Xaltocan facts for kids
Xaltocan was an important ancient city. It was built on an island in the Valley of Mexico. This island was in the middle of Lake Xaltocan. This lake was connected to other lakes, like Lake Texcoco. Today, this area is part of a village called San Miguel Jaltocan in State of Mexico.
The first people to live in Xaltocan were the Otomi people. But in the late 1300s, the Otomi lost a war. They were defeated by an alliance of Tepanecs and Mexica people. The Otomi were forced to leave their island home. They moved to places like Otumba, Metztitlan, and Tlaxcala.
After the Otomi left, people who spoke Nahuatl moved to the island. The name Xaltocan comes from the Nahuatl language. It can mean 'sandy ground of spiders' or 'where it is planted on the sand'.
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Life in Ancient Xaltocan
Xaltocan was a busy place during the Postclassic period. This period was from about 900 AD to 1521 AD. Scientists have found pottery and other old items there. These items show us how people lived long ago.
Xaltocan was a strong city. It was powerful enough to collect payments from other nearby cities. These payments were called tribute.
How Xaltocan Was Founded
The stories of how Xaltocan began are found in old books. These books are called the Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca and Anales de Cuauhtitlan. They tell us that the people of Xaltocan, called Xaltocameca, were part of the Chichimec tribes.
These tribes left a mythical place called Aztlán. Their leader was named Quauhtliztac, which means "White Eagle". The Historia also says the Xaltocameca were from the Otomi group. Another book names their first leader Iztacquauhtli, which also means "White Eagle".
Farming and Food
Being on an island gave Xaltocan some big advantages. It was easier to defend the city from enemies. Also, the lake was used for a special type of farming.
The people built floating gardens called chinampas. These were very important for growing food. They grew many things like corn, beans, and squash. Xaltocan produced more food than its people needed. This extra food was called an agricultural surplus.
Wars and Changes
In the 1200s, Xaltocan fought a long war. Their enemy was the Nahua city of Cuauhtitlan. At first, Xaltocan was stronger.
But around 1395, the ruler of Cuauhtitlan, Xaltemoctzin, made an alliance. He teamed up with Tezozomoc from Azcapotzalco and the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan. Together, they finally conquered Xaltocan.
The Otomi people living there fled north. Some went to Metztitlan and Tlaxcala. Others were allowed to settle in the lands of Texcoco. This new place was later called Otumba, meaning "Place of the Otomies".
Aztec Rule
For the next 100 years, Nahua people moved into Xaltocan. After the Aztec Triple Alliance defeated the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco, Xaltocan became part of the Aztec Empire.
Xaltocan had to pay tribute to Tenochtitlan. They mainly paid with woven blankets. When the Aztecs took over, some important systems broke down. These systems were needed to keep the chinampa farms working. Because of this, the floating gardens were eventually abandoned.
In 1521, during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, the army of Hernán Cortés attacked Xaltocan. They destroyed the city and burned it to the ground.
See also
In Spanish: Xaltocan (altépetl) para niños
