Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl Acolmiztli (Classical Nahuatl: Nezahualcoyōtl [nesawalˈkojoːtɬ], ), "Fasting Coyote" (April 28, 1402 – 1472) was tlatoani (king) of the Acolhua altepetl (city-state) of Texcoco from 1431 to his death in 1472, in pre-Columbian Mexico. He is noted for his achievements as a philosopher (tlamatini), warrior, architect, legislator and poet, earning him the nickname of "the Poet-King" (Rey Poeta, in Spanish). In his lifetime, he was also known by his poetic nickname Yoyontzin. His difficult younger years following his father's assassination, and his efforts to reconquer his realm after being taken over by the powerful Tepanec Empire turned him into a hero in pre-Columbian society. In order to defeat the Tepanec Empire, and its ruler Maxtla, he formed an alliance with the tlatoque (kings) of Mexico-Tenochtitlan and Tlacopan (Itzcoatl and Totoquihuaztli I), becoming one of the founders of the Aztec Triple Alliance, commonly known as the Aztec Empire. His odyssey has captured the public imagination, which has been compared to the Shakespearean story of Prince Hamlet, albeit he remains an enigmatic figure, due to the lack of sources from his own lifetime or from his contemporaries.

He was the legitimate son of Ixtlilxochitl I, the king of Texcoco who declared war on the Tepanec Empire approximately in 1415. Nezahualcoyotl was declared crown prince soon after the war started, and about four years later, when he was just 16 years old, he witnessed his father being assassinated by Tepanec warriors while attempting to flee Texcoco. Nezahualcoyotl spent several years of his life in exile, seeking refuge in Tlaxcallan and Tenochtitlan and evading assassination attempts. Following the death of the Tepanec emperor Tezozomoc, Maxtla took the throne and attempted to assassinate Nezahualcoyotl on multiple occasions, unsuccessfully. When Chimalpopoca, king of Tenochtitlan (and Nezahualcoyotl's uncle), was assassinated in 1427, Itzcoatl, his successor, launched a revolution to end Tepanec rule over Mexico. He and Nezahualcoyotl formed an alliance to defeat the Tepanecas, and after a series of combats, they managed to overthrow Maxtla, killing him and destroying the Tepanec Empire. With Itzcoatl's support, Nezahualcoyotl formally took Texcoco's throne in 1431, beginning a period of prosperity that would last until the 16th century.

He is credited with starting Texcoco's golden age. During his reign, Nezahualcoyotl led the construction of massive and impressive engineering projects, with a particular focus on hydraulic engineering, building aqueducts, flood-preventing structures and botanical gardens which worked for the benefit of the population of the Valley of Mexico for decades after his death. The remains of the botanical gardens of Texcotzingo serve as physical evidence of the impressive engineering skill and appreciation for nature the people of Texcoco developed during his rule. He also established a Hammurabi-like legal system consisting of 80 laws addressing matters such as robbery, adultery, military misconduct and more. Through conquest, Nezahualcoyotl managed to expand his realm's territory beyond that which his predecessors had ruled; his conquests were done along side the conquests of the rulers of Tenochtitlan (Itzcoatl, Moctezuma I and Axayacatl). Texcoco became a respected nation by its neighbors in the Valley of Mexico, being observed as a hub of intellectuals, engineers and legal experts, though the violence of his conquests is reflected in songs from the regions he attacked.

Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nezahualcoyotl_(tlatoani)