Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Heads of State of Mexico/ Estados Unidos Mexicanos
(Female suffrage 1923 or 1947 and 1953 right to stand for elections) Independent
1821, an Empire 1862-67 and then a republic
Also
see Mexico Ministers
Caracol
618-34 Politically Influential Queen Mother Lady Batz' Ek'
At the age of 18, she arrived in the centre of Oxwitza in 584, and married king
Knot Ajaw of the Mayan kingdom of Caracol, who had already been in power for 31
years. Her prominence in the sources suggests that she took a very prominent and
politically influential role during the reign of her son K'an II (618-58) until
her own death.
City State of Ecatepec
Around 1500 Queen
Tlapalizquixochtzin
The daughter of Prince Matlaccoatzin
who was son of King Chimalpilli I, she married Emperor Moctezuma II
Tenochtitlan (circa 1466-1520).
Their daughter, Doña
Francisca de Moctezuma, married Don Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin
Ruler of
Ecatepec and Tenochtitlan, who was son of her sister, Tlacuilolxochtzin and his
brother, Tezozomoctli Acolnahuacatl
Palenque (a Mayan Empire at Palenque in the Yucatan)
583-605
Princess Kanal Ikal
Princess Zac-Kuk was the great-granddaughter of Kanal-Ikal and succeeded father,
Aj Ne' ohe. Zak means white and Kuk means quetzal. ak Kuk was a powerful woman.
She manipulated facts to secure her son, Pakal's divine right to rule, thus
restoring her family's reign following a devastating defeat from a neighboring
city. She resigned in his favour, and died in 640.
626-72
Princess Ahpo-Hel
Widow of Zac-Kuk’s son.
677 Snake Lady
She arrived on the very day of one of the greatest victories for the Kan
Kingdom, when Calakmul's major rival for domination of the Maya lowlands, Tikal,
was defeated in battle. This Snake Princess is said to have been the wife of the
local ruler, K'inich Yook (ruled 667-circa 682), who in turn is said to have been
the yajaw, or "vassal of," Yukno'm Ch'e'n II (636-686), the greatest king of
Calakmul. The position of Snake Lady was both significant and politically
influential.
721 Snake Lady Ti'
She came to Sak Nikte' in 721 and is described as the yatan, or "wife of,"
Yuknoom Took' K'awiil, the last great ruler of Calakmul (ruled circa 702-circa 731).
The date of her arrival is most interesting as it falls 26 years after a major
victory by Tikal over Calakmul, in which the power of the Snake Kingdom was
overthrown and its influence in the Petén was seriously curtailed. In addition,
this arrival occurred only a dozen years before another major clash between
Tikal and Calakmul, in which the former again appears to have successful. This
information, in combination with the iconography of the tablet, suggests that
Lady Ti's arrival served to reestablish, after a lengthy absence, the presence
of Calakmul in the Petén. In this light, we can begin to appreciate the pairing
of the Creation and War palanquins, and the role of the Snake Queens at Sak
Nikte'.
The sources indicate that she, as wife of King K'inich Yo'nal Akh II yielded
considerable political power during his reign. She was born as Princess of
Amana.
Circa 1024-circa 1035 Queen Iztacxilotzin
Circa 1368-79 Queen Ehuatl-Ycetzin
Tacuba
Until 1550 Lady Princesa Isabel Xipaguazin Moctezuma
She was daughter of Moctezuma II (1466-1520), who was the last emperor of
the Aztecs (1502-20), who ruled the grand city of Tenochtitlán. She married two conquistadors, Alonso de
Grado and Pedro Gallego de Andrada. King Carlos I of Spain named her Holder for
perpetunity of the Lordship of Tacuba (propietaria "a
perpetuidad" del señorío de Tacuba) - which largely corresponds with the
historic center of the City of México. (d. 1550)
Tecnochtitlan
1349-83
Queen Ilancuetil
Succeeded by her husband, Acamapichtli, the 3rd. king of Tecnochtitlan
1466-72 Female King Atotoztli of Tenochtitlán
(Mexico)
Some sources indicate that she might have acted as tlatoani (King) of the
kingdom during a six-year gap between the reigns of Motecuhzoma I and Axayacatl.
This possibility is raised by the document 'Los Anales de Tula'. Another
document, the 'Relación de la genealogía' goes even further, claiming that
this Atotoztli actually ruled for more than thirty years. The reason so little
is known about her reign because the official Aztec scribes—almost all of whom
were men—neglected to mention the female tlatoani since female rulers were so
uncommon. Thus, rather than mentioning her, most scribes filled this gap between
male kings either by extending the reign of Motecuhzoma I beyond his death, or
by pushing back the beginning of Axayacatl’s reign to a date before his actual
inauguration. Atotoztli or Huitzilxochtzin was daughter of the Aztec emperor
Moctezuma I and Chichimecacihuatzin, the daughter of Cuauhtototzin, the ruler of
Cuauhnahuac. She married Tezozomoc, son of the previous emperor Itzcoatl, and
gave birth to three sons who would later become emperors themselves: Axayacatl,
Tizoc, and Ahuitzotl.
1666
Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of Tecnochtitlan, the II
Condesa de Moctezuma
This person might also be a man
1696-1701
Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of
Tecnochtitlan Doña Maria Geronima Tesifon de Moctezuma y
Jofre de Loaysa , III.
Condesa de Moctezuma
The daughter of Diego Luis de Moctezuma, 2. Conde de Moctezuma and Luisa Joffre
de Loaysa Carrillo, she was married to Don Jose Sarmiento Valladares, Viceroy of Mexico
(1697-1701
1701-circa
17 Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of Tecnochtitlan Doña
Fausta Domenga Sarmiento de Vallardares y Moctezuma, IV Condesa de Moctezuma
Succeeded by her sister - or half cousin.
Circa
1717-34 Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of Tecnochtitlan Doña
Melchora Juana Sarmiento Moctezuma, V Condesa de Moctezuma
1734-35 Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of Tecnochtitlan Doña
Teresa Nieto de Silva y Moctezuma, VI Condessa de Moctezuma de Tultengo
She was a decendant of a sister of the 2nd Conde/Condesa. Grandesa de Epaña and
III. Marquesa de Tenebron, Vizcondesa de Ilucán. Married to Don Gaspar Antonio
de Oca Sarmiento. She lived (1669-1701)
1779-99
Titular Head of the Moctezuma Dynasty of the Kingdom of
Tecnochtitlan Doña Clara de Oca y Mendoza, IX Condesa de Moctezuma
Also VI Marquesa de Tenebron. Succeeded brother and died unmarried. Succeeded by
relative. The family lived in Spain for many years.
Tepetlaoxtoc
Before 1519 Queen Regnant Azcasuch of Tepetlaoxtoc
Also known as
or Azcaxóchitl, she was
was Cihuatlatoani (queen) of the pre-Colombian Acolhua altepetl of Tepetlaoztoc
in the Valley of Mexico, in succession to her husband,
Cocopin, and she was succeeded by her grandson, Diego Tlilpotonqui, who ruled
when the Spanish arrived in 1519. She was daughter of
daughter of King Nezahualcoyotl of Texoco, (1431-1472)
Xochimilco
13?? Queen Tlaxco Cihuapilli
Yucatán
1550-82 Adelantada Catalina Montejo
She inherited the title jointly with her husband, Alonso Maldonado. After his
death she was in charge of the area alone.
Last update 24.03.08