Tizoc was the seventh Tlatoani, or Emperor of the Mexica (Aztec) people. He succeeded his brother Axayacatl in 1481 and was succeeded by his brother Ahuitzotl in 1486. Tizoc was considered a weak ruler who did not add much territory to the Aztec Empire in his brief reign, and some historical accounts suggest that he may have been assassinated. He did, however, commission the legendary Tizoc Stone, one of the masterpieces of Aztec sculpture, and he continued work on the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan.


He was uncle to Montezuma, Emperor of the Aztecs when Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors arrived in 1519.

Tizoc, Prince of the Mexica

Tizoc, also sometimes called Tizocicatzin, was a high-born prince of the Mexica people. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he apparently was very young in 1481 when he was named Tlatoani. His name means "he who makes sacrifice," or, alternatively, "he who does penitence" or "he who bleeds." He was born for great things: his grandfathers Huitzilihuitl and Itzcoatl were tlatoque (emperors) of the Mexica people, as were his uncle Chimalpopoca and his father Montezuma Ilhuicamina. His brother Axayacatl held the throne just before Tizoc did. During the reigns of his father and brother, Tizoc must certainly have distinguished himself as a warrior, or he would not have been considered to rule the empire in 1481. Tizoc had served as his brother's tlacochcalcatl, a high military rank which was second only to the tlatoani. 

Death of Axayacatl and Ascension of Tizoc

In 1481, Axayacatl died, having ruled since 1469. Axayacatl had been a good ruler as the Mexica measured them, expanding the empire and conquering neighboring city-states to make vassals of them. With Axayacatl dead, the Mexica people needed a new tlatoani. The Mexica did not automatically crown the next in line: rather, a council of elders selected the best candidate from a limited pool of candidates: the new leader needed to be highborn prince, young and with a proven military track record and preferably some experience as a priest of one of the Aztec gods.

When Tizoc was suggested, some of the elders questioned his abilities and youth, but Tlacaelel, a legendary advisor who had himself turned down the throne because of his advanced age, vouched for the young man, saying that he would be there to help tutor him in the ways of rulership. Tizoc was duly nominated, with the elite of Tenochtitlan present along with the rulers of several important allies, vassals and even enemies. All Tizoc had to do was pass the final test: a military campaign to take prisoners for sacrifice at his coronation.

The Metztitlan Campaign

Tizoc rounded up a massive army and marched to the north: it had been decided that he would take on the rebellious city-states of Itzmiquilpan and Metztitlan. The wily warriors of these small towns cleverly laid their defenses at the narrow entrance of a valley where the numerical superiority of the Aztecs would not come into play. Because time was of the essence - the Aztecs had little food and Tizoc desperately needed a victory - the invaders were forced to attack under less-than-perfect conditions. In the end, Tizoc lost some 300 men but captured only 40 for sacrifice. Tizoc called it a victory, declared that he had sufficient enemy warriors for sacrifice, and returned to Tenochtitlan. It was, indeed, enough for the coronation to proceed, but it was an inauspicious beginning for the young ruler.

Reign of Tizoc

The enemies of Tenochtitlan - and the Mexica had many enemies - quickly realized that Tizoc did not have the military skills of his father or brother. Small rebellions broke out all over the empire as vassal states tried to escape from under the boot of the mighty Mexica. Tizoc and his military advisors spent most of his short, five-year reign putting out fires in different parts of the Empire. His armies put down rebellions on the gulf coast and in Matlazinca to the west.

Although Tizoc and his generals were usually successful in putting down these small rebellions, the leaders of the empire were concerned: if the mighty Mexica were seen as weak, the Triple Alliance with Texcoco and Tacuba might fracture and vassal states might unite to throw off Mexica rule.

Other Aspects of Tizoc's Rule

Other than military re-conquests of rebellious vassals, Tizoc's reign was noteworthy for a few reasons. He commissioned the famous Tizoc sacrificial stone, which is one of the masterpieces of Aztec sculpture. He also ordered work done on the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, resulting in the fifth expansion of the mighty structure.

Tizoc reformed the military by requiring that Aztec warriors take a warrior from Huexotzinco captive in combat in order to rise in rank. The Huexotzincas were considered great warriors, so this was no mean feat and it allowed fewer Aztec warriors to reach high stations.

Was Tizoc Murdered?

Certain historical documents suggest that Tizoc was murdered in 1486 in order to clear the way for his more warlike brother Ahuitzotl. Jesuit Jose de Acosta clearly said so in his 1604 Natural and Moral History of the Indies: "...the Mexicans, dissatisfied with having such an unwarlike king with so little spirit, determined to poison him, and so his reign only lasted four years." (417). There is little evidence as to who may have murdered Tizoc, but a strong case could be made for his brother Ahuitzotl. Ahuitzotl was Tizoc's tlacochcalcatl, which would normally put him in a good position to inherit the throne, but serving as a general under a king who was either weak or just unlucky in war did not reflect well on Ahuitzotl. In any event, Ahuitzotl was indeed selected to succeed his brother Tizoc, again on the advice of Tlacaelel.

Sources:

Acosta, Jose de. Natural and Moral History of the Indies. Ed. Jane E. Mangan. Trans. Frances Lopes-Morillas. 1604. Duke University Press, 2002.

Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988.

Townsend, Richard F. The Aztecs. 1992, London: Thames and Hudson. Third Edition, 2009

Vela, Enrique. "Tizoc: el que hace sacrificio.'" Arqueologia Mexicana Ed. Especial 40 (Oct 2011), 52-57.