city state · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Tlatelolco
Origins
Tlatelolco was founded in 1337, according to Mexica chronicles, by a group that split from the founders of Tenochtitlan and settled on an adjacent island. Its first ruler, Cuacuauhpitzahuac, was a son of Tezozomoc of the Tepanec Empire, under whose protection it grew.
Rule and society
Tlatelolco had its own tlatoani and a great temple. Its market, described by Cort Díaz del Castillo, reportedly drew some 60,000 people a day, trading food, cloth, obsidian, feathers and slaves. Its merchants (pochteca) carried trade across Mesoamerica. Relations with Tenochtitlan were close but competitive.
Decline and legacy
In 1473 Axayacatl of Tenochtitlan defeated Tlatelolco and killed its ruler Moquihuix, and the city was annexed by the Aztec Empire under a military governor. In 1521 it saw the last Aztec stand against Cortés. Its site is now the Plaza of the Three Cultures in Mexico City.
Lineage
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- Tlatelolco paid tribute to Tepanec Empire1375 CE – 1428 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tlatelolco. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tlatelolco
- MLA
- “Tlatelolco.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tlatelolco. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Tlatelolco.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tlatelolco.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tlatelolco’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tlatelolco (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻