massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan

E121005

The massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan was a brutal 1520 attack by Spanish conquistadors and their allies on unarmed Aztec nobles and priests during a religious festival, which ignited a major uprising against the Spanish in the Aztec capital.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical event ⓘ
massacre ⓘ
war crime ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Tóxcatl massacre ⓘ
massacre in the Great Temple ⓘ
massacre of the Templo Mayor ⓘ
matanza del Templo Mayor ⓘ
approximateCasualties hundreds of Aztec nobles and priests killed ⓘ
causeOf Aztec rebellion against Spanish occupation ⓘ
uprising in Tenochtitlan against the Spanish ⓘ
chronologicalRelation occurred before La Noche Triste ⓘ
occurred during absence of Hernán Cortés from Tenochtitlan ⓘ
commander Pedro de Alvarado ⓘ
commanderSide Spanish forces in Tenochtitlan ⓘ
context Spanish occupation of Tenochtitlan in 1519–1520 ⓘ
countryAtTime Aztec Empire ⓘ
culturalSignificance symbol of Spanish brutality in Mesoamerican conquest ⓘ
turning point in Aztec–Spanish relations ⓘ
date May 1520 ⓘ
historicalSource Bernal Díaz del Castillo ⓘ
Florentine Codex ⓘ
Fray Bernardino de Sahagún ⓘ
location Templo Mayor ⓘ
Tenochtitlan ⓘ
Valley of Mexico ⓘ
mainBelligerent Spanish conquistadors ⓘ
Tlaxcalan allies of the Spanish ⓘ
linked to: Tlaxcalans
method surprise attack with swords and lances ⓘ
motivationAscribedByIndigenousSources Spanish greed for gold and desire to eliminate Aztec nobility ⓘ
motivationAscribedBySpaniards fear of Aztec attack during the festival ⓘ
partOf Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire ⓘ
perpetrator Spanish soldiers under Pedro de Alvarado ⓘ
Tlaxcalan warriors allied to the Spanish ⓘ
linked to: Tlaxcalans
presentDayLocation Mexico City ⓘ
relatedTo Hernán Cortés ⓘ
Moctezuma II ⓘ
religiousContext Tóxcatl festival ⓘ
festival of Tezcatlipoca ⓘ
result breakdown of relations between Aztecs and Spaniards ⓘ
precursor to La Noche Triste ⓘ
siege of the Spanish quarters in Tenochtitlan ⓘ
target unarmed participants in a religious ceremony ⓘ
victim Aztec nobles ⓘ
Aztec priests ⓘ
linked to: Aztec priesthood

unarmed Aztec celebrants ⓘ
year 1520 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Pedro de Alvarado → notableWork → massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan ⓘ
massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan → alsoKnownAs → Tóxcatl massacre ⓘ
linked to: massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan
massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan → alsoKnownAs → massacre of the Templo Mayor ⓘ
linked to: massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan
massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan → alsoKnownAs → matanza del Templo Mayor ⓘ
linked to: massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan
massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan → chronologicalRelation → occurred before La Noche Triste ⓘ
linked to: massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan
Jean Charlot → notableWork → The Massacre in the Main Temple (Massacre in the Templo Mayor) ⓘ
linked to: massacre at Tóxcatl in Tenochtitlan