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Xicotencatl the Younger

Type Figure Region Mesoamerica Time c. 1475–1521 Also known as Xicotencatl (the Younger)

A Tlaxcalan military leader of unknown birth year, died 1521; he long led his people against the Aztec Empire, then when Spanish conqueror Cortes ent…

Timeline

  1. c. 1500–1519Tlaxcala · Tlaxcala StateInheriting his father Xicotencatl the Elder's military tradition, he led Tlaxcalan warriors in long-running 'Flower Wars' and border conflicts with the Aztec Empire, one of the most important anti-Aztec armed forces in the eastern valley.
  2. 1519–1520Centla · Tlaxcala StateWhen Cortes's army entered the valley in 1519, Xicotencatl the Younger strongly advocated resisting the Spanish invasion, fighting Spanish forces fiercely at Centla and elsewhere. After peace negotiations by tribal elders, Tlaxcala switched to alliance with Spain.
  3. 1521Battlefield of the siege of Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoDuring the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1521, Xicotencatl the Younger plotted to ambush Cortes to prevent further Spanish control of the valley; when the plot was exposed he was handed over by Tlaxcalan elders and executed, becoming a typical case of internal indigenous political division during the conquest.

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