Page:Historia Verdadera del Mexico profundo.djvu/180

 army to land and another for water. Huitzilíhuitl was actually the first Warrior tlatoani, initiated his people in the taste for war, military life and conquests.

Thanks to his help, Tezozomoc, his father-in-law, he became the most powerful Lord in the Valley of Mexico.

The fourth Tlatoani was Chimalpopoca, ("Smoking Shield" from Nahuatl "chimalli", "shield" and "popoca", "smokes") (1397 - 1427) tlahtoani of the Aztec-tepaneca nobility of Mexico Tenochtitlan, Huitzilihuitl successor in 1417. As tlahtoani of Tenochtitlan, was vassal -and grandson by mother- of Tezozomoc of Azcapotzalco, Tepaneca Huey tlatoani, and under his rule participated in the tepanec conquests, including Chalco. Upon Tezozomoc death, his son Maxtla succeeded on the Azcapotzalco throne. It was then when an internal revolt broke out in the Tepaneca Empire, because a number of subordinate Lords rose against Azcapotzalco and their acolytes, killing Chimalpopoca among other tepanec Lords, and changing the hegemonic center of the empire, that from Azcapotzalco goes to Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The main leader of those rebels was Itzcóatl, from the tenochca royal dynasty that succeeded Chimalpopoca (his victim) in Tenochtitlan. It was thus beginning the Aztec Empire or Triple Alliance.

The fifth Tlatoani was Itzcóatl or Ītzcóātl (náhuatl language: ītz-cōā-tl, 'serpent armed with flints') (1381-1440), priest and religious reformer who defeated the tepanec. He was the son of Acamapichtli, and the daughter of Tezozomoc, Lord of Azcapotzalco.

During his government the first large expansive aztec stage took place. Before being elected Tlatoani he served as tlacochcálcatl (in Nahuatl head of the House of weapons, which was the highest military post). His rise occurred April 3, 1427. Aided by Tlacaelel, his Cihuacoátl (Vice-Regent), allied with Texcoco and Tlacopan. Mexico-Tenochtitlan at that then did not have the military power to defeat the tepanec, also, the Alliance with Texcoco was due mainly because Maxtla had clear intentions to conquer,