page_36 < previous page page_36 next page > Page 36 america, or, alternatively, does it run counter to traditional patterns? The point needs no stressing that the two aims of military expeditions throughout the region were the exaction of tribute and the taking of prisoners for sacrifice. Xayacamachan, ruler of Huexotzingo, who reportedly led his contingent, was by all accounts a powerful monarch; in the Valley of Puebla-Tlaxcala he conquered peoples who became his tributaries, as reported by several sources. 59 But, quite apart from the fact that the Huexotzingans maintained good relations with the Tepanecs, it is hard to find any cause for him to join in a localized struggle in the Valley of Mexico, a region in which he had no tributaries or other involvements. No evidence exists that Huexotzingo obtained either booty or prisoners from Azcapotzalco; on the contrary, detailed accounts survive of how the Mexicas took everything, including the Tepanecs' land, for themselves. Therefore, one increasingly suspects that Huexotzingo's military contribution was more nominal than real and that the Mexicas themselves, rather than their allies, bore the brunt of the fighting. TenochtitlÃÄ„n-Tlatelolco at that time had fewer resources than Azcapotzalco. But by sheer determination the Mexicas made up for any other shortcomings. In particular, they cleverly exploited Tepanec weaknesses and disunity. Following the death of Tezozomoc, Maxtla, the new ruler of Azcapotzalco, was a mere usurper, and unlike the Tenochcan Itzcoatl, he was more adept at making enemies than friends. Under his rule the Tepanec camp was rent with dissension; not only did the Tepanec city of Tlacopan take the Mexica side, but also, even more importantly, Maxtla failed to secure the support of other leading Tepanec centers such as CoyoacÃÄ„n, allowing CoyocÃÄ„n to be defeated singly after the collapse of Azcapotzalco. The Tepanec empire was the creation of Tezozomoc, and he left no heir capable of holding it together. It is not, therefore, altogether surprising that the insurgent Mexicas, ruled by a resolute monarch and backed by other well-tried leaders, such as the future Moctezuma I, were able to overthrow a once powerful polity, now divided against itself. To follow the thread of these momentous events, step by step, is no easy task, since, as constantly stressed, the sources present so many contradictions. The criticism can always be leveled against any attempt, however painstaking and thorough, that it errs in treating these sources  < previous page page_36 next page >