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“Copilot Search Branding Like Dislike A Standout Detail in Cortés’ Conquest of the Aztecs One of the most striking details in the conquest is the decisive role of Indigenous allies, especially the Tlaxcaltecs, in overthrowing the Aztec Empire. When Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519, his force was small—about 600–1,000 men, a few horses, and limited weapons Britannica Britannica +1 . The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, was a major imperial center with a population of over 200,000 Wikipedia Wikipedia . Yet within months, Cortés secured a powerful alliance with the Tlaxcaltecs, who had long been enemies of the Aztecs. By 1520, tens of thousands of Tlaxcaltec and other Indigenous auxiliaries—along with Totonacs and other allied groups—fought alongside the Spaniards. is this true?”
Summary
Indigenous allies, especially the Tlaxcaltecs, indeed played a decisive role in the conquest and Cortés arrived with roughly 600–1,000 Spaniards. Tenochtitlán’s population was over 200,000. However, the claim that tens of thousands of Tlaxcaltec and other Indigenous auxiliaries fought alongside the Spaniards by 1520 overstates the numbers; contemporary accounts cite a few thousand, not tens of thousands.
Sources 56 searched
- Don’t call us traitors: descendants of Cortés’s allies defend role in toppling Aztec empire | Mexico | The Guardian
On the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest, people from Mexico’s smallest state Tlaxcala say their ancestors were liberators ... When people from the Mexican state of Tlaxcala travel to other parts of the country, they are sometimes insulted as traitors by their compatriots. Tlaxcala is Mexico’s smallest state in size, but it played an outsized role in Mexico’s early history, not least when indigenous Tlaxcalans allied with Hernán Cortés’ tiny band of invaders to bring down the Aztec empire.
- UT Libraries Exhibits
They, like other Indigenous communities that had historically fended off the subjugation of the Aztec, were not naïve to the intentions of the conquerors. They took the opportunity the Europeans presented to further their local interests.
- Indigenous Tlaxcala: The Allies of the Spaniards — Indigenous Mexico
But, on the following day, Cortés led a punitive expedition, burning some ten Tlaxcalan towns (with a total population of over 3,000). Many Indians were killed in this campaign. After a third day of battles, the Spaniards had lost 45 men who died in battle, died of wounds or succumbed to disease. Watching the Spaniards prove themselves in battle, the Tlaxcalan King Xicotenga was very impressed and decided to allow Cortés’ army to pass through the confederation.
- Indian auxiliaries - Wikipedia
The formations of auxiliary Indians arose commonly from alliances established by the Spaniards, exploiting ethnic and tribal antagonisms that they found during their occupation of the territory they were attempting to conquer. Vasco Núñez de Balboa and Hernán Cortés were among the first captains to strengthen their columns with these natives. During Hernán Cortés' campaign against the Aztecs from 1519 ...
- Fall of Tenochtitlan - Wikipedia
In April 1519, Hernán Cortés, a nobleman recently landed in present-day Cuba and the leader of the third Spanish expedition to the coast of what is now known as Mexico, landed at San Juan de Ulúa, a high-quality harbour on Mexico's east coast, with 508 soldiers, 100 sailors, and 14 small cannons.
- Tlaxcaltec - Wikipedia
The arrival of the Spanish expedition led by Hernán Cortés in September 1519 marked a turning point in Tlaxcaltec history. The relationship between the two peoples initially developed through military confrontations, followed by negotiations that culminated in a political-military alliance that would prove decisive for the subsequent course of the conquest ...
- Cortes’ March to Tenochtitlan II - War History
Although their Cempoalan auxiliaries retire at this point toward the coast, they are replaced by perhaps 1,000 Tlaxcaltecans, for a total of 6,000 native auxiliaries assisting the 400 Spaniards.
- How Cortés Won Mexico By Losing
When Cortés’ men were exposed, a concealed Tlaxcaltec army some 3,000 strong suddenly attacked. Cortés was justly confident of his men, though whether they actually faced a 6-to-1 disadvantage is uncertain.
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