tribal confederation · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Chalco

1250 CE – 1465 CE (approx.) · capital Chalco

A confederation of Nahua altepetl in the south-eastern Valley of Mexico that resisted the Mexica for decades before its conquest in 1465.

Origins

Chalco developed around the eastern shore of Lake Chalco and the slopes of the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. From the 13th century several groups settled the area, and their altepetl, including Tlalmanalco and Amaquemecan, formed a loose confederation. The chronicler Chimalpahin, a native of Amaquemecan, recorded its history.

Rule and society

The Chalca confederation was governed by the rulers of its constituent altepetl, each with its own dynasty, who acted together in war and diplomacy. Its fertile lands and chinampas produced maize and other crops, and it controlled routes from the Valley of Mexico to Morelos and Puebla. It fought long wars with the Mexica and the Tepanec Empire.

Decline and legacy

After a war lasting from the 1440s, the Aztec Empire under Moctezuma I conquered Chalco in 1465 and made it a tributary. Its towns later became Spanish colonial jurisdictions in the State of Mexico.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chalco. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chalco
MLA
“Chalco.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chalco. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Chalco.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chalco.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chalco’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chalco (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻