The Tlaxcalan Bargain: Conquistadors and Indigenous Alliances

While Hernán Cortés is often remembered as a lone wolf conquering the Aztec Empire, his survival depended entirely on a precarious web of indigenous alliances. This episode explores the Treaty of Coyoacán, signed in 1519 between the Spanish and the Tlaxcalans, who were locked in a decades-long war with the Mexica. We examine how Xicotencatl the Elder navigated this impossible diplomatic tightrope, trading military support for exemption from the encomienda system and promises of autonomy. Through the lens of the Lienzo de Tlaxcala and Bernal Díaz del Castillo’s chronicles, we uncover the complex political calculus behind these partnerships. The narrative also touches on the role of La Malinche as a cultural broker and the eventual betrayal of these treaties under the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Listeners will learn about the altepetl structure, the pochteca trade networks that facilitated early contact, and why the Tlaxcalans believed they could control their conquerors. It is a story of realpolitik, broken promises, and the fragile nature of power in the face of imperial expansion.

#Tlaxcalans #HernanCortes #Xicotencatl #Tenochtitlan #Mexica #TreatyOfCoyoacan #LienzoDeTlaxcala #LaMalinche #Encomienda #Altepetl #Pochteca #BernalDiaz #NewSpain #MesoamericaHistory #IndigenousAllies #AztecEmpire #SpanishConquest #FexingoHistory

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