Tenochtitlan: who were the Tlatoanis who faced Hernán Cortes and his men

When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes arrived in the city of Tenochtitlan, in what is now Mexico City, the Mexican empire was ruled by the Tlatoani Moctezuma II or Moctezuma Xocoyotzin. He was in charge of the empire of one of the most important cultures in Mesoamerica from 1502 until 1520, when he was supposedly assassinated by the Mexica people themselves, a version that has been questioned on several occasions.

There were, in total, three Mexican Tlatoanis who were in charge of the empire, from the arrival of the Spaniards, until the culmination of the conquest in 1521.

The first of these was, as already mentioned, Moctezuma, who received Cortes on November 8, 1519. The meeting took place in what is now the corner of República del Salvador and Pino Suárez streets, a few blocks from the capital's Zócalo, in the Historic Center of Mexico City.

Nowadays, in that place, is the Hospital de Jesús, considered the first hospital built in America, and where the remains of Cortes rest. After the meeting, Moctezuma offered the Palace of Axayácatl, which had belonged to his father, located where Monte de Piedad is today, to the Spaniards to stay there.

Settled there, they found a great treasure, with many gold garments. Soon after, the Spaniards took Moctezuma prisoner, in this way, it was intended to prevent attacks by his followers, and in turn, to ensure that he could control the decisions of the Mexican government.

After the death of Moctezuma, which according to the best known version, happened after the Spaniards took him to the roof of the Axayácatl Palace to calm his people, who were angry demanding that he do something against the Spaniards, and a rock thrown by themselves hit his head, his brother rose to power, Cuitlahuac.

Before being Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan, Cuitláhuac was lord of Iztapalapa, however, after the death of his brother, he was chosen by the Mexica priests as the new emperor. He was in charge of the Mexicas when they managed to beat the Spaniards, in what is known as La Noche Triste, in which the Spaniards fled Tenochtitlan along the now Tacuba road, to the west of Mexico City. It is said that Cortes, in the middle of the escape, stopped at a tree of ahuehuete to cry, because of the defeat.

This tlatoani was in charge of rebuilding Tenochtitlan, after the defeat of the Spaniards, however, his triumph and rule would not last long, because only 80 days after taking power, Cuitláhuac died of smallpox, a disease brought by the Spaniards themselves to Mexico.

It was on December 5, 1520 when the penultimate tlatoani mexica died. In addition to Cuitláhuac, thousands of Mexicas died due to the disease, which was one of the factors that helped the fall of Tenochtitlan.

On January 9, 1521, he began the rule of the last Mexican emperor: Cuauhtémoc, who ruled Tenochtitlan until the definitive fall of the Mexican capital, on August 13, 1521. His name means The Descending Eagle, and he was the son of the ruler Ahuizotl.

When Cortes arrived in Veracruz in 1519, he was lord of Tlatelolco, and a renowned member of the warrior elite of the Mexicas. Cuauhtémoc bravely confronted the Spaniards, however, I could not stop them, because they were besieging the city, they did not allow food or drinking water to pass through or out of people.

On August 13, 1521, Cuauhtémoc tried to flee in a canoe, from Tlatelolco, however, he was apprehended by the Spaniards and taken to Cortés, whom he asked to sacrifice him with a knife he had, something to which the Spaniard refused.

He was killed by the men of Cortes, on his orders, in 1525, on an expedition to the Hibueras, now Honduras.

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