Moctezuma He was the son of the great leader Axayácatl (1469-1481) and was one of the best warriors under the command of his uncle Ahuitzotl (1486-1502). In particular, he distinguished himself in the Aztec campaigns at Tehuantepec and Xoconochco. On the death of Ahuizotl in 1502, Moctezuma assumed the highest position in Aztec society and became, in a sumptuous coronation ceremony, the undisputed religious and political leader o tlatoani.
A first-hand physical description of the Aztec leader can be found in the writings of Bernal Díaz del Castillo, who saw him in 1519:
“He was about 40 years old, of good height and well proportioned, lean and lean of flesh, not very dark, but the natural color and tone of an Indian. His hair was not long, but only to cover his ears, his sparse black beard was well formed and thin. His face was a bit long, but cheerful, he had good eyes and showed in his appearance and form, both tenderness and, when necessary, gravity.”
As part of the ceremonies to confirm your new status, Moctezuma he led an army, in what became known as the Coronation War, to Nopallan, 640 kilometers to the south. The conquest of the fortified city brought back to Tenochtitlan substantial booty and a contingent of captives for ritual sacrifice. The new tlatoani was also commemorated on a specially commissioned stone (now known as the coronation stone of Montezuma II) that is covered in carvings representing the five epochs of Aztec mythology, the sign of the 11th year of the reeds (1503 AD). and the day ‘one crocodile’ (June 4).
Moctezuma dedicated himself to expanding the powers of the tlatoani position, while reducing the functions of the head of internal affairs (Tlacaellel or Cihuacóatl), so that he became, in fact, an absolute monarch and undisputed leader of the Triple Alliance of the three great cities of Tenochtitlán, Texcoco and Tlacopan. Moctezuma it also elevated the status of the nobility, further differentiating it from the rest of society, through a greater emphasis on titles, distinctive clothing and insignia, and court etiquette.
He commanded an empire that stretched from the northern limit of Mexico to present-day Guatemala. In fact, he even expanded it by fighting four great wars, so that only the Tarascans in the east and the Tlaxcalans in the west remained independent. All of these subject states paid homage as indicated in Aztec tax records. The “homage” could take the form of traditional precious materials such as gold and jade, exotic feathers, and even animals such as eagles and jaguars. It could also be in the form of clothing, fabrics, and food products like corn and cocoa.
Moctezuma he certainly lived like a king. In his massive palace in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán there were hanging gardens, a ten-room aviary with fresh and saltwater pools, and even a private zoo with jaguars, eagles, pumas, foxes, and snakes, among hundreds of other exotic animals. The Aztec king was attended by 3,000 attendees and, according to Bernal Díaz, a typical royal meal included hundreds of specially prepared dishes, where there was no shortage of turkey, venison, duck, pigeon, rabbit, quail, fish and wild boar, all served in the especially delicate Cholula ceramics, finely decorated. We are also told that the king ate alone and behind a golden screen, entertained by jugglers and acrobats.
Other pieces of information about the king include the fact that he visited the great city of Teotihuacán several times, a pilgrimage that involved crossing Lake Texcoco by canoe. That he had a fascination for dwarfs, hunchbacks and albinos, all of whom were kept in special chambers within the royal palace and we also know that he wore gold sandals and loved to hunt birds using a blowtorch. Finally, he was interested in the arts, astrology, and philosophy.
But even before the arrival of the Spanish, not everything was going well with the Aztecs, because their empire was not based on military might, but existed as a loose union of states led by puppet rulers who collected the aforementioned tributes. previously and imposed the cult of the Aztec deity Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs and various outside tribes began to rebel, especially after the disastrous 1515 defeat of Tlaxcala and Huexotzingo. These insurrections throughout the empire were nullified, but the problems were latent and, perhaps most importantly, the harsh treatment of Tlaxcala would make the insurgents more than willing allies of the Spanish.
Moctezuma seems to have had some instinct that hard times were coming, as he placed great importance on omens, like a comet sighted in 1509. Aztec mythology predicted that the current age of the fifth sun would eventually collapse just as it had happened with the four. previous eras. Around 1515 the rumors that a crisis was coming, were fueled by sightings off the coast of fantastic floating temples: visitors from the Old World had finally arrived.
The first strategy of the Aztec leader with the strange visitors from the other world, was to try to buy them with gifts such as ceremonial costumes, a solid gold disk that represented the sun and an even larger silver one that represented the moon. However, if anything, this may very well have further encouraged the Spanish to plunder this new land.
In November 1518 the Spanish leader Hernán Cortés marched on Tenochtitlán. According to Spanish sources, Moctezuma allowed them to enter the city. Henceforth the history of the conflict is much debated among scholars and it is unlikely that the Spanish chroniclers presented a completely unbiased view of events. It has been observed that it seems strange that a ruler as powerful as Moctezuma was mentioned as such a passive figure in the record of events that have reached our days. However, what is clear is that the Spanish demonstrated military prowess and the devastating effectiveness of their superior weaponry – cannons, firearms, and crossbows – to swiftly defeat the Otomí-Tlaxcala force. Perhaps Moctezuma he had taken note of this and took the more prudent policy of appeasement rather than engaging the enemy in the field, at least as an opening strategy.
When courteous and Moctezuma they finally met in person, relations were initially friendly, the Spaniard was given a tour of the city and more gifts were exchanged, Cortés received a necklace of golden crabs and Moctezuma a Venetian glass necklace strung on gold thread. Whatever it was Moctezuma Hoped to achieve through diplomacy, his plans were derailed in just two weeks, when he was quickly taken hostage and placed under house arrest by the small Spanish force. Moctezuma he was forced to declare himself a subject of Charles V, transfer even more treasures and even allow the placement of a cross on the top of the Great Pyramid, in the sacred precinct of the city.
Cortés’s plans suffered a setback, however, when he was forced to return to his base in Veracruz to face a rival Spanish faction. In his absence, the remaining Spaniards recklessly interrupted a religious ceremony involving human sacrifice and fighting broke out. The Aztec warriors, seething for lack of decisive action, gave up Moctezuma as its leader and Cuitláhuac was chosen as the new tlatoani. Moctezuma He was pressured by the Spanish to pacify his people, but was hit on the head by a stone and died.
Cortés returned to the city to relieve the besieged Spaniards but was forced to withdraw on June 30, 1520 in what became known as the Sad Night. He, however, returned nine months later, this time with his Tlaxcala allies and, after a long siege, the city finally fell. The Aztecs, led by Cuauhtémoc and devastated by lack of food and disease, finally collapsed on the fateful day of August 13, 1521. Tenochtitlán was looted of its precious goods and its monuments were destroyed. From the ashes rose the new capital of the colony of New Spain and the long list of Mesoamerican civilizations that had arisen from the Olmec, had a dramatic and brutal end.