Tizoc

Tizocic [tiˈsosik] or Tizocicatzin Nahuatl pronunciation: [tisosiˈkat͡sin] usually known in English as Tizoc, was the seventh tlatoani of Tenochtitlan.

Family

Tizoc was a son of the Princess Atotoztli II and her cousin, prince Tezozomoc. He was a grandson of the Emperors Moctezuma I and Itzcoatl. He was a descendant of the King Cuauhtototzin.

He was a successor of his brother Axayacatl and his other brother was Emperor Ahuitzotl and his sister was the Queen Chalchiuhnenetzin. He was an uncle of Emperors Cuauhtémoc, Moctezuma II and Cuitláhuac and grandfather of Diego de San Francisco Tehuetzquititzin.

Reign

Most sources agree that Tizoc took power in 1481 (the Aztec year "2 House"), succeeding his older brother. Although Tízoc's reign was relatively short, he began the rebuilding of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan (a task completed by his younger brother in 1487), and also put down a rebellion of the Matlatzincan peoples of the Toluca Valley.

According to the Codex Mendoza, during Tizoc's reign the altepetls of Tonalimoquetzayan, Toxico, Ecatepec, Cillán, Tecaxic, Tolocan, Yancuitlan, Tlappan, Atezcahuacan, Mazatlán, Xochiyetla, Tamapachco, Ecatliquapechco and Miquetlan were conquered.

Map showing the expansion of the Aztec empire showing the areas conquered by the Aztec rulers. The conquests of Tízoc is marked by the colour orange.

Death

Tizoc died in 1486, though it's still somewhat unclear how. Some sources suggest that he was poisoned, others that he fell to illness.