can anyone tell me about the Tarascans? I understand that their metalwork was better than the Aztecs and surrounding states, but finding more about them seems quite difficult
They spoke a language isolate which some have seen as originating in Peru. It's an interesting theory because the Tarascans seems to have a number of cultural links to the Andes like their metalwork and the use of axe-monies, but as far as I know most scholars don't support it. Still, their contacts with South America are definitely real and interesting to read about.
I don't know any more about them then that though.
>>1171339
The Aztecs knew them as the Michoaca. Other names call them the Huacanace. The Spaniards called them Tarascans. The word Tarascan comes from a Spanish misunderstanding of the word ‘Tarascue’ which means “son in-law”. Since the Spaniards heard them use this word they assumed it was the name they gave themselves. It was actually a reference to the Spaniards’ taking of indigenous girls i.e. “their daughters”. It’s not known what they called themselves at the time, but nowadays the P'urépecha refer to themselves as that - P'urépecha. The name P'urépecha means, 'the commoners’ or 'the people’.
Their capital was Tzintzuntzan, located near Lake Pátzquaro and surrounded by other important cities like Ihuatzio and Pátzquaro. They BTFO the Aztecs in the late 1400s when the Aztec tlatoani Axayacatl tried to invade them. And by the time of the Spanish invasions, the P'urépecha Empire had already began conquering Aztec territory in Guerrero.
Their true origins are still a matter of debate. Their most important document, a manuscript called the Relación de Michoacán explains how they’re people came from a mixture between Chichimec nomads from the north, with the inhabitants near Lake Pátzquaro. They arrived sometime in the Early Postclassic (900-1250). From here, they established their settlement called Zacapu. The founder of the lineage who ruled the P'urépecha was a man named Iréticátame. He and his future descendents were said to rule in place of their solar, fiery deity, Curícaueri . Iréticátame’s wife, likewise was the Sun’s wife, the Moon Xaratanga. They honored Curícaueri and Xaratanga by burning firewood and sending them the scented smoke which also connected their people with the divine (sky) where they resided. Collecting firewood was an obligatory task due to its tremendous religious significance, and the P'urépecha still regard their forests and mountains as sacred places today as well.
>>1172235
Iréticátame’s lineage was known as the Uacúsecha or Eagle dynasty. This lineage lasted until the Spanish invasion. Following Iréticátame, came Sicuírancha; following him came Pauácame and Uápeani (the Chichimec lords), and following them came Curátame. After Curátame’s rule, the lineage split between two founders named Pauácame II and Uápeani II. Following Pauácame II, came Taríacuri. Taríacuri was the man who unified the Lake towns and cities and moved the settlement of Zacapu to Tzintzuntan. He was the son of a Chichimec lord and the daughter of a local fisherman of Lake Pátzquaro. He would became the first Irecha (ruler) around the year 1300 - and this was the beginning of their kingdom.
Taríacuri’s children were placed to govern the three major cities of Tzintzuntzan, Ihuatzio and Pátzquaro. They mixed within their own lineage with one of their Chichimec ancestor’s (Uapeani II) descendents. Taríacuri died roughly around 1350, leaving his son Hinguingaje, to rule. Most of Hinguingaje’s lineage was considered of ill-repute however, and many were probably murdered/killed. Following him, the next Irecha was his nephew, Hiripan, who ruled until 1430.
>>1172256
The next Irecha, Hiripan’s brother, Tangáxoan, further empowered Tzintzuntzan and made it the center of power in the P'urépecha Triple Alliance (Tzintzuntzan, Ihuatzio and Pátzquaro) . Similar to how the Mexica made Mexico-Tenochtitlan the most powerful city of their Triple Alliance that also included Texcoco and Tlacopan. Interestingly, Tzintzuntzan means “Place of Hummingbirds”. And they were guided to found this city by Tzintzuquixu or “Hummingbird of the South”. Tangáxoan died in 1454, leaving his reign to Tzitzipandáquare who ruled until 1479. It was during his reign that the kingdom became more of an empire and it reached its greatest extent, conquering part of Guanajuato in the north, the Nahua and Matlazinca lands to the east and the ports of Zacatula to the west, along the Pacific coast. This particular port was important as it maintained ties with seafaring traders from the south. Around this time, the Mexican Tlatoani Axayacatl heard the grievances of the Tlatoani of Toluca who was worried of the growing Purepecha expansion. Axayacatl now had his excuse to invade the P'urépecha empire. This would prove to be a fatal mistake.
Although the P'urépecha kingdom was more of a “rural empire”, due to being less urbanized than Central Mexico, it was still a very powerful state, capable of holding back the Aztecs. And though the P'urépecha empire was smaller in size, they were the Aztecs’ greatest rival. The Aztec Tlatoani Axayacatl, who is most known for invading his neighboring city of Tlatelolco had long coveted to incorporate P'urépecha lands and it’s resources. Following the request of the Tlatoani of Toluca, he sent 30,000-24,000 elite troops to invade the P'urépecha Empire in 1478. And although his forces were making advancements, they were repelled in a famous battle in Charo.
>>1172300
There, the P'urépecha nearly annihilated the Aztec army. Even the nobles and elite warriors (the famous Eagle knights) were all captured or killed. To Axayacatl’s horror only 2000 troops returned home in humiliating defeat. This was probably the Aztecs worst defeat in their history (until the arrival of the Spaniards) and it stopped any ambitions for trying to expand their empire west. But it did not end their hostilities.
The P'urépecha on the other hand ultimately lost the Salitre or Saltpeter War even with a unified force of other people (Tecuexes, Caxcanes and Coca) against Colima on the Pacific coast. They were soundly defeated in the Battle of Tlajomulco in the 1480’s. The people of Colima and Jalisco were able to retain their independence from the P'urépecha. This war also cost the P'urépecha Empire their recent acquisition of Zacatula, as they were expelled from the Colima lands altogether.
>>1172330
–Anawalt, Patricia Rieff. 1998. “They Came to Trade Exquisite Things Ancient West Mexican-Ecuadorian Contacts.” Ancient West Mexico Art and Archeology of the Unknown Past, 233-242.
–Anawalt, Patricia Rieff. 1990.Indian Clothing Before Cortes: Costumes From the Codices.
–Bernardino de Sahagún. 1590.Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain. (vol 10) trans. Charles E. Dibble and Arthur J. O Anderson. (1950-1982).
–Corona Nuñez, José. 1958. Relaciones geográficas de la diocesis de Michoacán 1579-80. Colección “Siglo XVI”
–Jerónimo de Acalá. 1540. Relación de Michoacán
-Stone, Cynthia L. 2004. In Place of Gods and Kings: Authorship and Identity in the Relación de Michoacán.
-Heath, Ian. 2009. Armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, Other Native Peoples of The Americas, and the Conquistadores: Organisation, Warfare, Dress and Weapons: 2 (Armies of the Sixteenth Century)
>>1172524
The wars with the Aztecs continued under the Tlatoani Ahuizotl, mostly with the help of people neighboring the P'urépecha like the Matlazinca (whom the Aztecs also displaced). The border between the empries was particularly militarized. The Cutzmala garrison for instance held up to 10,000 warriors - as a testament to this hostile era. Most of the fighters however, were allies of either side or people living within the borders of the two superpowers. These people include the Otomi, Matlazinca, Mazahua, Escamoeche, Tepuzteca, Chontal (not from Oaxaca), and Cuitlateca. In addition, the Aztecs also instigated and aided many rebellions by conquered people living within the P'urépecha Empire. The P'urépecha fired back in 1515, by giving the Aztecs another blow at Indaparapeo, where they suffered another defeat. Interestingly, despite all this there was still trade between the two empires. This trade was largely a black market where things were secretly exchanged between the two sides (likely smuggled across the border). And the P'urépecha Emperor or Irecha also attended the inauguration parties of the new Aztec Emperors.
During the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire. In an act of desperation, the Aztecs sent emissaries to the P'urépecha Irecha to offer an alliance against the Spaniards and their allies. The combined forces of the Totonacs, Tlaxcaltecs and Spaniards was proving too much for the Triple Alliance to handle on their own and to help even the odds, the Aztecs offered an alliance with the Irecha.
>>1172590
The Irecha, who was Tangáxoan II, however, rejected this proposal and killed the Mexican emissaries. One of his reasons for doing so was because he criticized the Mexica for only giving their Gods songs and not firewood, like the P'urépecha did. He thought this was a useless offering for the Gods. Cortes also sent word to the Irecha for an alliance against the Aztecs, however, he was rejected as well. Instead, they remained neutral at least until 1522.
From the razed city of Tenochtitlan, Cortes sent emissaries who exchanged gifts with the P'urépecha Irecha Tangáxoan II. When Cortes received some gold as part of his gifts, his interests in the region suddenly peaked. He immediately sent Cristobal de Olid with a small army of Tlaxcaltecs and conquistadors to Tzintzuntzan. Fearing that his Empire would be devastated and his capital sacked the same way that occurred in Tenochtitlan with the Aztecs - he decided to not put up any resistance at all, despite having an army of up to 100,000 troops. This was greatly opposed by some of the nobles but for not doing anything, Tangáxoan II was allowed to remain as a ruler to his people even though Cortes also claimed to be their ruler. It should be noted that the Irecha was also dealing with an outbreak of diseases brought on by the Europeans.
>>1172834
When Cortes found out that he was not receiving the full tribute payments from the Irecha, he conspired with a noble named Cuinierángari to kill Tangáxoan II. In 1530 Tangáxoan II surrendered and was later strangled, tied to a stake and burned. And so ended the last Irecha, with the help of Cuinierángari and the ruthless conquistador Nuño de Guzmán who’d been sent to Michoacán. Nuño de Guzmán was particularly famous for his cruelty. There was however some factions who fought the Spaniards after the Irecha’s death. The most famous one is probably folk legend, Princess Erendira. She was said to learn to ride a captured Spanish horse and lead troops to battle with her father (perhaps the brother of Tangáxoan II). What became of her is unknown but it’s thought she committed suicide or died some other way after her father died.
After the death of the last free Irecha (Tangáxoan II), the P'urépecha Empire was no more. In addition, the diseases carried by the Europeans continued to devastate the local population. From then on a series of puppet rulers were installed until it gradually became a part of “New Spain”. Although their empire is no more, the P'urépecha people remain in the Mexican states of Michoacán (and a few others in Jalisco and Guanajuato) nowadays. The name Michoacán comes from Nahuatl which means “Place of Fishermen”, a name given by the Aztecs to the P'urépecha, who fished in Lake Pátzquaro. Today the P'urépecha number at about 175,000 people in Mexico and small immigration communities in the United States.
>>1172842
The P'urépecha’s uniqueness in culture can clearly be seen in their fashiontoo when compared to other Mesoamerican peoples. The males for example wear a hip cloth, not a loincloth; the females where a short skirt with no top, as opposed to huipils (blouse) and medium-full length skirts. Even the checkered designs on their clothes is unique. One theory is that they’re people may have some ancestry shared with people that came from South America - or perhaps at least had extensive trade with them. Specifically, from the Manabi Provincial coast of Ecuador. If such a migration took place it would have occurred along the Pacific coast. The closest other Mesoamerican link in terms of clothing can be found in Nayarit in figurines from Ixtlán del Río (Anawalt, 1998).But these are over 1000 years before the P'urépecha.
At an even earlier time period however, in Ecuador, figurines with similar clothes appears in the Manabi Province. Similarities around the same time as the clothes from Ixtlán del Río also occurs in the Los Esteros site in Ecuador. Even the clothes checkered pattern of Ixtlán del Río and later the P'urépecha appears in Ecuador in examples from the Guangala-Manteña phase (C.E. 700-800) and the Milagro-Quevedo phase (C.E. 400-1500’s). Obviously P'urépecha style clothing was popular and older in the Andean Cultures (checkered patterns also occur in Inca tunics). And because P'urépecha style clothing does not occur anywhere else, in any time of Mesoamerica there is a strong suspicion that the style originated from Ecuador. (ibid.) Similar clothes also appears on a site on the Pacific coast of Panama - perhaps migrants which stayed behind? It is also interesting to point out that their language has some similarities with Quechua spoken among the Andean cultures of South America like anon above mentioned. Furthermore Spanish documents indicate that strange traders from faraway lands came to trade in the ports of Zacatula.
>>1172880
Pic related shows what women wore. They're in the Guatepario, where the royal women lived and some also served as palace guards of the Emperor.
>>1172880
>Quechua
But that's wrong.
>>1173109
It could be, it's just a theory anyway.
Great thread
