Lienzo de Tlaxcala: Depictions of the Structure of Society

The top portion of the Lienzo De Tlaxcala depicts the hierarchy of Tlaxcalan society under the Spanish. Tlaxcala was made a protected kingdom and was given a coat of arms by the Spanish crown after the defeat of the Aztecs. Tlaxcala was also one of the earliest and most spirited adopters of Christianity. The Tlaxcalan's close ties with the Spanish are shown in the depiction of a cross raising at the bottom center and the central depiction of the Spanish King's coat of arms above the center peak of Tlaxcala. The willingness of the Tlaxcalan's to commission such a piece, which idolizes Spanish rule, shows just how much their view of the arrival of the Spanish differed from that of the defeated Aztecs.