Cocozca II
| Emperor Cocozca II | ||||||||
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The Emperor Cocozca II, Grand Speaker of the Aztec People, has the rare distinction of being among the most important of rulers of Otiacicoh. His legacy included many of the reforms that transformed Otiacicoh from a bronze-age backwater to the modern state which is seen today. Such attempts at modernization were to ultimately result in the Emperor's assassination, though not before his reforms had been firmly planted in Otiacicohan culture.
Contents
Early Life
It is of supreme irony to the historian that Cocozca, the great reforming emperor, was originally never destined for the throne. Whilst he was the eldest son of the Emperor Mamexi I, it was commonly believed in New Tenochtitlan that the throne would be passed to his half-brother Popopoyotl. Popopoyotl had the making of a great warrior Emperor, being both tall (by Aztec standards) and athletic. Since the Royal Council, more commonly referred to by Western Historians as the Assembly of the Notables, consisted mainly of military officers, Popopoyotl's accession was almost guaranteed. Cocozca, in order to remove himself from the inevitable machinations of Court (and also, some might say, to save his skin should his half-brother decide that no other rivals could be tolerated), proposed to his father that he might travel the world. For the insular society of ancien regime Otiacicoh, such a request was unusual in the extreme. That Mamexi agreed at all to such a bold plan, historians conclude, was probably due to the influence of Cocozca's mother, Queen Uacalxochitl. With his father's reluctant blessing, Cocozca left the port of New Tenochtitlan on 30 March, 1717 at the age of 20.
The Grand Tour
Exact details of Cocozca's movements during the ten years he was absent from the Island of Otiacicoh is difficult to ascertain. The prince was, after all, not supposed to be in line for the throne and thus not worthy of having his movements chronicled. Some say that the Emperor's reforms were inspired by a visit to St. Petersburg and an audience with Peter the Great. Most scholars, however, dismiss a personal meeting for the Tsar due to Peter's death in 1725 and the subsequent difficulty in travel during the early eighteenth century. What does seem clear, though, is that Cocozca did meet with the Pantocratorian Emperor Manuel the Frank and toured Europe. Such experiences were to radically alter the young man's perception of his native land. The Crowned Heads of Europe ruled over advanced and (for the most part) tolerant subjects. His father, in contrast, ruled over a cold and wet island that still practised human sacrifice. Fortunately for Otiacicoh, these aspirations were not to be lost but were to be put to practical use following the death of Popopoyotl.
Ascension/Election to the Throne
Popopoyotl's desire for military glory was, ultimately, to lead to his downfall. Popopoyotl had already proven his strategic abilities in a successful raid on modern-day California in 1720 when he decided to raid again in 1726. The Spanish settlers, however, were prepared on this occasion and Aztec forces met with serious causalities. More important to the history of Otiacicoh, though, was the young prince's contraction of dysentery while on campaign. Popopoyotl was to die outside modern-day Anaheim in July 1726 and the line of succession (if one can exist with an elected monarchy) passed to Cocozca. News reached the heir apparent while staying in Florence in March 1727 and the prince finally arrived back at New Tenochtitlan in December of that year. The now-elderly Emperor Mamexi was to live until 1731, after which the Royal Council appointed Cocozca as the new monarch.
Rule until the War of the Madonna
The new emperor, now aged 34, had taken care to conceal the extent of his Europeanization from the members of the Royal Council since he probably acknowledged the fact that they were social conservatives. Following his enthronement, however, the Great Speaker quickly showed his true colours. The new principals of Absolutism, which he had seen at first hand in New Rome and Paris, were applied to the complex pattern of feudal-urban ties that made-up the majority of government during this time. Such actions, over time, were to provoke the anger of the nobility and the urban elites, but during the early part of the reign of Cocozca they were not sufficiently powerful to object. The first controversial reform was the Declaration of Zolton that was issued in 1736. Zolton, the chief priest at the temple in New Tenochtitlan, had drafted his declaration in order to answer questions of clerical corruption in New Tlacopán. Using sources from Jewish and Christian theology, though, Zolton was also to construct the first official objection to human sacrifice. Summarised briefly, the declaration questioned the bodily sacrifice of prisoners and slaves as a means of appeasing and honouring the bodily sacrifices made by the gods. Zolton, and also the Emperor, instead proposed that faith was much more deserving to the deities than hearts. While not a radical document by today's standards, the Declaration did signify the starting point for the reformation of Aztec religion. The next major reform was the foundation of the Calmecac of Nanauatzin in 1742. This new institution, with its emphasis upon European Classical Learning, was to aggravate the elites even more than the actions of Zolton. The supposed discovery of a painting of the Madonna at the calmecac in 1749 was to ignite the long-standing tensions and start a civil war.
The War and the Assassination
The War of the Madonna was to last for seven long years, with many deaths, before final battle at Xalli Field in June 1756. While not the crushing defeat of the rebel forces that many desired, it was of sufficient worth to signal victory celebrations in the capital. Cocozca was to demonstrate during the War that his sojourn in Europe was of greater importance than copying modes of government. The young man also brought new tactics and gunpowder to the island, and was to demonstrate the deadly effectiveness of this on numerous occasions. While by no means a gifted military commander, prone to indecision and sieges rather than lightening strikes, Cocozca was able to achieve a victory of sorts at Xalli Field. Celebrations, however, were short-lived. The priest Ixtlilxochitl, regarding the Emperor a heretic, was to stab him in the stomach on the evening of 1 August 1756 while at a banquet. While quickly killed by nearby guards, the attack proved to be fatal and the Emperor expired within the early afternoon of the next day. Lacking any children of his own, safe for his daughter Matlalcihuatzin, the Royal Council elected his cousin Nopalxochitl as Emperor on 3 August, 1756
The Emperor's Legacy Today
Cocozca II remains a controversial figure in the history of Otiacicoh. Some argue that the Emperor's reforms were necessary, especially the attempt to end human sacrifice and the creation of a modern school of learning. Others, however, believe that the Emperor was too-influenced by Europe and his attempts to 'reform' the island was in order to create 'A Venice in the Pacific'. The monarch himself had a complex personality, prone to mood-swings and indecision, which led many to conclude that he was Machiavellian by nature. Regardless of this, Cocozca II tops many polls as the Empire's most influential, if not exactly well-loved, ruler.
| Preceded by: Maxexi I |
Hueyi Tlatoani of Otiacicoh 1731-1756 |
Succeeded by: Nopalxochitl |
