5500 Years Part the First, concerning the events of Mesoamerica in the 16th century and the early parts of the 17th century.
Glossary: For the Purposes of this timeline, I will refer to the tribes by their common names and not their names for themselves, unless they overlap. I will also refer to the Aztec state as the Triple Alliance, an alliance of the three city states in the valley of Mexico (Tenochititlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan, in order of power), but use Aztec as an adjective. In Mesoamerican events X, is pronounced as sh (blame the lack of sh in Spanish).
As Per Our Timeline:
1441: Mayapan, the capital of the Northern Yucatan falls. It is replaced by numerous small states.
1490's: Ahuitzotl, 8th Huey Tlatoni (lit. Speaker, External leader of Tenochitilan, The Cihuacoatl is the internal leader, although less influential.) of the City of Tenochitilan and Leader of the Triple Alliance (TA) launches campaigns into the Pacific Coast, south of the TA, conquering the coast from the Empire of the Tarascans (the TA's hated enemy), surrounding the Kingdom of Yopitzinco. He also makes Xoconusco a tributary to the TA.
1502: Ahuitzotl dies and is replaced by his nephew Moctezuma II.
1502-1520: Moctezuma conquers much of the Zapotec areas to the southeast of the TA, leaving only the Coatlimac, the Maya City States, the Tarascan Empire, Teotitlan (an ally of the TA), Tlaxcala (or Tlaxca, which was their capital city) Totopec, and Yopitzinco as free states in Mesoamerica.
1520: Zungua the cacazoni (king) of the Tarascan Empire dies and is replaced by Tangoxuan
The Point of Divergence from our Timeline:
1491: A cataclysm destroys most of Eurasia and parts of North Africa.
In 5500 Years:
1527: Moctezuma dies and is replaced by his brother Cuitlhuac. For his inaugural war he attacks the Tlaxca, with more force than usual for a raid against the Tlaxca. The Tlaxca ask the Tarascans to help them.
1528-1533: Neither side achieves anything near a victory and the conflict only exhausts the Tarascans, the Teotitlans, and gives a lot more sacrifices to Huitziopolitchi.
1534-1537: The Aztecs raid Yopitinco, Totopec, and Coatlimac, but focus on Totopec and Coatlimac.
1535 onwards: Tribute increase levied on the TA tributary states.
1539: Cuitlahuac dies and is replaced by his nephew Chimalli (son of Moctezuma II, non OTL). He organizes a fairly standard raid on Tlaxca but is distracted by...
1540-1544: Zapotec tributary states rebel against the TA in response to the higher tributes levied. They are defeated, but do major damage to the crucial road to Xoconusco, which provides much of the funding for the TA. The TA also begins looking for alternate ways to get to Xocunsco, primarily by sea. Because of this the TA is forced to raise tributes on other states, causing discontent.
1546-1548: Chimalli expands Tenochititlan, building a new bridge and a new palace for himself. On completion he throws a festival and asks the Cacazoni, and the Kings of Coatlimac, Tlaxcala, Teotitlan, Yopitzinco, and Totopec to join him, which they do as a diplomatic event.
1547: The TA begins actively trying to get rid of pirates on its coastlines to clear the profitable routes to the Maya and Xocnusco.
1549: On his way home from Tenochtitlan, the Cacazoni dies and is replaced by Tanguapan. This further heightens tensions between the Empire and the Alliance, as there are numerous rumors that the Cacazoni was murdered in an attempt to weaken the empire. The population of Tenochitilan reaches 500,000; making it the second largest city in the world (Cuzco's slightly bigger, if you include its suburbs).
The Daughter of the King of Yopitzinco marries the favored son of Chimalli, Manauia.
1550-1560: The Yucatec Maya experience an increase in prosperity as trade booms due to the new anti-piracy measures of the TA.
1550 onwards: The Tarascan state evolves into a bureaucracy. Bureaucratic processes increase dramatically
1550-1555: The Tarascans declare war on the TA for the killing of Zungua, and other grievances. The Tlaxca join the Tarascans, hoping to get another chance at beating up the TA. Yopitizinco and Teotitlan also join the Alliance for two reasons proximity 1) Yopitzinco is close to the TA, and 2) the possibility of gaining sovereignty (Teotitlan).
Surprisingly, the Tlaxcans are finally beaten and destroyed by the TA and Teotitlan due to good espionage, having guides to get across the mountains and finally, sheer numbers and training. The Tarascans (with their forts) manage to stop the Aztecs from penetrating too deeply into their territory, but are still defeated. The Tlaxcans become a tributary state, and the Tarascans lose a little bit of territory.
Tlaxca is forced to pay a large amount of tribute, allowing other states’ tribute to be lowered. This averts the economic disaster that was looming, if only for while.
1563-1568: Raids by the Maya groups on the TA's eastern border increase.
1568: Chimalli dies and is replaced by his third cousin (Grandson of Cuitlahuac) Tlanextli.
1569-1578: Tlanextli invades the Maya groups on the edge of the TA. Due to the difficult terrain (Hilly Jungle) the area is only nominally controlled by the TA at the end. Although the TA's soldiers are better trained and better equipped they have difficulty in the area and experience heavy casualties. This is the first place where the tradition of using Tlacopan's (the weakest city in the TA) soldiers as cannon fodder begins, after the tributary soldiers of course. This area becomes a constant black hole for the TA's cocoa beans (cocoa beans the usual monetary item in the TA) and starts the long decline of the TA, even Tlanextli and his court don't know it.
1570:The Cacazoni (Tanguapan) dies and is replaced by Tzitzixuan. Tzitzixuan is very anti-TA and wants to reclaim the glory of the Tarascan Empire after it's defeat by the TA. He is also an ardent supporter of moving the army to a more standardized and Bronze using form.
1570's: Mani, a Yucatec city state, home of the Tutul Xiuh dynasty begins expanding to its west. It establishes alliances with the states of Champutun and Sotuta. The rest becomes tributaries to Mani.
1570-1620: The Tarascans begin a program of economic and ethnic integration. Roads are built through mountain passes, and bandits are cleared out to allow free trade between different areas. Small isolated mountain villages are finally connected to the government, so that bureaucracy can be put upon it. Small minorities are forced to move into other villages and their culture destroyed. This causes some unrest but soldiers are a powerful tool against rebellion.
1573: The Tarascan Empire begins building more canals, forts, and roads to improve its ability to hold it's territory. It also begins trying to establish an idea of what allies it could find against the TA. Totopec is found responsive, because there very afraid of being next on the TA's menu. Tzintzuan reaches a population of 300,000.
1575-1580: the Tarascans expand to along the coast and to the north.
1580-1620: Aztec culture reaches its height. Philosophy becomes a well respected profession and art, and begins the long Mesoamerican tradition of Nihilist and pessimistic philosophical views, while embracing the ancient traditions of death fascination.
1580's: Mani experiences difficulty in the East of the Yucatan and begins consolidating it's power. It receives TA support, because it too has begun destroying the Pirates that plague the area.
1586-1590: The Maya and Zapotecs rebel. They are brutally crushed but this leaves the TA severely weakened. The Ta economy begins to collapse.
1590 onwards: the Caribs, then the Taino, develop a sailed on a canoe, and they begin the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean (The area west of the delta is hardly touched). They raid most heavily on the Yucatan and on the TA's Atlantic coast. This causes a Mesoamerican wide economic collapse as the Yucatan trade (a very critical route) collapses, but even worse hit are the profitable states of the eastern Yucatan, effectively cutting off trade to and from the area south of the Yucatan. Mani profits because it has its major rivals decimated by raiders.
1597-1602: The Tarascans declare war on the TA. The TA wracked by raids and the last rebellion, is defeated by the TA, with their bronze weapons. Start of the Visible decline of the TA. The Tarascan Empire annexes the strip of land south of it.
1603: Both Tzitzixuan and Tlanextli die within three days of each other and are replaced by their sons, Zunguan II and Ahuicatl.
1604-1609: Ahuicatl, for his inaugural war, attacks Totopec. Totpec had been receiving Tarascan aid, including training and bronze in case something like this happened, so the TA is pushed to a draw. This surprised the TA greatly that as weak a nation as Totopec could even bring the TA to a draw..
1604: An Incan convoy (having heard word of another society to the north) reaches Totopec and ushers in sustained contact between the cultures. Over the next 100 years Mesoamerica’s population will reach 60 million. The consequences would be immense for the entire world (or what was left of it). Agricultural advances are a major factor in the population growth. Potatoes allow farming in the poor soil of the high mountains, guinea pigs provided a major new source of protein, as did quinoa (which took longer to catch on), and sweet potatoes formed an important part of the jungle diet from this time onwards.
1605-1620: Yopitzinco distance themselves from the TA.
1606-1609: The Mayas and Zapotec tributary states rebel, followed quickly by the Mixtecs Although the Mixtecs and Zapotec tributary states are put down the Maya finally push off the TA First time the TA loses territory in living memory.
1610's: The TA becomes more centralized, with the core area under direct rule expanding.
1611: Ahuicatl is overthrown in a coup and replaced by Chiamlli II, grandson of Chimalli. Chimalli II is supported by the conservative groups in the kingdom and is more cautious and reactionary then his predecessor.
1612-1614: Chimalli II attacks the Maya states to his east, in a limited fashion. He succeeds, but not with the same rewards his predecessors had with other campaigns.
1616: To fund recent expenditures Tlacopan's share of tribute is reduced from a previous 1/5 to 1/8. This causes a massive uproar within the city, which is only put down when Tenochitilan soldiers arrive. The City government solidifies its stance that the TA needs to go.
1618-1620: Tlacopan and the Tarascans representatives meet up and begin discussing how to end the TA.
1624-1628: The Tarascans invade the TA. Totopec does too, after receiving word of the Tarascan invasion. Coatlimac and Yopitzinco stay neutral for the first year before being attacked by the TA. Yopitzinco also stays neutral for the first year and then is attacked by the Tarascans. Numerous TA tributary states rebel, throwing the TA into chaos. There is an increase in piracy and raids across the areas bordering the TA.
The Tarascans slowly push themselves towards the capital, due to the incredible resistance put up by TA fighters. They have more success along the frontier encircling the TA heartland (along with Coatlimac and Totopec) by 1626. The Tarascan army is greeted as liberators for getting rid of the TA by the locals. The Tlaxcans welcome them with open arms, even if they can't remember what freedom was like.
Coatlimac and Totopec engage in limited conflicts as their armies pour into the TA dominated areas. They face an easy attack as most of the people there are not very loyal to the TA and sense that the old hegemony is crumbling. Both sides begin maneuvering to gain the upper hand, by conquering or making tributaries of as many states as possible. Totopec gains a slim advantage by reaching the TA heartland first.
In 1627 the Tarascan army reaches the edge of the Valley of Mexico. Simultaneously (or close enough, maybe a few days) the Tlacopan rebels against the TA, and with the help of the Tarascan armies reach gain control of the Valley.tenochititlan endures an epic 77 day siege before falling to the combined might of the Tlacopan and the TA.
In the aftermath of the war the TA is dismantled, its western portion being annexed by the Tarascans, the valley going to Tlacopan, which becomes a Tarascan ally. Coatlimac and Totopec gains numerous tributary states in the south and the east, while Tlaxca and Teotitlan become tributaries to the Tarascans as do most of the Atlantic Coastal areas.
Glossary: For the Purposes of this timeline, I will refer to the tribes by their common names and not their names for themselves, unless they overlap. I will also refer to the Aztec state as the Triple Alliance, an alliance of the three city states in the valley of Mexico (Tenochititlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan, in order of power), but use Aztec as an adjective. In Mesoamerican events X, is pronounced as sh (blame the lack of sh in Spanish).
As Per Our Timeline:
1441: Mayapan, the capital of the Northern Yucatan falls. It is replaced by numerous small states.
1490's: Ahuitzotl, 8th Huey Tlatoni (lit. Speaker, External leader of Tenochitilan, The Cihuacoatl is the internal leader, although less influential.) of the City of Tenochitilan and Leader of the Triple Alliance (TA) launches campaigns into the Pacific Coast, south of the TA, conquering the coast from the Empire of the Tarascans (the TA's hated enemy), surrounding the Kingdom of Yopitzinco. He also makes Xoconusco a tributary to the TA.
1502: Ahuitzotl dies and is replaced by his nephew Moctezuma II.
1502-1520: Moctezuma conquers much of the Zapotec areas to the southeast of the TA, leaving only the Coatlimac, the Maya City States, the Tarascan Empire, Teotitlan (an ally of the TA), Tlaxcala (or Tlaxca, which was their capital city) Totopec, and Yopitzinco as free states in Mesoamerica.
1520: Zungua the cacazoni (king) of the Tarascan Empire dies and is replaced by Tangoxuan
The Point of Divergence from our Timeline:
1491: A cataclysm destroys most of Eurasia and parts of North Africa.
In 5500 Years:
1527: Moctezuma dies and is replaced by his brother Cuitlhuac. For his inaugural war he attacks the Tlaxca, with more force than usual for a raid against the Tlaxca. The Tlaxca ask the Tarascans to help them.
1528-1533: Neither side achieves anything near a victory and the conflict only exhausts the Tarascans, the Teotitlans, and gives a lot more sacrifices to Huitziopolitchi.
1534-1537: The Aztecs raid Yopitinco, Totopec, and Coatlimac, but focus on Totopec and Coatlimac.
1535 onwards: Tribute increase levied on the TA tributary states.
1539: Cuitlahuac dies and is replaced by his nephew Chimalli (son of Moctezuma II, non OTL). He organizes a fairly standard raid on Tlaxca but is distracted by...
1540-1544: Zapotec tributary states rebel against the TA in response to the higher tributes levied. They are defeated, but do major damage to the crucial road to Xoconusco, which provides much of the funding for the TA. The TA also begins looking for alternate ways to get to Xocunsco, primarily by sea. Because of this the TA is forced to raise tributes on other states, causing discontent.
1546-1548: Chimalli expands Tenochititlan, building a new bridge and a new palace for himself. On completion he throws a festival and asks the Cacazoni, and the Kings of Coatlimac, Tlaxcala, Teotitlan, Yopitzinco, and Totopec to join him, which they do as a diplomatic event.
1547: The TA begins actively trying to get rid of pirates on its coastlines to clear the profitable routes to the Maya and Xocnusco.
1549: On his way home from Tenochtitlan, the Cacazoni dies and is replaced by Tanguapan. This further heightens tensions between the Empire and the Alliance, as there are numerous rumors that the Cacazoni was murdered in an attempt to weaken the empire. The population of Tenochitilan reaches 500,000; making it the second largest city in the world (Cuzco's slightly bigger, if you include its suburbs).
The Daughter of the King of Yopitzinco marries the favored son of Chimalli, Manauia.
1550-1560: The Yucatec Maya experience an increase in prosperity as trade booms due to the new anti-piracy measures of the TA.
1550 onwards: The Tarascan state evolves into a bureaucracy. Bureaucratic processes increase dramatically
1550-1555: The Tarascans declare war on the TA for the killing of Zungua, and other grievances. The Tlaxca join the Tarascans, hoping to get another chance at beating up the TA. Yopitizinco and Teotitlan also join the Alliance for two reasons proximity 1) Yopitzinco is close to the TA, and 2) the possibility of gaining sovereignty (Teotitlan).
Surprisingly, the Tlaxcans are finally beaten and destroyed by the TA and Teotitlan due to good espionage, having guides to get across the mountains and finally, sheer numbers and training. The Tarascans (with their forts) manage to stop the Aztecs from penetrating too deeply into their territory, but are still defeated. The Tlaxcans become a tributary state, and the Tarascans lose a little bit of territory.
Tlaxca is forced to pay a large amount of tribute, allowing other states’ tribute to be lowered. This averts the economic disaster that was looming, if only for while.
1563-1568: Raids by the Maya groups on the TA's eastern border increase.
1568: Chimalli dies and is replaced by his third cousin (Grandson of Cuitlahuac) Tlanextli.
1569-1578: Tlanextli invades the Maya groups on the edge of the TA. Due to the difficult terrain (Hilly Jungle) the area is only nominally controlled by the TA at the end. Although the TA's soldiers are better trained and better equipped they have difficulty in the area and experience heavy casualties. This is the first place where the tradition of using Tlacopan's (the weakest city in the TA) soldiers as cannon fodder begins, after the tributary soldiers of course. This area becomes a constant black hole for the TA's cocoa beans (cocoa beans the usual monetary item in the TA) and starts the long decline of the TA, even Tlanextli and his court don't know it.
1570:The Cacazoni (Tanguapan) dies and is replaced by Tzitzixuan. Tzitzixuan is very anti-TA and wants to reclaim the glory of the Tarascan Empire after it's defeat by the TA. He is also an ardent supporter of moving the army to a more standardized and Bronze using form.
1570's: Mani, a Yucatec city state, home of the Tutul Xiuh dynasty begins expanding to its west. It establishes alliances with the states of Champutun and Sotuta. The rest becomes tributaries to Mani.
1570-1620: The Tarascans begin a program of economic and ethnic integration. Roads are built through mountain passes, and bandits are cleared out to allow free trade between different areas. Small isolated mountain villages are finally connected to the government, so that bureaucracy can be put upon it. Small minorities are forced to move into other villages and their culture destroyed. This causes some unrest but soldiers are a powerful tool against rebellion.
1573: The Tarascan Empire begins building more canals, forts, and roads to improve its ability to hold it's territory. It also begins trying to establish an idea of what allies it could find against the TA. Totopec is found responsive, because there very afraid of being next on the TA's menu. Tzintzuan reaches a population of 300,000.
1575-1580: the Tarascans expand to along the coast and to the north.
1580-1620: Aztec culture reaches its height. Philosophy becomes a well respected profession and art, and begins the long Mesoamerican tradition of Nihilist and pessimistic philosophical views, while embracing the ancient traditions of death fascination.
1580's: Mani experiences difficulty in the East of the Yucatan and begins consolidating it's power. It receives TA support, because it too has begun destroying the Pirates that plague the area.
1586-1590: The Maya and Zapotecs rebel. They are brutally crushed but this leaves the TA severely weakened. The Ta economy begins to collapse.
1590 onwards: the Caribs, then the Taino, develop a sailed on a canoe, and they begin the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean (The area west of the delta is hardly touched). They raid most heavily on the Yucatan and on the TA's Atlantic coast. This causes a Mesoamerican wide economic collapse as the Yucatan trade (a very critical route) collapses, but even worse hit are the profitable states of the eastern Yucatan, effectively cutting off trade to and from the area south of the Yucatan. Mani profits because it has its major rivals decimated by raiders.
1597-1602: The Tarascans declare war on the TA. The TA wracked by raids and the last rebellion, is defeated by the TA, with their bronze weapons. Start of the Visible decline of the TA. The Tarascan Empire annexes the strip of land south of it.
1603: Both Tzitzixuan and Tlanextli die within three days of each other and are replaced by their sons, Zunguan II and Ahuicatl.
1604-1609: Ahuicatl, for his inaugural war, attacks Totopec. Totpec had been receiving Tarascan aid, including training and bronze in case something like this happened, so the TA is pushed to a draw. This surprised the TA greatly that as weak a nation as Totopec could even bring the TA to a draw..
1604: An Incan convoy (having heard word of another society to the north) reaches Totopec and ushers in sustained contact between the cultures. Over the next 100 years Mesoamerica’s population will reach 60 million. The consequences would be immense for the entire world (or what was left of it). Agricultural advances are a major factor in the population growth. Potatoes allow farming in the poor soil of the high mountains, guinea pigs provided a major new source of protein, as did quinoa (which took longer to catch on), and sweet potatoes formed an important part of the jungle diet from this time onwards.
1605-1620: Yopitzinco distance themselves from the TA.
1606-1609: The Mayas and Zapotec tributary states rebel, followed quickly by the Mixtecs Although the Mixtecs and Zapotec tributary states are put down the Maya finally push off the TA First time the TA loses territory in living memory.
1610's: The TA becomes more centralized, with the core area under direct rule expanding.
1611: Ahuicatl is overthrown in a coup and replaced by Chiamlli II, grandson of Chimalli. Chimalli II is supported by the conservative groups in the kingdom and is more cautious and reactionary then his predecessor.
1612-1614: Chimalli II attacks the Maya states to his east, in a limited fashion. He succeeds, but not with the same rewards his predecessors had with other campaigns.
1616: To fund recent expenditures Tlacopan's share of tribute is reduced from a previous 1/5 to 1/8. This causes a massive uproar within the city, which is only put down when Tenochitilan soldiers arrive. The City government solidifies its stance that the TA needs to go.
1618-1620: Tlacopan and the Tarascans representatives meet up and begin discussing how to end the TA.
1624-1628: The Tarascans invade the TA. Totopec does too, after receiving word of the Tarascan invasion. Coatlimac and Yopitzinco stay neutral for the first year before being attacked by the TA. Yopitzinco also stays neutral for the first year and then is attacked by the Tarascans. Numerous TA tributary states rebel, throwing the TA into chaos. There is an increase in piracy and raids across the areas bordering the TA.
The Tarascans slowly push themselves towards the capital, due to the incredible resistance put up by TA fighters. They have more success along the frontier encircling the TA heartland (along with Coatlimac and Totopec) by 1626. The Tarascan army is greeted as liberators for getting rid of the TA by the locals. The Tlaxcans welcome them with open arms, even if they can't remember what freedom was like.
Coatlimac and Totopec engage in limited conflicts as their armies pour into the TA dominated areas. They face an easy attack as most of the people there are not very loyal to the TA and sense that the old hegemony is crumbling. Both sides begin maneuvering to gain the upper hand, by conquering or making tributaries of as many states as possible. Totopec gains a slim advantage by reaching the TA heartland first.
In 1627 the Tarascan army reaches the edge of the Valley of Mexico. Simultaneously (or close enough, maybe a few days) the Tlacopan rebels against the TA, and with the help of the Tarascan armies reach gain control of the Valley.tenochititlan endures an epic 77 day siege before falling to the combined might of the Tlacopan and the TA.
In the aftermath of the war the TA is dismantled, its western portion being annexed by the Tarascans, the valley going to Tlacopan, which becomes a Tarascan ally. Coatlimac and Totopec gains numerous tributary states in the south and the east, while Tlaxca and Teotitlan become tributaries to the Tarascans as do most of the Atlantic Coastal areas.
