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Tarascan State Expansion (1410s)

Type Event Region North America Time 1411–1420

In the 1410s the Tarascan (Purépecha) state of Michoacán, western Mexico, continued expanding under Tariacuri and his sons, becoming the only native …

Timeline

  1. 1411–1415Lake Pátzcuaro basin · MichoacánCentered on Lake Pátzcuaro and Tzintzuntzan, Tariacuri reorganized the alliance of Purépecha peoples, establishing a theocratic kingship bound by fire sacrifice and ancestor worship, and integrating scattered tribes into a unified state.
  2. 1415–1418Eastern Michoacán frontier · MichoacánTarascan armies advanced eastward, conquering or absorbing parts of present-day eastern Michoacán and Guanajuato, constructing defensive depth with copper axes, shield phalanxes, and relay-road systems, effectively blocking westward Mexica advances.
  3. 1418–1420Tzintzuntzan · MichoacánTariacuri divided the kingdom among his three sons Hiripan, Tangaxoan, and Tzitzipandácuare, who governed Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, and Ihuatzio respectively. The enfeoffment system preserved state unity while establishing multi-centered governance, laying the foundation for national strength under Tangaxoan I in later generations.

Sources