Moctezuma II

9th tlatoani of Tenochtitlan and ruler of the Aztec Triple Alliance (1466-1520)

Moctezuma II, also known as Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin (1466-1520) and often called Montezuma in English, was the Aztec emperor (tlahtoani) from 1502 to 1520. His name comes from the Nahuatl Motecuhzoma, it means "he who is leader because of his fury". In Spanish, he is called Moctezuma.

Moctezuma II
Motecuhzoma Xocoyoti
9th Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan
Ruler of the Aztec Triple Alliance
Moctezuma II in the Codex Mendoza
Reign1502–1520
PredecessorAhuitzotl
SuccessorCuitláhuac
Bornc. 1466
DiedJune 29, 1520 (aged 53–54)
Tenochtitlan
ConsortTeotlalco
Tlapalizquixochtzin
IssueIsabel Moctezuma
Another daughter
Chimalpopoca
Tlaltecatzin
FatherAxayacatl

When Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico in 1519, Moctezuma thought he was the god Quetzalcoatl, and did not want to fight against him. Cortés took Moctezuma prisoner. When the Aztecs wanted Cortés to get out of their capital Tenochtitlan in 1520, Cortes told Moctezuma to calm down his people. When doing that he died. The Spaniards said he was killed by the Aztecs, while the Aztecs said Cortés killed him. The Spanish said that the Aztec people threw rocks at him, killing him. The Aztecs said that they found his body in the streets with a lot of cuts made with a sword after the Spanish left.

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Preceded by
Ahuitzotl
Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan
1502–1520
Succeeded by
Cuitláhuac