Nezahualcoyotl

Nezahualcoyotl was the son of Ixtlilxochitl I, the ruler of Texcoco, and Matlalcihuatzin, the daughter of the Mexica ruler of Tenochtitlan. He was born in 1402 and was named Acolmiztli, meaning "strong jaguar". He later changed his name to Nezahualcoyotl, meaning "hungry coyote", after his father was assassinated by the Tepanec ruler of Azcapotzalco, Tezozomoc, and he had to flee into exile. He spent his youth in hiding and learning from various mentors, including Mexica and Huexotzinco nobles, poets, and priests. He also became a skilled warrior and formed alliances with other city-states against the Tepanec hegemony. In 1428, he joined forces with Itzcoatl of Tenochtitlan and Totoquihuaztli of Tlacopan to defeat the Tepanecs and liberate Texcoco. He then became the ruler of Texcoco and established it as a center of culture, learning, and justice. He reformed the legal system, built schools, libraries, aqueducts, temples, and palaces, and patronized arts and sciences. He was also a prolific poet and philosopher, who composed many poems in Nahuatl on various topics, such as love, nature, politics, and religion. He was a monotheist who believed in a supreme creator god, whom he called Tloque Nahuaque, meaning "the Lord of the Near and the Nigh". He built a temple for this god, where no blood sacrifices were allowed, only flowers and incense. He also respected the religious beliefs of his allies and subjects, and did not impose his faith on them. He was married to several women and had many children, among whom his eldest son and successor, Nezahualpilli, was the most prominent. He died in 1472, at the age of 70, after a long and prosperous reign. He was mourned by his people and his allies, and his poems and deeds were remembered for generations.