[WIP] Rage of Moquihuixtli (Patreon)

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, and Tenochtitlan inhabited the southern part of the island of Mexico. 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 behavior 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 first advisor of the Emperor, Cihuacoatl Tlacaelel, has become 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 within this period as well (Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan in 1469 and Nezahualcoyotl of Tetzcoco in 1472). Therefore, Axayacatl’s grip on the empire was still fragile, and 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. However, Axayacatl learned of this, and he immediately prepared for a full-blown 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 drawing shows several nobles concerned and despair about the possibility of war against the Tenochca. 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 opposition 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 neighbors through trade and marriage.