This drawing is based on fray Diego Duran’s account about Mexica civil war or Battle of Tlatelolco of 1473. This war was fought between the two city-states of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. Tlatelolco inhabited the northern part of the island of Mexico, and Tenochtitlan inhabited the southern part. The war was fought between Moquihuixtli, the tlatoani (ruler) of Tlatelolco, and Axayacatl, the tlatoani of Tenochtitlan. The account is as follows:
A nobleman named Cueyatzin was commissioned to take the message to Tlatelolco. He was instructed thus: "Go before my [Axayacatl] brother Moquihuix and tell him to observe, to be aware of what he is doing. Ask him if he considers it a joke to undertake something where so much harm will occur. Tell him that he should be aware of what takes place and not let himself be guided by impetuous men. He should call his people together -the old men, old women, all the men and women- and tell them about this situation, ask their opinion, how they feel about war with their own relatives, for it seems impossible that they would agree to such confusion and disorder. But if all are in favor of this war then the fault is not directly with Moquihuix, except for some details. He should not then follow his councillors' bad advice.”
The ambassador went with this message to the lord of Tlatelolco, Moquihuix, who was amazed that the Tenochca envoy had been allowed to enter his city. After hearing the message, he answered, “Tell your lord the king that the answer is that he should be prepared because the people of Tlatelolco are determined to avenge the deaths of the other night. In the name of all the Tlatelolcas I defy him and all his people. I have hopes that the Lord of All Created Things, of the Day and the Night [Tezcatlipoca], will ensure that the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan will become the dung heap and place of excrement for the Tlatelolcas.”
When the message from the Tlatelolco ruler had been heard by the lords of Tenochtitlan and they had laughed and jeered at this arrogant reply, [Cihuacoatl] Tlacaelel, so full of wrath that his heart seemed about to leap out of his body, turned to King Axayacatl and declared that he wished he were a young man in order to take revenge upon such arrogant, such insolent men, so he could lower their self-esteem. Rising, he exclaimed with fury, "O powerful king, if I were strong enough to go alone to Tlatelolco to display my person and prove my valor, as I did in Azcapotzalco, even though everyone tried to prevent me from entering that city at that time, I would convince Moquihuix of his impudence and folly. But, since I cannot do this, please have Cueyatzin return there, taking with him the ointments and insignia that are applied to the dead, and have him do what I did in Azcapotzalco."
This was done immediately. Cueyatzin, having been admitted to Moquihuix's quarters, spoke to this ruler, saying, "O lord, the king of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, your servant, your brother, sends you these funeral insignia. You are to be anointed with this pitch of the dead and you must prepare to die."
Moquihuix rose from his seat, pushed the messenger away, and roughly cast him out of the room, exclaiming, “Tell your master that these ointments are for him!” While he yet spoke, Teconal appeared, sword in hand, and with one blow cut off Cueyatzin's head. This head was then carried to the boundaries of Tenochtitlan, where it was thrown. After that the Tlatelolcas set up a great howling, calling out "Tlatelolco! Tlatelolco!“
-Diego Duran, “The History of the Indies of New Spain”, Chapter 33~34
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The bold letter is the scene that my drawing is depicting. According to Duran, Moquihuixtli ‘pushed the messenger away, and roughly cast him out of the room’. This is not a typical behaviour of Nahua nobility, as they were educated from an early age to exercise emotional moderation and strict decorum. This could be part of the Tenochca propaganda, because to justify the war, they needed to portray the enemy king as a stereotypical tyrant whose behavior is reckless and excessive. Other Tenochca-influenced sources such as Anales de Cuauhtitlan and Codex Chimalpahin paints Moquihuix in a negative way as well. Interestingly, Tlatelolca sources such as Codex Florentine and Anales de Tlatelolco doesn’t mention this king’s supposed tyrannical actions. However, I decided to follow Duran’s description because it lends itself to a very dramatic scene.
Teconal, the councillor and father-in-law of Moquihuix, is simply described as ‘nobleman’ in Duran’s account. However, Alvarado Tezozomoc specifies that his official title was Huiznahuatl/Huitznahuacatl. According to Codex Florentine, this dignitary was one of the few offices that were chosen to assist a newly enthroned king. Huiznahuatl served as a judge who helped the king in his legal deliberations. Codex Mendoza states that they functioned as a “commander and officer, like a constable”. Therefore, it is fitting that Teconal took charge in executing the Tenochca messenger.
This messenger, Cueyatzin, presents the king with ‘funeral insignia.’ When a certain city rebelled or declared war against the Mexica Empire, the imperial ambassador was dispatched to that city to warn the local ruler. In doing so, they delivered certain ‘gifts’ that foreshadowed the fate of the vanquished. These gifts were usually shields and arms, black pitch, and a tecpilotl feather headdress. Shield and arms imply that the Empire is powerful enough to care about the enemy king’s arms. The black pitch was used to anoint the dead, according to Duran. The most provocative gift was the headdress of white feather down, which was usually worn by sacrificial victims. Overall, it was an intimidation designed to make the ruler reconsider the inevitable consequences. Of course, the killing of an ambassador definitively meant war. However, this was an ideal, not the norm. In reality, the Mexica rarely provided formal advance warning, although targets usually knew the imperial army was coming by vigilance.
Nevertheless, I think it is probable that Axayacatl could’ve sent the ambassador to Moquihuix in advance, because it was crucial for him to prevent the civil war. At the time, Axayacatl had been ruling for barely four to five years. The principal advisor of the Emperor, Cihuacoatl Tlacaelel, was too old and could not support Axayacatl as he wanted. Kings of Tlacopan and Tetzcoco, two of the most powerful allies of Tenochtitlan, passed away in this period as well (Totoquihuaztli in 1469 and Nezahualcoyotl in 1472). Some even questioned Axayacatl's ability due to his young age. Chimalpahin wrote that his older brothers and future kings, Tizocic and Ahuitzotl, “despised, ignored, and belittled” Axayacatl even after he took captives in the battle. Therefore, Axayacatl’s grip on the empire was still fragile, so he could not afford a civil war that would cause further instability.
Moquihuixtli took advantage of this chance and sought assistance from other cities, including several subject to the empire as well as enemy cities. Torquemada claims thirteen cities all over the Valley of Mexico promised a military aid to Tlatelolco. Luckily, Axayacatl learned of this in advance, and he hastily prepared for a war. Considering this context, just before the battle begins, he might’ve made a last attempt to make peace with his brother-in-law.
The two standing nobles who are seemingly upset represent the opposition of some Tlatelolca nobles. Although Duran writes that “all the leading men of Tlatelolco were on his [Moquihuix] side and agreed with his plan”, it is reasonable to assume that there was some disagreement about the war. Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco have co-existed for more than a century at this point, and many Tlatelolca nobles were tightly interconnected to their southern neighbours through trade and marriage.
In fact, several accounts show that there was a significant disagreement among the Tlatelolca at the time. According to Codex Cozcatzin, when Moquihuix gathered all of his nobles and declared war, some of them thought as follows: ‘What will be the outcome of this? What for? May a plague afflict Moquihuix here in Tlatelolco! He will face a powerful warrior, who is Axayacatl! So, be it; let him go and ask for Axayacatl’s wrath and anger.’ Juan Torquemada claims that several lords who were attending Moquihuix's war council informed Axayacatl of the whole situation. Anales de Tlatelolco, written by Tlatelolca themselves, attribute the cause of the conflict to these traitors. “Traitors and nobles who led our city to ruins (...) They spoke with two faces and went back and forth between Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. They unsettled Axayacatzin and warned him, ‘Beware of Moquihuix.’ After leaving him, they went back to Tlatelolco and said, ‘Oh, your Majesty Moquihuix. We went to Tenochtitlan to resolve matters. Axayacatzin is alarmed. (...) We need to prepare the shields and swords.’”
The figure on the left is inspired by the old nobleman named Cuacuauhtzin, who is mentioned in the aftermath of the war. Duran describes him as “a great nobleman of Tlatelolco, an aged uncle of the king of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.” After Moquihuix was killed, he begged Axayacatl to cease the battle. Cuacuauhtzin also claimed that he himself had no part in the war. Although it is possible that he was lying to save his own life, he could’ve been unsupportive about the war given that he was a relative of the Tenochca king.
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