Xaltocan

Xaltocan was an Otomí city-state on an island in the lake of the same name, north of Lake Texcoco. Its position among the shallow lakes of the Basin of Mexico gave it access to a network of waterways and neighbouring settlements. For a time it was a major power in the northern basin, competing with other city-states for land and influence.

In the late fourteenth century Xaltocan fought a long struggle against Cuauhtitlan and its allies. Around 1395 an alliance including the Tepanecs of Azcapotzalco and the Mexica defeated the Otomí city. Many of its inhabitants left the island for other communities, including Otumba and Tlaxcala. The conquest marked a shift in power within the basin as Azcapotzalco and its allies expanded their influence.