If you've never been to Mexico, you might not know about how its states are divided up. That's fair: you learn about your own country's geography much more than you do about others. The major tourist destinations are in fairly large states, like Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Baja California. But what about the smallest state in the country? What's its story?
Situated in the middle of central Mexico is Tlaxcala, the smallest state in the entire country (not counting the independent Mexico City). It takes up only 0.2% of the nation by area, and ranks 28th (out of 31), in terms of population; just over 1.1 million people live there. Most of the economy relies on agriculture, forestry, and livestock. There are also a few light manufacturing sites and two pre-Hispanic sites that bring in tourists. Tlaxcalans are well known for using edible insects in their cooking, such as escamoles (or ant eggs). Squash, cactus, nopal and many different varieties of mushrooms were used.
Humans have occupied the area since at least 12,000 BC; the earliest identified civilization to call the area home was the Tzompantepec, a small band of people who lived there from 1700-1200 BC. Little is known about this initial group, compared to the history of the Aztecs, Mayans and the Tlaxcalans. The first major culture to reside in Tlaxcala was Olmec in origin, but they fell into decline by 900 AD. This central region was ruled by the Chichimecas until the 14th century, when they were forced from the area by the Hahua people. These people called themselves the Tlaxcalans.
The Aztecs had a vast eastern empire, but the Tlaxcalans shared the same lineage as they did. The two groups were in near-constant conflict and war between them was fairly common. The Aztec empire although large, was never able to defeat the their close neighbor Tlaxcala; however, they did surround it, effectively rendering the small city-state an independent enclave, socially and economically cut off from allies to the west.
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mesoamerica in 1519, they began a long and bloody battle with the Aztecs. While the Tlaxcalans initially clashed with the Europeans, the king eventually became impressed with the foreigners' military prowess. Hernan Cortes, the Spanish leader, struck a truce with the Tlaxcalans, asking for help in defeating their common Aztec enemy. The Spaniards promised to exempt Tlaxcala from conquest if the King helped them; they also agreed to share the spoils of war. Under this agreement, the two sides brought down Tenochtitlan in less than a year.
Remarkably, the Spaniards largely kept their promise; the residents were allowed to keep their traditional government and native names, and the city was spared destruction. For the 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, the state remained relatively autonomous; they were forced to convert to Christianity, but they were spared the ransacking and complete conquest that other, larger civilizations experienced. For such a tiny state, Tlaxcala has proven that it can pack a good punch!
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