Qualpopoca facts for kids

Qualpopoca (also known as Quetzalpopoca) was an important Aztec leader. He was a military officer and administrator. He worked for the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin. Qualpopoca led battles against the Spanish conquistadors near a city called Nautla.

His actions caused big problems between the Aztecs and the Spanish. This gave Hernán Cortés a reason to capture Emperor Moctezuma. Qualpopoca was one of the few Aztec commanders who had success against the Spanish. He killed and captured some Spanish soldiers in a battle near Nautla. Later, Cortés forced Moctezuma to order Qualpopoca's arrest. Qualpopoca was brought to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. He was then publicly executed in front of the Templo Mayor.

Qualpopoca's Actions in Nautla

Qualpopoca first appears in history when Emperor Moctezuma sent him to control the area around the Aztec city of Nautla. Nautla was a border city of the Aztec Empire. The Aztec army there kept control over the local people, who were mostly Totonac. This area had only recently become part of the Aztec Empire.

When Hernán Cortés arrived in this part of Mexico in 1519, he tried to weaken Aztec control. He captured Aztec tax collectors in a town called Quiahuiztlan. He only released them after Emperor Moctezuma personally asked him to. Cortés then defeated the Aztec army in Tizapancingo. He gave control of that area back to the Totonac people. Their leader was Tlacochcalcatl from Cempoala.

To get the area back under Aztec control, Moctezuma sent Qualpopoca. His orders were to defeat the Totonacs and their Spanish allies. Qualpopoca arrived in October 1519. He demanded that the Totonac towns pay their regular taxes to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

The Totonac towns asked the Spanish soldiers for help. Juan de Escalante was the Spanish commander in charge of the garrisons at Villa Rica and Veracruz. He warned Qualpopoca not to threaten the Totonacs. Escalante also demanded gold from Qualpopoca. But Qualpopoca ignored him. He continued to punish Totonac villages that had not paid their taxes. Escalante then attacked with his Spanish soldiers and Totonac warriors. They met Qualpopoca's forces in a battle near Nautla.

The battle was quick. The Totonac fighters ran away early. Escalante had to retreat under heavy attack. Nautla was left burning. During the retreat, Escalante was badly hurt and later died. Five Spanish soldiers were killed. One Spanish soldier, Juan de Argüello, was captured. In Aztec tradition, Argüello and the captured Totonacs were killed in a special ceremony. Argüello's head was sent to Moctezuma as a trophy. Cortés later claimed that these men were not killed in battle. He said they were Spanish messengers who Qualpopoca had captured and killed. Cortés used this claim to justify Qualpopoca's death.

Events in Tenochtitlan

News of the battle reached Tenochtitlan on November 14, 1519. Everyone was very worried. Hernán Cortés and his 300 Spanish soldiers had arrived in the city a week earlier. They were staying in one of the city's palaces as guests of Moctezuma. They were joined by thousands of Totonac and Tlaxcalan allies.

The presence of the Spanish and their enemies, the Tlaxcalans, made people in the city uneasy. This was especially true after the Spanish had killed many people in Cholula a few weeks before. The news from Nautla, along with Argüello's head, worried the Aztec government. They feared it might make the Spanish attack the city's nobles, like what happened in Cholula. The head was sent away, and Moctezuma agreed to a private meeting with Cortés.

Cortés arrived with 35 armed men. He told Moctezuma that he had to move into the Spanish living area as a hostage. If he refused, Cortés said he would kill Moctezuma and his advisors right there. Moctezuma argued and pleaded with Cortés. But he finally agreed to go with the Spanish. He and his main advisors moved to the Spanish quarters. He was a prisoner, even though he was still allowed to act like an emperor. Cortés controlled all of Moctezuma's announcements, letters, and movements.

Qualpopoca's Execution

This painting from 1698 shows the execution of Qualpopoca. It was made by Spanish artists Juan González and Miguel González.

One of the first things the captured emperor did was to order the arrest of Qualpopoca. Two of Qualpopoca's sons and 15 other Aztec nobles were also arrested. These men were brought to Tenochtitlan. Moctezuma then handed them over to Cortés.

During questioning, Qualpopoca first said he had attacked Escalante on his own. But later, under pressure, he changed his story. He then claimed that Moctezuma had ordered him to fight the Spanish. Cortés told Moctezuma about this. He said that even though he thought the Emperor was guilty, Cortés would protect him.

Cortés then brought Moctezuma, who was in chains, to the great plaza. This was in front of the Templo Mayor. Thousands of people from Tenochtitlan watched. Qualpopoca, his sons, and the fifteen other prisoners were tied to wooden stakes. Bundles of arrows and wooden weapons from the Aztec armories were placed around them. Then, they were burned to death.

Some stories say the crowd watched in complete silence. After the prisoners died, Cortés told Moctezuma he could go free. But Moctezuma was afraid of his people's anger. He refused to leave after this public execution of one of his top officers. Over the next few months, the Aztec Emperor slowly lost the respect of his people. This led to his death on the Noche Triste (Sad Night) on June 30, 1520.

See also

In Spanish: Cuauhpopoca para niños