Early positions He was initially the
tlatoani (ruler) of
Ecatepec before becoming
tlatoani of
Tenochtitlan, as well as its first
governor under the
colonial Spanish system of government. He had been designated governor (tlatoani) of
Ecatépec by
Moctezuma, in the year 2 Técpatl after the death of
Chimalpilli the former tlatoani. Moctezuma was already a prisoner of
Cortés in Tenochtitlan, the people of
Ecatepec accepted him as their ruler and hid him along with his mother.
Captivity and baptism After the fall of Tenochtitlan, he was one of the five Aztec lords held captive by Cortés along with
Cuauhtemoc, the cihuacohuatl Tlacotzin, Oquiztzin, and Motelchiuhtzin. Along them he was also tortured, with his feet burned, because of the gold lost by the Spaniards when they had to flee Tenochtitlan. Huanitzin was
baptized with the
Spanish Christian name Diego. He took the
surname de Alvarado from his baptismal sponsor — probably
Pedro de Alvarado or one of his brothers, whose uncle with whom they came to America was named Diego de Alvarado.
Governor of Tenochtitlan Cortés took Huanitzin along with many other indigenous rulers in his travel to
Honduras. He was spared from execution when Cuauhtemoc was hanged by Cortés along with Tetlepanquetzatzin, tlatoani of Tlacopan and don Pedro Cohuanacochtzin. After the return of Cortés, Huanitzin was released and returned as Tlatoani of Ecatepec, where he ruled 14 years. As the grandson of a former Tlatoani, in the year 7 Tochtli (1538), he was chosen as the first governor of Tenochtitlan (Mexico), by the don
Antonio de Mendoza, first viceroy of México. Tenochtitlan had been without official ruler for almost a year. ==Personal life and death==