MAXTLA, or MAXTLATON (mast-lah), king of the Tepanecs, born in Atzcapotzalco late in the 14th century ; died there in 1430. He was the son of King Tetzotzomoe, who gave him the government of Coyoacan, whence he intrigued against his brother-in-law, Huitzilihuitl (q. v.), king of Mexico, whose eldest son, Acolnahuatl, Maxtla ordered to be assassinated, as he feared that Tetzotzomoe might elect him as his successor. At the death of the latter, in 1427, he appointed his son Tayatzin as his successor, but Maxtla revolted against him, and captured and assassinated him, and in revenge for the assistance given him by Chimalpopoca (q. v.), he took that king of Mexico prisoner and put him in an iron cage, where he died of hunger. The same year he sent assassins against Netzahualcoyotl (q. v.), whose kingdom Tetzotzomoe had usurped in 1419, as he feared that the young prince might through his popularity cause a rising of the Acolhuas. Exasperated by Maxtla's arrogance and repeated cruelties, the kings of Mexico and Tlaltelolco formed an alliance with Netzahualcoyotl and the republics of Huexotzingo and Tlascala against him, and the war began with varying success. At last a numerous army of Tepanecs marched against Mexico, which was occupied by the allied armies under the chief command of Netzahualcoyotl, and made a furious attack that was nearly successful. The allied forces had begun to waver, when the young prince with Montezuma, general of the Mexicans, made a desperate charge, and the latter killed the Tepanec general Mazatl, and routed his army. The allies pursued the enemy next day, entering Atzeapotzalco, where they found Maxtla hidden in a temaxcalli, but he was dragged forth and sacrificed by Netzahualcoyotl.