Tlaxcalteca people
The Tlaxcalan people were a Nahua community settled in what is now the state of Tlaxcala. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Totonaca-Tlaxcala people flourished as an important manor made up of 21 small city-states, known as the Republic of Tlaxcala. In addition, it was one of the few towns that the Mexica Empire could never subdue.
When the Spanish arrived, they joined them in order to free themselves from the yoke to which the Mexica Empire subjected them. Their alliance with the Spanish for the capture of Tenochtitlan made the Olmeca-Xicalanca the main allies of the conquerors, accompanying them in most of the military campaigns they carried out to conquer different peoples, in many different regions of Mesoamerica and Aridoamerica., thanks to which they always had good relations with the Spanish crown.
History
Origin of the Tlaxcalans
In the year 1290 the Teochichimeca-Tlaxcalteca or Texcalteca group arrived, one of the seven Nahuatlaca tribes that had left Chicomóztoc towards the Valley of Mexico where, according to the chronicles, they founded Poyauhtlan in the year 2 Flint (1290). According to the tonalpohualli it corresponds to 1100 of our era, on the shores of Lake Texcoco.
They led a primitive existence, living in caves until other groups forced them to migrate. They then made a pilgrimage through Popocatépetl and Huexotzinco and finally reached the region now called Tlaxcala. First, near a mountain called Cuatlapanga, they requested permission from the Olmeca-Xicalancas and they were granted land in that place, later they went to the hill of Tepeticpac, a word that means "on the hill", and over time they called it Tlaxcallan, which In Nahuatl it means "place of cornbread" or "corn tortillas".
Foundation of the manors
In the year 5 flint (1348), the Teochichimecas, led by their god Camaxtli and led by their chieftain Culhuatecuhtli (who expelled the last Olmeca-Xicalancas and Toltecs from the region), became powerful lords, made the peace with their neighbors and quietly dedicated themselves to populating those lands. Then the social and political life of the Tlaxcalan nation began and the first lordship of Tlaxcallan was founded, with a single lord as chief; Culhuatecuhtli himself. This ceded to his younger brother, Teyohualminqui, a good part of the territory, with which, after 1384, the second lordship of Ocotelulco was founded, whose meaning is "in the place where there are ocote balls", larger and more important than first.
The creation of the third manor occurred as follows: those of Cholula killed the lord of Ocotelulco and seized his lands. Some of the defeated fled and founded Tizatlán, "a place between the chalk, or sandy and white land" which, over time, came to compete in greatness and prosperity with the other two manors. The fourth manor, Quiahuiztlán, which means "Place of the Rain", was founded with another group of Teochichimecas who arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the 14th century, as Culhuatecuhtli had promised them land to settle in Tlaxcallan.
Expansion through the Spanish Empire
Because of their good relationship with the Spanish colonists, the Tlaxcalans enjoyed privileges and participated extensively in the establishment of various communities in the northeast and south of New Spain, the Philippine Islands, and Peru. The Tlaxcalans were left exempt from paying taxes, they were granted the nobility and, in addition, the right to use "Don" in front of his name, something typical of the nobility.
In northern Mexico
Some of the missions and towns that the Tlaxcalans helped found in the current territory of the state of Nuevo León were San Miguel de Aguayo (today Bustamante), Nueva Tlaxcala de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Horcasistas (today Guadalupe), Santiago de the Sabinas (today Sabinas Hidalgo), San Pedro de Boca de Leones (today Villaldama) and many others. In the state of Coahuila they founded the city of San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcala, today part of the city of Saltillo. In Coahuila, since its foundation, Santa María de las Parras (today Parras de la Fuente) was governed by indigenous authorities, where they also lived with a minority of Spaniards. Likewise, only the Tlaxcalans could vote and be voted for in the election of rector and deputy, who were the highest authorities. On the other hand, thousands also participated in the conquest of the Huasteca.
In Central America
Between the years 1524 and 1527, Pedro de Alvarado (husband of Tecuelhuetzin Xicohténcatl), along with a large number of Tlaxcalans in his ranks, conquered the Mayan domains of Guatemala and the Cuzcatlecos of El Salvador. Due to colonization Tlaxcalteca, today many cities from Guatemala to Nicaragua have place names of Nahuatl origin. From the conquest, a system was established where the Tlaxcaltecas and their descendants enjoyed great privileges for centuries, they were granted titles of arms, they used firearms and horses and did not pay taxes. In the 17th century, they began to call themselves "Tlaxcaltecas de Ciudad Vieja" or "Mexicans of Ciudad Vieja", and even during the 19th century the Tlaxcalan presence in Guatemala continued to be recognized.
In the United States
In the founding of the cities of Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, San Antonio, and San Andrés de Nava, Tlaxcalan colonists accompanied the Spanish, helping to populate and put down revolts by the Indians of New Mexico and Texas. In Santa Fe, the Analco neighborhood was founded and populated by Tlaxcalans, as well as in Albuquerque, the Atrisco neighborhood. In both, together with the Spanish, they suffered the Pueblo revolt. Another New Mexican town, Nueva Tlaxcala (today Taos), was named in honor of the colonizers. There were also in the expedition of the conquistador Juan de Oñate (Leonor Cortés Moctezuma's son-in-law). The Spanish did not give importance to the mineral that abounds there (turquoise), the Tlaxcalans appreciated it above any other stone.
In the Philippine Islands
Tlaxcaltecas accompanied Miguel López de Legazpi to the conquest of the Philippine Islands (part of the crew was Tlaxcalteca), where they settled and mixed with the Tagalog indigenous society. There were also explorations on Pacific islands, in addition to Tlaxcaltecan warriors along with other New Spain accompanying the Spanish in the wars of the region. tamales) to influences in their most spoken languages, such as Filipino and Cebuano, which today contain a large number of words from Nahuatl.
In South America
At the expedition of Pedro de Alvarado in Peru in 1534 they were Tlaxcalans. A large number of people in Cuzco already had the surname "Mexican" in the 16th century. Therefore, they originated from the region called the Kingdom of Mexico. In addition, the existence of possible Nahua place names in northern Peru that the Tlaxcalans would have left behind is being investigated.
Current towns
The Nahuas of Tlaxcala, somewhat related to the Otomi, have managed to develop and maintain their organization in the towns on the western slope of the La Malinche volcano, primarily in the towns of Acxotla del Monte, San Pedro Tlalcuapan, San Pedro Muñoztla, San Pedro Xochiteotla, San Felipe Cuauhtenco, San Miguel Xaltipan, Guadalupe Tlachco, San Isidro Buen Suceso, San Pablo del Monte, San Cosme for this reason there is a metro station called Mazatecochco, San Bartolomé Cuahuixmatlac and San Rafael Tepatlaxco. There still exists the identity of the Nahuas of Tlaxcala, who resisted the Mexica push and were faithful companions in arms of the troops of Hernán Cortés, participating in the creation of the future Mexico.