Xochimilco

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Xochimilco IPA: [so.tʃi.ˈmil.ko] (Nahuatl xóchitl = flower; milli = cultivated field) is one of the sixteen delegaciones within Mexican Federal District. It is located south from Mexico City. To the north it has borders with Coyoacán, Tlalpan and Iztapalapa; to the west with Tláhuac; and to the southeast with Milpa Alta. It covers an area of 122 km^2; it is the third biggest delegación.

Xochimilco is better known for its extended series of canals — all that remains of the ancient Lake Xochimilco. Xochimilco has kept its ancient traditions, even tough its proximity to Mexico city influence that area to urbanize. Movies like Maria Candelaria (1940), have given that area the reputation of been romantic, all inhabitants travelling in colourful trajineras (Xochimilco boats) between chinampas covered with flowers.

Nowadays, agriculture is a minor activity in the area, nonetheless it is still very important. Today canals represent only a small fraction of what they used to be. Chinamperia (chinampa related activities) was declared patrimony of humanity by UNESCO, along with the city centre of Mexico city in 1987. However, in two occasions the city almost lost it because of decreasing quality of the area and the threat of the growing capital city.

1 History
2 Xochimilco canals
3 External link

[edit] History

[edit] Precolonial

First settlements are dated around the late Pre-Classic period (B.C.200-A.D.250). This suggests that their culture was related to that of Cuicuilco, one of the first urban settlements south of the Valley of Mexico.

However, just as with the rest of the valley, during the classical period most of the population concentrated in the city of Teotihuacan, northeast of Texcoco Lake. Most of the Xochimilco territory was abandoned and subject to the city of the gods (Teotihuacan). After the falling of Teotihuacan, the Xochimilco area welcomed some of their inhabitants along with other Chichimec tribes from the north of Mesoamerica. Chichimecs abandoned their original places because of a severe drought at the end of the classical period. Also, Chichimecs had recently received an increased number of immigrants from northern Mesoamerican tribes, whose culture was nomadic and bellicose.

One of the migrant tribes that arrived to Xochimilco was the Xochimilcas, they penetrated into the heart of Mesoamerica between the 10th and 14th century. They founded the ceremonial centre of Cuailama in the 10th century (nowadays Santa Cruz Acalpixca). A number of prehispanic hieroglyphs in the vicinity mountain range have been found, which are believed to be related to ceremonial rituals. Xochimilcas extended along Xochimilco lakeshore and the isles of Tláhuac and Mixquic towards the mountain range of Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin.

It is believed that the Xochimilcas invented the chinampa and founded the city of Xochimilco. It has also been suggested that it was just an improvement to a technique previously introduced; the technological peak was achieved during the 11th and 14th century thanks to Nahuatlacas tribes. Chinampa is an agricultural practice originally from lake regions in the centre of Mexico. They were built by accumulating mud at them bottom of the lake during low tides.

Mexicas considered like relatives many of the neighbouring towns of the Valley of Mexico lakes, sharing the same mythic origin (Chicomoztoc). Legend has it, that after leaving Aztlán, Mexicas were accompanied by a tribe whose glyph identifies Xochimilco. However, when the Mexicas arrived to the Valley of Mexico, Xochimilcas were already established in the south. Mexicas declared war to chinampa towns of Xochimilco and Tláhuac because they were mercenaries of Coxcox, culhuacan's tlatoani (Nowadays Iztapalapa). In 1323 Mexicas defeated Xochimilco’s tlatoani, Acatonalli, and joined Culhuacan politics; they were now free from Culhua control. Ilancueitl, Coxcox's daughter, was given as a bride to Mexicas ruler as an alliance symbol. However, Mexicas gave her in sacrifice to Xipe Totec, and this renewed hostilities with Culhuacan, which allied with Tecpanecas from Azcapotzalco and defeated Mexicas in 1367.

In 1376, the Mexicas conquered Xochimilco again — once they were established in Tenochtitlan under tecpanecas rule —, however this time Xochimilco was annexed to the Azcapotzalco territory. Despite their alliance with Tecpanecas, Mexicas allied with Texcoco in order to start a war with the usurper Maxtla from Azcapotzalco; they succeeded in 1428. Two years later, Xochimilco was under attacked for the third time by Mexicas, this time was definitive and they were annexed to Tenochtitlan government. Consequently, Xochimilcas were forced to provide labour workers for the construction of Mexica's capital city and other urban projects, particularly Chapultepec’s aqueduct, Iztapalapa's avenue and the Nezahualcoyotl's albarradon (canal avenue).

[edit] Mexico Conquest and Colonial Period

Xochimilco played an important role during the conquest of Mexico. Hernán Cortés and allied armies conquered it on April 16, 1521. According to legends, Cuauhtémoc travelled to Xochimilco requesting help for Tenochtitlan's defence. On its way, it is said that he planted an ahuehuete, which it is now in the Barrio de San Juan. Indigenous records indicate that all towns at the lakeshore allied with the Spaniards because they wanted to defeat and be freed from the Techochcas (Tenochtitlan). Nonetheless, Spaniards crushed Xochimilco during the third phase of Tenochtitlan conquest. Thereafter, they occupied Churubusco, Coyoacán, Oaxtepex and Cuernavaca.

Once Tenochtitlan conquest had finished, Apochquiyauhtzin tlatoani, the last Xochimilco ruler, Christianised (It is not known if this was voluntary or forced). He was baptised as Luís Cortés Cerón de Alvarado on June 6, 1522; he took the surnames of conquerors Cortés and Alvarado. This tlatoani was allowed to govern Xochimilco as a conqueror's puppet. In fact, Hernán Cortés gave Xochimilco, lands and people, to Pedro de Alvarado immediately after the military conquest and remained in power until his death on 1541.

Evangelisation of Xochimilco inhabitants and neighbouring towns was supervised by Franciscan missioners, among them, Martín de Valencia, Alfonso Paz, Juan de Nozarmendia and Bernardino de Sahagún. Between 1534 and 1579 a Franciscan convent was built, and it is currently associated to Xochimilco's cathedral.

Philip II of Spain, increased Xochimilco status to city. In this way, Xochimilco was named the 'Noble City of Xochimilco'.

The lack of attention from colonial administration to engineering projects that allowed the flourishing of chinampa activity in Xochimilco Lake cased flooding of cement factories in 1609. In 1576 Xochimilco had a smallpox epidemic, known as hueycololiztli; this happened again in 1777 in the context of the demographic crisis of the 18th century in the New Spain.

Xochimilco kept an intense commercial activity with Mexico City. It was also the route for trajineras (boats) coming from towns on the east to the capital city. By the middle of the 16th century, lakes on the south were isolated; the only aquatic route between Xochimilco and the capital was the Viga canal.

[edit] 19th and 20th Century

After the Mexican independence, Xochimilco became part of Mexico State. Its main activity was still agriculture, whose production was transported by trajineras from the chinampas to the main markets in Mexico City, like La Merced and Jamaica. In 1850 the first vapour line between Mexico City and Xochimilco was inaugurated, increasing commerce between the cities. The main transport were trajineras until the first electric tram was introduced in 1908.

During the Mexican revolution, all groups involved in the war settled in Xochimilco at some point. In 1911 zapatists from Morelos broke into the Federal District (Mexico). Although they established their command post in Milpa Alta, soon they moved into Xochimilco delegacion's towns, including Xochimilco city, which was set on fire. In 1913 some cadets from the H. Colegio Militar (Militar College) were assassin by Victoriano Huerta's followers in the town of San Lucas Xochimanca. The next year, Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa signed the Plan de Xochimilco treaty, in a house in front of the main market (today a shoe store).

In 1938 fluvial communication between Mexico City was cut with the closing of the Viga canal.

In 1968 constructions were carried out in the area in preparations for the Olympic games. The Cuemanco canal was partially converted in to the canoe Olympic track Virgilio Uribe. On the outskirts of the delegation the Anillo Periferico (city bypass) was built. Physical conurbation with Mexico City does not happen until the last three decades of the 20th century.

[edit] Xochimilco canals

Canals with chinampa gardens were built by the Aztecs for agricultural purposes. This technique helped the Aztec Empire develop one of the most sophisticated societies of ancient America, and to build one of the largest cities in the world at that time: Tenochtitlan.

The Xochimilco canals are now a popular tourist attraction whose shores are crowded with houses and docks. The canals are particularly popular on the weekends and during public holidays, when many Mexican families and tourists rent boats complete with musicians and food.