city state · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Texcoco
Origins
Texcoco became the capital of the Acolhua, a Chichimec-descended people of the eastern Valley of Mexico, in the 14th century. In 1418 the Tepanec Empire killed its ruler Ixtlilxochitl I and occupied it, forcing his son Nezahualcoyotl into exile.
Rule and society
Allied with Tenochtitlan, Nezahualcoyotl regained Texcoco in 1428-31 and made it a co-leader of the Aztec Triple Alliance. He built palaces, gardens and the Texcotzinco hill retreat, organised legal councils, and was celebrated as a poet-king. His son Nezahualpilli was famed as a judge and astrologer. Texcoco ruled many towns of the eastern valley.
Decline and legacy
Mexica interference in Texcoco's succession after 1515 divided it, and one faction under Ixtlilxochitl II aided Cortés, who built his brigantines there in 1521. Its last independent king Cacamatzin died in Spanish custody in 1520.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Texcoco was conquered by Tepanec Empire1418 CE – 1428 CE
- Texcoco was part of Aztec Empire1428 CE – 1521 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Texcoco. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/texcoco
- MLA
- “Texcoco.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/texcoco. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Texcoco.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/texcoco.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Texcoco’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/texcoco (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻