Episode
The Tlaxcalan Alliance: Indigenous Allies Who Toppled an Empire
- Published
- Jun 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 599
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Summary
When Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519, he was vastly outnumbered by the Aztec warriors of Tenochtitlan. But he didn't conquer alone. This episode unpacks the military and political alliance between the Spanish conquistadors and the Tlaxcalan Confederacy — a fierce, independent Nahua state that had resisted Aztec rule for generations. We explore Tlaxcala's pre-contact society, its four lords (the apizacos), the brutal 1519 battles that nearly destroyed Cortés's army, and the fateful decision by the Tlaxcalan council to ally with the newcomers against their ancient enemy. The episode traces how Tlaxcalan warriors and leaders — including Xicotencatl the Elder, Maxixcatzin, and the controversial Xicotencatl the Younger — shaped the siege of Tenochtitlan. We also examine the alliance's aftermath: Tlaxcala's privileged but complicated status in colonial New Spain, its exemption from the encomienda system, and how its legacy is remembered today. Drawing on Nahuatl documents and Spanish chronicles, this is the story of the indigenous allies who made the Spanish conquest possible — and their own bid for survival and power. #Tlaxcala #Xicotencatl #Cortés #Aztec #Conquistadors #Nahua #Mesoamerica #Tenochtitlan #Maxixcatzin #Apizacos #TlaxcalanAlliance #SpanishConquest #IndigenousAllies #Ocotelolco #Tizatlán #ConquestOfMexico #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo