Think of a coyote fasting. That is the meaning of Nezahualcoyotl. Today we stand before a monument to a great man. This is Netzahualcoyotl.
Nezahualcoyotl was more than just a name. He was a scholar, a philosopher and a warrior. This legendary figure ruled Texcoco long before the Spanish arrived. He wasn’t fully Mexica. His father’s people were Acolhua. They lived on Lake Texcoco’s coast. But his mother was the sister of Chimalpopoca. Chimalpopoca was the Mexica king of Tenochtitlan.
Nezahualcoyotl’s life story reads like a thrilling epic. He was a prince dethroned. He then returned victorious. His leadership led to Azcapotzalco’s fall. It also helped the Aztec Triple Alliance rise. He also spearheaded massive infrastructure projects in Texcoco and Tenochtitlan.
Interestingly, Nezahualcoyotl may have believed in one supreme god. This was unlike the Aztec’s many deities. He built an empty temple. No blood sacrifices were allowed there. Regular sacrifices continued elsewhere.
His early life was far from easy. His father put Texcoco against Azcapotzalco. The Tepanec ruled Azcapotzalco. In 1418, his father was killed when Nezahualcoyotl was just fifteen.
The Tepanecs seized Texcoco. Acolmiztli had to run away. He went into exile. During his adventures he took the name Nezahualcoyotl. He later lived in Tenochtitlan in 1422. His aunts bribed the Tepanec king. He was partially educated as a Mexica. This experience shaped his rule over Texcoco later.
When Maxtla took over Azcapotzalco, Nezahualcoyotl returned to Texcoco. But he had to flee again. Maxtla was plotting against his life.
Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan needed help. He requested it from the Huexotzincans against the Tepanecs. Nezahualcoyotl wanted a single military force. This force would fight Azcapotzalco. He gained support from insurgents in Acolhuacan. He also got rebel Tepanecs from Coyohuacan. Nezahualcoyotl then joined the war.
He called for a coalition. Many important cities joined. These included Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan and Tlatelolco. Huexotzingo, Tlaxcala and Chalco also joined.
The war became a unified effort. The coalition army had over 100,000 men. Nezahualcoyotl commanded them. They marched towards Azcapotzalco from Calpulalpan. This marked the start of the campaign to reclaim Acolhuacan in 1428.
The campaign was in three parts. One army attacked Acolman to the north. The second attacked Coatlinchan to the south. Nezahualcoyotl would attack Acolhuacan. But only after helping the first two armies. The coalition took Acolman and Otumba. They sacked them due to the Tepanec siege of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco.
The armies reunited. Then they split again. Nezahualcoyotl headed to Texcoco. He laid siege to Acolhuacan. The other army attacked Azcapotzalco and destroyed it. Nezahualcoyotl reclaimed Texcoco. He decided to conquer Acolhuacan. He entered from the north. The Tenochca and Tlacopan allies attacked from the south. They controlled the city’s main square.
The coalition attacked Tepanec posts. The Tepanecs were defeated. Azcapotzalco was destroyed. The Aztec Triple Alliance formed. It included Texcoco, Tenochtitlan and Tlacopan. Nezahualcoyotl became Tlatoani of Texcoco in 1431.
Nezahualcoyotl enacted strict laws. He applied them to everyone. He supposedly killed four sons. They had relationships with his concubines. Conquered cities paid tribute. This tribute was shared among three kings. Nezahualcoyotl controlled fourteen cities.
Nezahualcoyotl adopted Mexica systems. This helped rebuild Texcoco. He created laws about treason, robbery and adultery. He also addressed homicide and alcohol abuse.
Nezahualcoyotl gathered wise men. They were scholars, artists and musicians. They worked in Texcoco’s court.
Nezahualcoyotl brought a Golden Age to Texcoco. He brought law, scholarship and artistry. Texcoco became the Triple Alliance’s intellectual center. It had a large library. He also created a music academy.
Texcoco was called the Athens of the Western World. He designed the dike of Nezahualcoyotl. It separated fresh and brackish waters.
Nezahualcoyotl died on June 4, 1472. He had many children. His son Nezahualpilli succeeded him.
Nezahualcoyotl’s legacy lives on. He was a poet and a wise ruler. His name means “fasting coyote”.