| Cuitláhuac | |
|---|---|
 Cuitláhuac in thePrimeros Memoriales. | |
| Huey Tlatoani of theAztec Empire Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan | |
| Reign | 2 Flint 1520 |
| Predecessor | Montezuma II |
| Successor | Cuauhtémoc |
| Successor | Ixhuetzcatocatzin (Alonso) |
| Born | c. 1476 |
| Died | 2 Flint (1520; aged 44) |
| Spouse | A daughter of Moteixcahuia Quauhtlehuanitzin |
| Issue | Ixhuetzcatocatzin (Alonso) Ana Luisa two others |
| Father | Axayacatl |
| Mother | A daughter of Cuitlahuac I |
Cuitláhuac (Spanish pronunciation:[kwiˈtlawak]ⓘ,modern Nahuatl pronunciationⓘ) (c. 1476 – 1520)[1] orCuitláhuac (in Spanish orthography;Nahuatl languages:Cuitlāhuac,[2]Nahuatl pronunciation:[kʷiˈt͡ɬaːwak], honorific form:Cuitlahuatzin) was the 10thHuey Tlatoani (emperor) of theAztec city ofTenochtitlan for 80 days during the yearTwo Flint (1520).[3] He is credited with leading the resistance to theSpanish and Tlaxcalteca conquest of theMexica Empire, following the death of his kinsmanMoctezuma II.
Cuitláhuac was the eleventh son of the rulerAxayacatl and a younger brother ofMoctezuma II, the late Emperor ofTenochtitlan, who died during the Spanish occupation of the city.[4] His mother's father, also calledCuitlahuac, had been ruler ofIztapalapa,[5] and the younger Cuitláhuac also ruled there initially.[6] Cuitláhuac was an experienced warrior and an adviser to Moctezuma, warning him not to allow the Spaniards to enter Tenochtitlan.Hernán Cortés imprisoned both Moctezuma and Cuitláhuac. Cortes had to leave the city in order to meet a Spanish force sent by Diego Velasquez, Spanish governor of Cuba.[7] Following the massacre of Aztec elites when Cortés was away from Tenochtitlan, theMexica besieged the Spanish and their indigenous allies. Cuitláhuac was released on the pretense to reopen the market to get food to the invaders. Moctezuma was stoned to death after trying to tell his people to withdraw from the battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish,[8] and Cuitláhuac was electedtlatoani following the flight of the Spaniards and their allies from Tenochtitlan on June 30, 1520. Some sources claim he was serving in that role even before Moctezuma's death.[9]
Cuitláhuac was ritually married to Moctezuma's eldest daughter, a ten- or eleven-year-old girl, who later was calledIsabel Moctezuma.[10]
Cuitláhuac ruled just 80 days, perhaps dying fromsmallpox[3] that had been introduced to theNew World by an African suffering from the disease who was part ofPánfilo de Narváez's expedition to capture Cortés. However, he played a really important role in the Aztec empire, and was best known for leading the Aztec resistance against the Spanish invaders. The early sources do not explicitly say from what he succumbed.[11] Immediately after Cuitláhuac's death,Cuauhtémoc was made the nexttlatoani.[3]
The modernMexican municipality ofCuitláhuac, Veracruz and theMexico City Metro stationMetro Cuitláhuac are named in honor of Cuitláhuac. Theasteroid 2275 Cuitláhuac is also named after this ruler.
There is an Avenue in Mexico City Called Cuitláhuac (Eje 3 Norte) that runs from Avenue Insurgentes to Avenue Mexico-Tacuba and that is part of an inner ring; also many streets in other towns and villages in Mexico are so called.
| Preceded by ? | Tlatoani ofItztapalapan | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan 1520 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
