Name Nezahualpilli Nezahualpilli Reign 1473–1515 Role Nezahualcoyotl's son Predecessor Nezahualcoyotl Died 1515 | Parents Nezahualcoyotl Father Nezahualcoyotl | |
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Issue CacamaMany other children Children Cacamatzin, Ixtlilxochitl II Grandparents Ixtlilxochitl I, Matlalcihuatzin Great-grandparents Huitzilihuitl, Techotlalatzin Similar People Nezahualcoyotl, Cacamatzin, Tlacaelel, Ilancueitl | ||
Abre el Jardín Aviario Nezahualpilli
Nezahualpilli (Nahuatl for "fasting prince"; 1464–1515, modern Nahuatl pronunciation ) was ruler (tlatoani) of the Mesoamerican city-state of Texcoco, elected by the city's nobility after the death of his father, Nezahualcoyotl, in 1472.
Like his father, he was a poet, was considered a sage, and had the reputation of being a fair ruler. Only one of his poems survives: "Icuic Nezahualpilli yc tlamato huexotzinco" ("Song of Nezahualpilli during the war with Huexotzinco"). His court was a haven for astronomers, engineers, and soothsayers. During his reign, he abolished capital punishment for a number of crimes and struggled to keep the political independence of Texcoco during the increasing centralization of Aztec power in Tenochtitlán.
When he told Moctezuma II that the Texcocan wise men had foretold foreign dominion over the Valley of Mexico, the emperor challenged him to a ball game. Moctezuma considered the loss of the game a negative omen.
He married a daughter of Ahuitzotl only to later have her executed. Her public improprieties and high social status qualified her for a punishment that would not have been applicable to someone of a lower status. He was said to have taken numerous consorts and fathered 144 children.
Nezahualpilli was succeeded by his son Cacama.
