Tlaxcaltec

The Tlaxcaltecs were originally a conglomeration of three distinct ethnic groups who spoke Nahuatl, Otomi and Pinome that comprised the four city-states (altepetl) of Tlaxcallān or Tlaxcala. Each of the four cities supposedly had equal say in this confederation, but eventually, the Nahuatl speakers became the dominant ethnic group. By the time of European contact, the city of Tizatlan was effectively controlling Tlaxcala.^[1]

Despite early attempts by the Aztecs, also known as Mexica, the Tlaxcaltecs were never conquered by the Triple Alliance. Later wars between the Tlaxcallans and the Aztecs were called xochiyaoyatl (flower wars), as their objective was not to conquer but rather to capture enemy warriors for sacrifice.^[2]

Due to their century-long rivalry with the Aztecs, the Tlaxcaltecs allied with Hernán Cortés and his fellow Spanish conquistadors and were instrumental in the invasion of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire, helping the Spanish reach the Valley of Anahuac and providing a key contingent of the invasion force.^[3] At the time, their teuctli (elected leader) was a man named Xicotencatl.

The leaders of the four cities of Tlaxcala agreed to accept Christianity, and in July of 1520 were baptized.^[4]

Conquistador Bernal Castillo described the younger Xicotencatl as greatly suspicious of the Spanish and repeatedly interfering with their plans. He stated that Cortés eventually had Xicotencatl secretly executed, allowing noblemen from the city of Ocotelolco to assume power over Tlaxcala.^[5]

Due to their alliance with the Spanish Crown in the conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Tlaxcaltecs enjoyed exclusive privileges among the indigenous peoples of Mexico, including the right to carry guns, ride horses, hold noble titles, maintain Tlaxcaltec names and to rule their settlements autonomously. This privileged treatment ensured Tlaxcallan allegiance to Spain over the centuries, even during the Mexican War of Independence, though Tlaxcala did host a strong pro-independence faction.^[6]

The Tlaxcaltecs were also instrumental in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, and a significant number of Guatemalan place names, including the name “Guatemala” itself, derive from Tlaxcallan Nahuatl.^[7] Tlaxcallan colonists also founded a number of settlements in Northern Mexico (including parts of present-day southeastern Texas), where conquest of local tribes by the Spaniards had proved unsuccessful.^[8] They settled areas inhabited by nomadic bellicose tribes (known as the Chichimeca) to pacify the local indigenous groups hostile to the Spanish Crown.

Before embarking on their journeys, the Tlaxcalans demanded and received numerous rights and privileges for their service to Spain.^[9]

The Tlaxcaltec colonies in the Chichimeca included settlements in the modern states of Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas. The colonies included Nueva Tlaxcala de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Horcasistas, today known as Guadalupe, and Santiago de las Sabinas, today known as Sabinas Hidalgo, in Nuevo León; Villa de Nueva Tlaxcala de Quiahuistlán, today known as Colotlán in Jalisco; and San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala in Coahuila, today part of Saltillo.^[10]

Tlaxcaltec officers and soldiers also participated in the Spanish conquest of the Philippines, with some permanently settling on the islands and contributing Nahuatl words to the Philippine languages.^[11]

In return for their assistance in toppling the Aztec Empire and other conquests, in 1534 the governor of Tlaxcala, Maxixcatzin, demanded and was granted a personal audience with the King of Spain, Charles V. Tlaxcala was given several special privileges, among them being a coat of arms and the right to petition the king directly to address grievances. Charles also declared that Tlaxcala should answer to no one but himself.^[12]

Though nominally subjects of the Spanish Empire, in practice Tlaxcala and the Tlaxcallans were largely free of Spanish authority, and jealously guarded their own independence and autonomy.^[13] King Charles was careful to recognize Tlaxcala as an allied city and not a conquered one, which satisfied the Tlaxcallan leadership and ensured their loyalty for three centuries.^[14]

Following Mexican independence, from 1885-1911 the Governor of Tlaxcala was Prospero Cahuantzi, himself of native Tlaxcaltec heritage. Cahuantzi promoted the preservation of indigenous Mexican culture and artifacts. He also possessed an indigenous Nahuatl surname, uncommon in post-colonial Mexico but prevalent in Tlaxcala due to their previous alliance with Spain, which protected them from imposed Spanish baptismal names.^[16]

As the Mexican government does not recognize ethnicity by ancestry but by language spoken, the number of Tlaxcaltec people in Mexico is difficult to estimate.^[17] They are instead broadly grouped with other Nahuatl-speaking people known as Nahuas. As of the 2010 Mexican census, there were estimated to be more than 23,000 Nahuatl-speakers in Tlaxcala.^[18] By 2020, that number had risen to over 27,000.^[19]

Thousands of people, descended from 16th century Tlaxcallan colonists, live in Texas today, as well as a smaller number of recent immigrants from Tlaxcala living in California, the American Southwest and New York City.^[20]