided, and his body is painted black, following the description of Relación de Ajuchitlán.

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Sources

· Aztec “Ahuitzotl” feather shield, Museum für Völkerkunde, 15~16th centuries

· Codex Mendoza, 1542

· Codex Magliabecchiano, 1550~1590

· Codex Matritenses, 1558-1561

· Codex Florentine, 1580

· Diego Durán, Historia de las Indias de Nueva España e islas de Tierra Firme, 1581

· Codex Ixtlilxochitl, 1582

· Codex Totomixtlahuaca, 1584

· Hernando Alvarado Tezozómoc, Crónica Mexicana, 1598

· Juan de Torquemada, Monarquía Indiana, 1615

· Alva Ixtlilxóchitl, Historia de la nación chichimeca, 1610-1640

· Alfredo Chavero, Lienzo de Tlaxcala, 1892

· Ross Hassig, Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control, University of Oklahoma Press, 1988

· Frances F. Berdan, Patricia Rieff Anawalt, The Essential Codex Mendoza, University of California Press, 1997

· Ian Heath, Armies of the 16th Century: The armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, other native peoples of the Americas, and the Conquistadores 1450-1608, 1999

· Justyna Olko, Insignia of Rank in the Nahua World, From the 15th to the 17th Century, University Press of Colorado, 2014

· Susan Schroeder, Tlacaelel Remembered: Mastermind of the Aztec Empire, University of Oklahoma Press, 2016