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Estado de Mexico’s Indigenous Past and Present — Indigenous Mexico [1]

['John Schmal']

Date: 2025-08

The Otomí Indians (The Sierra Nahñu)

At the time of the Spanish contact, the Otomíes (who call themselves Nahñu, or Hñahñu) occupied the greater part of Querétaro and smaller parts of Guanajuato, the northwestern portion of Hidalgo and parts of the state of México. At one time, the Otomí held a great deal of power and prestige throughout east central Mexico. However, the rise of the Aztec Empire caused a decline of the Otomíes during the fourteenth Century. Nahñu belongs to the Otopamean language family, a subfamily of the very large Otomanguean Linguistic Group. (Most of the Oaxacan indigenous groups — including the Zapotecs and Mixtecs — belong to this language family.)

It is believed that the Otomí may have been the earliest inhabitants of the Valley of México. They were the only major indigenous group in the Valley of México who spoke a language other than Náhuatl. They had probably arrived in the Valley from the west after the destruction of Tula (circa 1170). Xaltocan, in the northern part of the Valley, was the capital of Otomí Empire during its prime in the mid-Thirteenth Century. However, the Otomí declined in power and prestige during the Fourteenth Century, after having lost wars with the Mexica.

Mazahua

The Mazahua — a principal tribe of the Otomian linguistic family — live in the western portion of the State of México, as well as some adjoining territory in Michoacán, Querétaro and southwestern Hidalgo.

The Mazahua are believed to have been among the original tribes who migrated to central México during the Thirteenth Century. In 1521, Hernán Cortés – after subduing the Mexica – consolidated his power by sending Gonzalo de Sandoval to subdue all resistance among the Aztec neighbors: the Mazahuas, Matlatzincas and Otomies. Very quickly, Gonzalo de Sandoval brought the Mazahua Indians under Spanish control, and the Franciscan missionaries played a prominent role in bringing Christianity to their people.

Matlatzinca

The Matlatzinca Indians inhabited the broad valley that extends from México-Tenochtitlan to the western border of the state of México and today encompasses significant portions of Michoacán, Guerrero and México. The Matlatzinca probably arrived in the Valley around the Sixth Century, but were conquered and incorporated in the Aztec Empire in 1474. The Matlatzinca speak an Otopamean language that is related to Otomí and Mazahua.

The Conquest

After a two-year campaign, Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés ‒ assisted by a coalition of allied indigenous forces ‒ captured Tenochtitlán in August 1521. With the destruction of the Aztec Empire, the territories within it devolved to the control of the Spaniards.

The New Alliance

But the conquest gave way to a new alliance of the surviving Aztecs and the Spaniards. As Spanish military expeditions set out north, south and west of Tenochtitlán, they brought with them their newly converted indigenous allies who served as interpreters, scouts, emissaries, soldiers and settlers. Because of their previous trading and military relationships, the former subjects of the Aztec Empire became invaluable to the Spaniards because of their knowledge of the people living in other areas of Mexico. Thus, the Náhuatl tongue became the other “lingua franca” (besides Spanish) of Mexico. To this day, locations in every corner of Mexico have Náhuatl place names.

The Colonial Period

For three full centuries (1521-1821), México City and the surrounding jurisdiction underwent a period of integration, assimilation, and Hispanization. This period – which is not the focus of this work – has been discussed in many books. One particularly informative source about the cultural and social development of central México is James Lockhart’s The Náhuas after the Conquest: A Social and Cultural History of the Indians of Central México, Sixteenth through Eighteenth Centuries (published in 1992 by the Stanford University Press). Another useful source to consult on this topic would be Charles Gibson’s The Aztecs under Spanish Rule: A History of the Indians of the Valley of México 1519-1810 (published by the Stanford University Press in 1964).

Political Developments

Mexico became a state on October 3, 1824 by the General Congress. However, Mexico would later be apportioned and fragmented successively for the creation of the Federal District in 1823, Guerrero in 1849, as well as Hidalgo and Morelos in 1869.

The 1895 Census

The first national Mexican Census took place on October 20, 1895. The Mexican Census of 1895 provides us with our first window into the prevalence of indigenous languages in the State of Mexico. Out of a population of 842,873 people in 1895, 158,335 spoke an indigenous language, representing 18.8% of the total population of the State. As noted in the table below, Otomí and Mazahua were spoken by seven in ten (70.3%) of the indigenous language speakers.

Indigenous Languages in the State of Mexico: 1895 Census

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[1] Url: https://www.indigenousmexico.org/articles/estado-de-mexicos-indigenous-past-and-present

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