THE TAJIN TOTONAC — PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



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Cronica X (Barlow, 1945) have the first conquest 

 of Cotaxtla follow the Huastecan campaign and 

 precede the conquests in Oaxaca. 42 



Other sources, not Cronica-X derived, are at 

 variance, for they make no mention of Cotaxtla 

 until after the Mixtecan war. Accordingly, there 

 are two alternate interpretations : 



a. If one follows the Cronica X cluster, Moctezuma 

 sponsored two distinct Cotaxtla campaigns, one prior to 

 his conquests in the Mixteca, and another subsequent to 

 them. The first, or pre-Mixteca campaign, is that de- 

 scribed above ; the second is treated below. 



In this case, the implication is that the other sources 

 have overlooked the first Cotaxtla war and start with the 

 second, post-Oaxaca campaign. Their dating, therefore, 

 applies not to the first campaign of the Cronica X, but 

 to the second. 



6. However, if one follows the other authorities, he 

 must assume that the Cronica X sources erroneously place 

 the first Cotaxtla campaign as prior to the Mixtecan war ; 

 also, that tbey erroneously attribute two Cotaxtla cam- 

 paigns instead of one to Moctezuma (see footnote 45, 

 p. 272). 



There is much to be said for either interpreta- 

 tion. We have elected to follow the Cronica X 

 accounts, simply because they alone give a wealth 

 of detail concerning the Cotaxtla campaigns, and 

 because their identification of both with Mocte- 

 zuma is highly convincing. Accordingly, we as- 

 sume that the first Cotaxtla campaign took place 

 prior to the conquest of the Mixteca, which latter 

 is dated variously as 1455, 1458, and 1461 (table 

 17, No. 2). 



Following the signal victory over Cotaxtla, 

 which put a large segment of the southern Gulf 

 coast, including southern Totonacapan, in the 

 hands of the Triple Alliance, the latter turned its 

 attention to the Mixteca, and the conquest of 

 Coixtlahuaca ensued. This Mixtecan war was in- 

 timately related to the program of expansion to- 

 ward the coast, for it involved a large part of the 

 hinterland. As a result of this campaign, Mocte- 

 zuma strengthened his position in the zone south- 

 west of Jalapa and, through conquest to the south, 

 extended his power to the Cosamaloapan drainage. 



42 When Moctezuma conquered Coixtlahuaca, in Oaxaca, he 

 already had both the Huasteca and Cotaxtla in his pocket, for 

 the stone monument, which was dedicated with the sacrifice of 

 Mixtecan prisoners, bore carved figures to represent his vic- 

 tories in Tepeaca, Tuxpan, the Huasteca, Cotaxtla, and Coixtla- 

 huaca (C6dice Ramirez, p. 179). 



This detail would be highly convincing, were it not nullified by 

 Veytia (2:219). He mentions this same stone, but has the 

 dedication take place later, with the sacrifice not of Mixtecan 

 but of Cotaxtlan captives. 



The conquest of Cosamaloapan itself followed 

 (Torquemada 1:160). These were the anteced- 

 ents of the second Cotaxtla war. 



Since their conquest, some years before, 

 Cotaxtla and southern Totonacapan had been 

 chafing under tribute demands. A second war 

 broke out, with the uprising of Orizaba, Cotaxtla, 

 and "Cempoala." And for the second time, Tlax- 

 cala appeared as instigator. Visitors from that 

 province persuaded the subject pueblos to kill the 

 Mexican tax collectors, again promising military 

 assistance from Tlaxcala (Tezozomoc, p. 142). 

 Delighted, the coastal pueblos delivered to the 

 Tlaxcalans the tribute they had been gathering 

 for Moctezuma, and the recipients again returned 

 home, bearing gifts. 



Moctezuma's tribute collectors now appeared in 

 Cotaxtla, with hands outstretched. They were 

 cordially received, but immediately thereafter 

 were imprisoned in a room, where they were suf- 

 focated by the smoke of burning chili. Later, the 

 corpses were removed, ridiculed and maltreated 

 (Tezozomoc, p. 143). Visiting merchants carried 

 the word to Moctezuma. Infuriated, he pro- 

 nounced judgment : "My desire is that there be no 

 Cotaxtla, that it be totally destroyed and devas- 

 tated." His counselors replied, "This will not be 

 possible ... it will be sufficient that half of them 

 die . . . and of the half that remains, they may 

 give and pay double the tribute . . ." 



The allied forces marched on Orizaba and the 

 struggle extended to the zone at large. Tlaxcalan 

 assistance was conspicuously lacking, and the 

 Mexicans triumphed. 43 Tribute adjustments were 

 made and the forces of the Triple Alliance retired. 

 The two leaders of Cotaxtla went into hiding, but 

 later Moctezuma dispatched a special contingent 

 charged with their execution (Tezozomoc, p. 148 ; 

 Codice Ramirez, p. 180). 



We have several definite dates for this victory : 

 1457, 1461, and 1463 (table 17, No. 14) . In addi- 

 tion, Torquemada indicates a date which must be 



4 > The above account Is based chiefly on Tezozomoc, who 

 naturally gives the viewpoint of Mexlco-Tenochtitlan. But it 

 would appear that this victory really belongs to Mexico-Tlate- 

 lolco (Torquemada 1:162; Barlow, 1948, pp. 26-30). 



Torquemada (1 : 161-162) gives a distinct version of the cam- 

 paign. He makes no mention of the first Cotaxtla war, and 

 the one he describes presumably Is the second. In this battle he 

 has Tlaxcala, Cbolula, and Huejotzingo aid the coastal pueblos ; 

 and In this the Anales de Tlatelolco (p. 57) concur. 





