1847–1883: Mayan victory
91-469: 1884–1915: Mexican victory [REDACTED] Mayan State of Chan Santa Cruz Supported by: [REDACTED] United Kingdom The Caste War of Yucatán or ba'atabil kichkelem Yúum (1847–1901) began with the revolt of native Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called Yucatecos . The latter had held political and economic control of the region after
182-736: A cardinal-deacon, was promoted to Cardinal Priest of Santa Dorotea by Pope Francis on 12 June 2014. Pope Francis selected 15 new cardinals for the Church in January 2015, one of whom was for Mexico in the archdiocese of Morelia. Alberto Suárez Inda is Morelia's first cardinal . According to an Associated Press story, he "has helped mediate political conflicts and kidnappings in one of Mexico's most violence-plagued states". On 7 December 2017, Pope Francis named Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes Archbishop of Mexico to succeed Norberto Rivera Carrera , "a pastor who had as many detractors as supporters" after 22 years in
273-613: A convenient staging area in the western side of the Yucatán peninsula, Chan Santa Cruz was occupied by the Mexican army in the early years of the 20th century. Mexican occupation did not end resistance by the indigenous Maya, who continued to conduct guerrilla attacks against the Mexicans under the leadership of General Francisco May . In 1935, General May signed a formal peace treaty with the government of Mexico. Various treaties with Mexico called
364-483: A dessert, and an alcoholic beverage. Holy Crosses are physical crosses that must be guarded and fed several times a day according to Cruzoob tradition. Every householder has a small domestic cross clothed in a diminutive huipil (woman's dress) and with a mirror hung around its neck. This little female cross was known in Pre-Columbian times as Ix Cel (Little or Female Tree). In addition to the village patron cross and
455-546: A federal regime, then in 1841, declared it to be an independent republic. Antonio López de Santa Anna , head of the Mexican government, did not accept this independence, and invaded Yucatán in 1842, establishing a blockade. Land invasion followed, but the Mexican forces were frustrated in their attempts to take either Campeche or Mérida and withdrew to Tampico . As Yucatán was struggling against Mexican authority, its population became divided into factions. One faction, based in Mérida,
546-458: A legal framework that continued the privileged status of the Catholic Church as official and unique religion. La Reforma of the late 1850s sparked an extended period of violent conflict between the conservative supporters of the old order and liberals who sought to displace and diminish the power of the Church. The Mexican Revolution was won by largely anticlerical Constitutionalists and
637-510: A return to Mexican authority. Yucatán was officially reunited with Mexico on 17 August 1848. Yucateco forces rallied, aided by guns, money, and troops from Mexico City, and pushed back the Maya from more than half of the state. By 1850, the Maya occupied two distinct regions in the southeast. In the decade that followed, a stalemate developed, with the Yucatecan government in control of the northwest, and
728-506: A series of laws that facilitated and encouraged this process. By the 1840s, land alienation had increased precipitously, forcing much of the Maya peasantry to work as indebted laborers on large estates ( haciendas ). This had a dramatic effect on the Maya and precipitated the war. In the 1850s, the United Kingdom recognized the Maya state because of the value of its trade with British Honduras (present-day Belize ) and provided arms to
819-500: A wide variety of ailments. The emergence of Chan Santa Cruz in the 19th century meant that for the first time in centuries, the Maya were in charge of a state that supported their indigenous faith. The Roman Church had consistently refused to ordain native Maya even as priests . Previously, the maestros cantores (village lay assistants), who were sons of Maya priests, often acted as members of their fathers' profession as well. The Maya church in every Crusero village and town housed
910-564: Is now northwestern Belize and northeastern Guatemala . From the late 1850s through 1893, the United Kingdom recognized the Maya free state as a de facto independent nation, even sponsoring treaty negotiations between the Mexican Hispanic Yucateco state and the Maya Cruzoob state. These negotiations resulted in a signed international treaty which was never ratified by either party. The Maya state had extensive trade relations with
1001-558: Is part of the worldwide Catholic Church , under the spiritual leadership of the Pope , his Curia in Rome , and the national Mexican Episcopal Conference . According to the Mexican census, Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in Mexico, practiced by 77.7 percent of the population in 2020. A Statistica survey suggests this number could be a little lower, suggesting Catholics could make up 72 percent of
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#17328450076431092-477: Is some evidence that the first, most effective, and longest serving General of the Plaza was Bernardino Cen. The last fully recognized General of the Plaza was General May, who signed the final peace treaties with the Mexican government in the 1930s and 1940s. Subsequent attempts to revive the generalship have failed to garner the support of the community as a whole, and the military survives primarily as an honor guard for
1183-531: The Spanish Empire expanded into new territories, the incorporation of the indigenous population was a priority for the crown. The growth of the Spanish and mixed-race urban population of Mexico prompted the establishment of the episcopal hierarchy, under the patronage of the monarch and the creation of dioceses in Mexico. In the national period, following independence in early nineteenth century, Mexico established
1274-664: The Yucateco state, sometimes sponsored by the British government in Honduras; the United Kingdom; Mexico; and Guatemala. Chan Santa Cruz officials also corresponded with members of the United States government in Washington. Most Maya Cruzoob religious officials were — and are — unpaid, or are paid by donations from wealthy or devout members of the community. These officials are typically among
1365-450: The Yumz'iloob (Fathers) are also autonomous and can be similarly petitioned for good or ill through prayers before the appropriate lineage crosses. A family devotional cross is an Ix Ceel (Little Tree). A balam (Jaguar) is a patron of a village, town, region, or state which acts as an agent and protector of the social unit in question. Many balam form additional units: Balamoob (Jaguars),
1456-456: The "Letters of General May" were signed by the leaders of the indigenous state through the late 1930s and 1940s. Following General May's death, the remaining Maya officials initiated contact with the United States government through the archaeologist and American spy Sylvanus Morley . One notable aspect of the Maya free state was the reappearance of Maya religion in a partly syncretic form, sometimes called "The Cult of The Talking Cross". This
1547-657: The "Proclamation of Juan de la Cruz" ( El Proclamo in Spanish). Appended to the Proclamation are the former state's constitution and by-laws. In addition to military service requirements — as the constitution was written in time of war — and support for the indigenous church, equal and fair treatment was promised to Maya people (and those of any race) who consented to the sovereignty of the new state. Chan Santa Cruz made treaties and corresponded with several other recognized and partially-recognized governments. These include treaties with:
1638-585: The "talking crosses" remain a vital part of local culture in former lands of Chan Santa Cruz in the 21st century. As recently as 2002, the Mexican government finally lifted the stigma of witchcraft that indigenous priests had been subject to under Mexican civil and Roman church law. They recognized the Church of the Talking Cross as a legitimate religion, and installed a plaque on a shrine in Carrillo Puerto. The Maya free state formally declared independence in
1729-518: The 1860s through the 1890s, the Chan Santa Cruz state encompassed all of the southern and central parts of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo . Alongside associated buffer and splinter groups, this state was the core of a broader indigenous independence movement that controlled virtually all of the old Iz'a territories. These lands included the eastern, central, and southern portions of the Yucatán peninsula, extending from Cape Catoche down towards what
1820-627: The Belize Estate and Produce Company (BEC) began a series of campaigns to forcibly remove Maya from the Yalbac area. Negotiations in 1883 led to a treaty signed on 11 January 1884, in Belize City by a Chan Santa Cruz general and the Vice-Governor of Yucatán. It recognized Mexican sovereignty over Chan Santa Cruz in exchange for Mexican recognition of Chan Santa Cruz leader Crescencio Poot as Governor of
1911-631: The British Government signed the Spenser Mariscal Treaty , which ceded all of the independent Mayan state's lands to Mexico. At around the same era, the Creoles on the west side of the Yucatán peninsula began to acknowledge that their minority-ruled mini-state was not politically viable long-term. After the Creoles offered their country to any group who would be willing to defend their lives and property, Mexico accepted. With both legal pretext and
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#17328450076432002-597: The British colony of British Honduras , and its military was substantially larger than the garrison and militia in the British colony. In contrast to the Yucatecans and the Mexicans, the British found it both practical and profitable to maintain good relations with the Maya free state for some years. All this changed after the Maya laid siege to and conquered Bacalar , originally the Mayan holy city of Bak Halal (meaning 'decanting water'). They killed many British citizens, along with
2093-413: The Catholic Church in Mexico can be divided into distinct periods, the basic division being between colonial Mexico, known as New Spain and the national period, from Mexican independence in 1821 until the current era. The era of the military conquest in the early sixteenth century saw the Church's huge effort to evangelize the indigenous population of Mexico in what is termed "the spiritual conquest". As
2184-635: The Chan Santa Cruz Maya as a de facto independent nation, in part because of the major trade between Chan Santa Cruz and British Honduras (present-day Belize ). During the war, the Yucatán government sold Maya prisoners into slavery, and the Peninsula became a platform for the Cuban slave trade . The Chan Santa Cruz state, stretching from north of Tulum to the Belize border and a considerable distance inland,
2275-486: The Church's role in Mexico was restricted constitutionally. After a period of violent open conflict over religious matters, Church-state relations returned to a modus vivendi while the anticlerical constitutional framework remained in place. Expansion of Catholic participation in the establishment of religious educational institutions and the creation of a conservative political party, the National Action Party ,
2366-465: The Criollo class declared Yucatecan independence in the mid-19th century and began fighting over control of the resources of their infant state, the Maya leadership saw an opportunity to gain independence. Letters discovered in the 21st century show that they had been planning this action for some time. These letters were written orders sent through an established military chain of command, and were written in
2457-567: The Cross was proclaimed in 1849 in Xocén, a south-eastern satellite of modern Valladolid , where the Proclamation of Juan de la Cruz ( John of the Cross ) was first read to the people. The capital, Noh Kah Balam Nah Chan Santa Cruz, was founded in about 1850 near a sacred cenote , a natural well providing a year-round source of holy water. The talking cross continues to speak at this shrine. The city
2548-571: The Holy Cross in a sanctuary. Maya churches are easily distinguished from Roman Catholic churches by the presence of a walled inner sanctum, the gloria , inside the Maya church. Maya Cruzoob religious figures and concepts are referred to through a variety of names and terms. K'u (God) is one being, undepictable and incorporeal. K'u can also be called Hunab K'u (Unique God) or Hahal K'u (True God). Epithets for God and His Angels can include Tepal (Lord), Ahau (Lord), and Yumil Kaan (Father of
2639-654: The Icaiche Maya, who dominated the jungles of the lower center of the peninsula. In the 1860s under their leader Marcus Canul, they battled against the Mexicans, the Cruzob, and the British from the nearby settlement of British Honduras . Marcus Canul and the Icaiche Maya routed a detachment of British troops on 21 December 1866, at the Battle of San Pedro Yalbac. In 1867, the British mounted a counter-offensive, equipped with newly arrived Congreve rockets . This counter-offensive burned down
2730-511: The Latino and Spaniard groups by three to one throughout the Yucatán, but in the east, this ratio was closer to five to one. The elites maintained the strictest discipline and control over the Maya population in the east. The Catholic Church , generally allied with the stronger classes, also had a preponderant role where the military organization was strongest. During the Mexican War of Independence ,
2821-657: The Maya Church. Under the Ahau K'atun Kiuik were the Ahau K'atun , the Generals. There were four of these Generals, one for each direction. Nonetheless, during the war of liberation, it was the generals of the north and of the south who garnered the most space in the Spanish and British colonial press. The first General of the North was Cecilio Chi, who served from 1847 until his death in May 1849 and
Caste War of Yucatán - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-423: The Maya in control of the southeast, with a sparsely populated jungle frontier in between. In 1850, the Maya of the southeast were inspired to continue the struggle by the apparition of the "Talking Cross". This apparition, believed to be a way in which God communicated with the Maya, dictated that the war continue. Chan Santa Cruz (Small Holy Cross) became the religious and political center of the Maya resistance, and
3003-469: The Maya troops, not realizing the unique strategic advantage of their siege situation, had left the lines to plant their crops, planning to return after planting. It is said that the appearance of flying ants swarming after heavy rains was the traditional signal for the Maya to start planting. They abandoned the battle. Others argue that the Maya had not laid up enough supplies for the campaign, and were unable to feed their forces any longer, and their break up
3094-454: The Maya years and cycles; advice to pregnant women; and descriptions of Maya family life. The Songs of Dzitbalché is a collection of songs, prayers and ritual speeches. This collection includes traditional girls' songs, prayers for seating images, and other traditions. The Ritual of the Bakabs is usually translated as a collection of medical texts. The first half of the book is comparable to
3185-531: The Mexican government well into the twentieth century. For many years, any non-Maya who entered the jungles of what is now the Mexican state of Quintana Roo was at risk of being killed outright. The combination of new economic factors, such as the entry of the Wrigley Company 's chicle hunters into the region, and the political and social changes resulting from the Mexican Revolution , eventually reduced
3276-460: The Mexican government, which it considered sufficiently out of touch with the will of the people to make it illegitimate. The EZLN stressed that it opted for armed struggle due to the lack of results achieved through peaceful means of protest (such as sit-ins and marches). In September 2020, archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) identified the remains of
3367-675: The Sky). Chakoob (Angels) are God's active force, who manifest his will on earth and can be petitioned for aid. There are 1, 4, 5, 6, or 7 chakoob , one for each direction addressed in a particular ritual. The directions are color-coded according to their chakoob . East is red, north is white, west is black, south is yellow, sky is blue, earth is green and the center is clear. Feminine spirits including Kiichpam Kolel (Beautiful Grandmother) and U Kolel Cab , (Grandmother Earth or Guadelupe) are autonomous and can be petitioned for good through prayers before their cross or image. Patrilineal ancestors such as
3458-607: The Spanish began to occupy nearby areas, the Xiu Maya state in the western half of the Yucatán Peninsula chose to ally with the newly-neighboring Empire. The Itzá state continued to train and educate indigenous Maya leaders in the sanctuaries of the southern province, such as Lake Petén Itzá . General Martín de Ursúa invaded and sacked Nojpetén , the Itzá island capital, on March 13, 1697. The province of Uaan remained largely unknown to
3549-468: The Spanish colonization of Yucatán and the submission of the Maya people in the late 16th century. It was one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. A lengthy war ensued between the Yucateco forces based in the northwest of the Yucatán and the independent Maya in the southeast. The Caste War took place within the economic and political context of late colonial and post-independence Yucatán . By
3640-481: The Spanish, but its provincial capital of Chable (meaning 'anteater') was mentioned several times in the books of Chilam Balam as a cycle seat. The Spanish conquered the western half of the Itzá state during the 18th century. The most famous of the Spanish campaigns was against the indigenous Kanek (king) and his followers, which ended with the death of the Kanek and his closest followers on December 14, 1761. When
3731-493: The State of Chan Santa Cruz. The following year a coup d'état took place in Chan Santa Cruz, and the government declared the treaty cancelled. In 1893, the United Kingdom maintained good relations with Mexico's Porfirio Díaz administration, and British investment in Mexico had become of much greater economic importance than the trade between the Cruzob and Belize. The UK signed a treaty with Mexico recognizing Mexican sovereignty over
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3822-533: The Twenty Patrons of the days of the 260-day Sacred Round; the four Yearbearers of the 365-day year; the Ahauoob of the 360-day year; and the K'atun . Ik'oob (Spirits) can be petitioned for good or ill, but K'asal Ik'oob' (Evil Spirits) are chaotic and must be both exorcized before any ritual can begin and appeased before any ritual can end. The Cruzoob movement has two great annual festivals, both descended from
3913-561: The Yucatecos entirely out of Chan Santa Cruz. This uprising, called La Guerra de las Castas by the Mexicans, reached its high tide in 1848. It resulted in the independence of the old Itzá Maya state that would become Chan Santa Cruz. The former Xiu Maya state remained in the hands of the Yucateco Creoles. The descendants of this short-lived Maya free state and those who live like them are now commonly known as Cruzoob . The State of
4004-503: The Yucatán population (like most of New Spain ) operated under a legal caste system : peninsulares (officials born in Spain) were at the top, the criollos of Spanish descent in the next level, followed by the mestizo population (of partial indigenous descent but culturally European/Hispanic), next descendants of the natives who had collaborated with the Spanish conquest of Yucatán , and at
4095-468: The Yucatán, except the walled cities of Campeche and Mérida and the southwest coast. In his 1849 letter, Cecilio Chi noted that Santiago Méndez had come to "put every Indian, big and little, to death" but that the Maya had responded in kind. He wrote "it has pleased God and good fortune that a much greater portion of them [whites] than of the Indians [have died]. Yucatecan troops held the road from Mérida to
4186-556: The area. Not all of the Maya participated in the revolt. For example, Maya in the southern region remained neutral for most of the conflict. In the northern portion of the peninsula, many Maya fought directly against the insurgents. The indigenous population was concentrated in the Campeche - Mérida region. This was known as the Camino Real, because the majority of the peninsulares and criollos lived in that area. The Maya roughly outnumbered
4277-606: The books of Chilam Balam of Chumayel and Tizimin and contains Maya songs, advice, prayers and ritual speeches. These texts include ones concerning: the Maya Pontiff; the Chiuoh lineage; seers and novice diviners; a midwife's prayer; and a renewal prayer for the divining seeds. The second half of this book is comparable to the second half of the Chilam Balam of Kauá and Maya herbals, and similarly contains mostly herbal or medical remedies for
4368-560: The border with British Honduras, and closing the British colony to trade with Chan Santa Cruz , the capital of the Maya. The war unofficially ended in 1901 when the Mexican army occupied Chan Santa Cruz and subdued neighboring areas. The formal end came in 1915 when Mexican forces led by Yucatán Governor Salvador Alvarado subdued the territory. Alvarado introduced reforms from the Mexican Revolution that ended some Maya grievances. Skirmishes with small settlements that rejected Mexican control continued until 1933. In Spanish colonial times,
4459-505: The bottom were the other native indios and African slaves . Some historians have argued that the conflict was more of an inter-ethnic conflict than a caste conflict. It was the members of a large sector of the Maya , not fully assimilated or subdued and living for the most part in the east, who led the struggle. They rebelled against the Europeans, Mestizos, and the assimilated Maya who lived in
4550-524: The central government. But Imán continued to levy such taxes. In June 1847, Méndez learned that a large force of armed Maya with supplies had gathered near Vallodolid at the Culumpich, a property owned by Jacinto Pat, the Maya batab (leader). Fearing revolt, Méndez arrested Manuel Antonio Ay , the principal Maya leader of Chichimilá, accused him of planning a revolt, and executed him at the town square of Valladolid. Searching for other insurgents, Méndez burned
4641-463: The conflict. Although the war had been declared over many times before in previous decades, records show that the last time the Mexican army considered it necessary to take by force an area village that had never recognized Mexican law was in April 1933. Five Maya and two Mexican soldiers died in the battle for the village of Dzula, which was the last skirmish of a conflict lasting more than 85 years. Since
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#17328450076434732-421: The end of the eighteenth century, Yucatán's population had expanded considerably, and white and mestizo Mexicans migrated to rural towns. Economic opportunities, primarily in the production of henequen and sugar cane, attracted investment and encroachment onto indigenous customary lands in the south and east of the peninsula. Shortly after the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, the Yucatecan congress passed
4823-431: The entire Yucatec Creole garrison. It is unclear why the commanding general ordered a wholesale slaughter of the garrison. Regardless of his motives, this action frightened the tiny British colonial establishment in neighboring British Honduras. The British Government assigned Sir Spenser St. John to disentangle Her Majesty's Government from indigenous free states and from the Chan Santa Cruz state in particular. In 1893,
4914-455: The government of Mexico in exchange for some guns to defend themselves from Cruzob raids and the promise that the Mexican government would otherwise leave them alone. Mexico City gave Ixcanha autonomy to govern itself through 1894 (following a treaty with the United Kingdom that recognized Mexico's rule over the Yucatán), as it was more worried about the Chan Santa Cruz. Another important group were
5005-573: The hatred and hostility. In one form or another, war and armed struggle had continued for more than 50 years, and an estimated 40,000–50,000 people died in the hostilities. The war was officially declared over for the final time in September 1915 by General Salvador Alvarado . Alvarado, sent by the revolutionary government in Mexico City to restore order in Yucatán, became governor of the state and implemented reforms that mitigated grievances that had caused
5096-446: The household crosses, there are special lineage crosses for important lines, four guardian crosses at the entrances to town, and other crosses that guard sinkholes and wells. The Maya Cruzoob religion in the 21st century is quite mixed in practice: some followers devoted exclusively to the indigenous church and its ritual calendar, while other followers are exclusively or partially Roman Catholic, Protestant or Evangelical. The shrines of
5187-409: The immediate cause of the war. Jacinto Pat , for example, wrote in 1848 that "what we want is liberty and not oppression, because before we were subjugated with the many contributions and taxes that they imposed on us." Pat's companion, Cecilio Chi , added in 1849 that promises made by the rebel Santiago Imán, that he was "liberating the Indians from the payment of contributions," was a reason to resist
5278-522: The indigenous texts. The Maya elders who participated in this project, including Juan Na Chi Kokom, former leader of the Itza' state in eastern Yucatan, were most likely willing volunteers who thought the project was a way to preserve Maya culture and religion. After the project was anathematized by the Roman Church , the former Maya collaborators collected and reconstructed as much as they could. They assembled
5369-591: The intelligentsia of Yucatán watched the events to the north. Following 1820, they organized their resistance to Spain, forming the Patriotic Confederation, which declared independence from Spain in 1821. The confederation subsequently joined the First Mexican Empire that same year; in 1823 it became a part of the federal Mexican government as the Federated Republic of Yucatán . The government of
5460-587: The late 20th century, a similar conflict has existed in the Mexican state of Chiapas , in the southern part of the country, in which indigenous people have declared war on the Mexican government. The Mayan Zapatista Army (EZLN) on January 1, 1994, the day when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect, issued its First Declaration from the Lacandon Jungle and its Revolutionary Laws. The EZLN effectively declared war on
5551-498: The materials into a loose collection of texts, which is now known as the Books of Chilam Balam . Existing copies of portions of these Books of Chilam Balam ('Spokesman of the Patron') present evidence for distinct Xiu and Itza' versions. Usually translated as a collection of historical and mythological texts, this book contains a great deal of information on the ancient Maya Calendar and
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#17328450076435642-533: The nation. The history of the Catholic Church in Mexico dates from the period of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519–1521) and it has continued as an institution in Mexico into the twenty-first century. In the late 20th century, Eastern Catholic jurisdictions were also established in Mexico. In many parts of the country, Catholic Christianity is heavily syncretized with folk customs; and Aztec, Mayan, and other pre-Columban religions. The history of
5733-435: The oldest and most impoverished of the community, having distributed most of their personal property to finance associated community festivals. Religious officials include or have included: Civil officials include or have included: Military forces were led by Ahau K'atun Kiuik , also called General de la Plaza , the supreme commander of Maya military forces. This position was held by several different individuals. There
5824-403: The others unknown numbers. In 1858, an English visitor thought the Maya had 1,500 fighting men in all. He noted that they took the Santa Cruz with them and that its priests were prominent in the society. The Ixcanha Maya community had a population of some 1,000 people, who refused the Cruzob's break with traditional Catholicism . In the years of stalemate, Ixcanha agreed to nominal recognition of
5915-413: The port of Sisal . The Yucatecan governor Miguel Barbachano had prepared a decree to evacuate Mérida but was possibly delayed in publishing it by the lack of suitable paper in the besieged capital. The decree became unnecessary when the republican troops suddenly broke the siege and took the offensive with major advances. Historians disagree on the reason for this defeat. According to some, the majority of
6006-449: The post. His installation was scheduled for 5 February 2018. The Tablet said the appointment was not a surprise because Aguiar is "a towering ecclesial figure in Central and Latin America". Mexico's ecclesiastical provinces were organized as follows, on 28 September 2019: There are also separate jurisdictions for specific Eastern particular churches within the Catholic Church in Mexico: [1] The constitution declares that Mexico
6097-406: The priests who maintained it. Contents of the Books of Chilam Balam include: daily reminders for diviners; natal charts for each day; rituals associated with each day; direction for the selection, training and initiation of Maya calendar priests; a Maya rosary prayer and a divination prayer; details of sacrifices at the sacred well of Chichen Itza and other self-sacrifices; pilgrimage places;
6188-431: The rebellion became infused with religious meaning. The largest of the independent Maya states was named Chan Santa Cruz, as was its capital city (now named Felipe Carrillo Puerto in Quintana Roo). The followers of the Cross were known as the Cruzo . The government of Yucatán first declared war over in 1855, but regular skirmishes and occasional deadly major assaults continued by each side. The United Kingdom recognized
6279-406: The rebels at the beginning of the insurgency. By 1867, the Maya occupied parts of the western part of the Yucatán, including the District of Petén , where the Xloschá and Macanché tribes allied with them. Growing investment in Mexico resulted in a change in United Kingdom policy. In 1893, London signed a new treaty with the Mexican government, recognizing its control of all of the Yucatán, formalizing
6370-474: The region, formalizing the border between Mexico and British Honduras, and closing their colony's border to trade with the Chan Santa Cruz "rebels". As Belize merchants were Chan Santa Cruz's main source of gunpowder and guns, this was a serious blow for the independent Maya. In previous decades, the Mexican Army had twice managed to fight its way to the town of Chan Santa Cruz but was driven back both times. In 1901, Mexican general Ignacio Bravo led his troops to
6461-402: The republic, based in Mexico City , tended towards centralization, which some people in frontier areas resented. Near the end of the next decade, several provinces revolted against the central government, including Guatemala in the south and Texas in the north (which was receiving significant unsanctioned European immigration from the United States in the eastern section). To bear the costs of
6552-483: The same time, in their struggle against the central government, both leaders had integrated numerous Maya into their armies as soldiers. The Maya, having taken up arms in the course of the war, decided not to set them down again. The war was rooted in the defense of Santa Cruz Indian communal lands against the expansion of private ownership, which had accompanied the boom in the production of henequen , or agave, an industrial fiber used in rope production. After discovering
6643-414: The second half of the 16th century, he began a Mayan encyclopedia project. He intended to collect the prayers, orations, commentaries, and descriptions of native life as aids to the Spanish overthrow of Maya culture in general and the Maya religion, specifically. Diego de Landa's famous Relación de las cosas de Yucatán contains much of the Spanish explanatory text of this encyclopedia without quoting any of
6734-479: The ship La Unión as one that was used to carry Maya slaves from Yucatán to Cuba during the Caste War. Chan Santa Cruz Chan Santa Cruz was a late 19th-century indigenous Maya state in modern-day Quintana Roo . It was also the name of a shrine that served as the center of the Maya Cruzoob religious movement, and of the town that developed around the shrine, now known as Felipe Carrillo Puerto . The town
6825-410: The total population, making it the second largest Catholic country in the world after Brazil . The country is divided into 18 Ecclesiastical provinces , containing a total of 90 dioceses . There are 15,700 diocesan priests and 46,000 men and women in religious orders . José Garibi y Rivera was the first Mexican cardinal of the Catholic Church. Javier Lozano Barragán having served 10 years as
6916-434: The town of Tepich and repressed its residents. In the following months, Méndez forces sacked several Maya towns and engaged in arbitrary executions. Cecilio Chi, the Maya leader of Tepich, with Jacinto Pat attacked Tepich on 30 July 1847. In reaction to the indiscriminate massacre of Maya that had taken place, Chi ordered that all the non-Maya population be killed. By the spring of 1848, the Maya forces had taken over most of
7007-524: The town to stay, occupying it with a large force. Over the next few years, he subdued surrounding villages. Bravo telegraphed the news that the war was over on May 5, 1901. While this is the date most frequently given for the end of the war, fighting continued, although on a smaller scale. On 13 December 1901, the material for building the Decauville railway Vigía Chico-Santa Cruz was ordered in New Orleans . It
7098-513: The two annual festivals of the pre-Columbian Maya. U K'in Crus (The Day of The Cross) is the ancient Maya New (365-day) Year Festival and U K'in Kolel (The Feast of Our Grandmother, Guadelupe), is the ancient Maya New (360-day) Year Festival. The Crusoob also celebrate a Mass and Novenas, which always include offerings of corn tortillas and often feature tamales , meat, fruit, atole , pepper, chocolate,
7189-549: The value of the plant, from 1833, the wealthier Hispanic Yucatecos developed plantations to cultivate it on a large scale. Not long after the henequen boom, a boom in sugar production led to more wealth for the upper class. They expanded their sugar and henequen plantations by encroaching on Maya communal lands and typically abused their Maya workers by treating them poorly and underpaying them. (See also Misplaced Pages article on Mérida ). In their correspondence with British Honduras (Belize), rebel Maya leaders cited oppressive taxation as
7280-515: The villages of San Pedro, Santa Teresa, San José, Naranjal, Cerro, Santa Cruz, and Chunbalche. The Maya briefly took Corozal Town in 1870 and their last major attack was on 1 September 1872, when Canul was mortally wounded at the Battle of Orange Walk . The new Icaiche leaders promised friendship with the British. They soon agreed with the Mexican central government similar to that of the Ixcanha. Years after,
7371-450: The wake of the death of the Batab of Chichimilla, Antonio Manuel Ay, on August 26, 1847 (6 Kaban, 5 Xul). The letters were written at a sanctuary plaza at Saki', the sacred 'white' city of the north that was located near present-day Valladolid . Exactly three days after Ay's death, the eastern Maya, now identified as Uiz'oob (meaning 'loincloths'), rose up in a general revolt which nearly drove
7462-655: The war against Texas, the national government imposed several taxes, including raising importation duties and the movement of local goods. In response to this, on 2 May 1839, a federalist movement led by Santiago Imán created a rival government in Tizimín , which soon took over Valladolid , Espita , Izamal , and finally Mérida on the Yucatán peninsula. Imán appealed to the indigenous Maya population, providing them with firearms. He promised to give them land free of tribute and exploitation. With their support, he prevailed in battle. In February 1840, Imán proclaimed Yucatán's return to
7553-512: Was an important characteristic of the late twentieth century. A new constitutional framework was created in 1992, which reiterated the separation between the Catholic Church and the state and lifted most but not all restrictions on religious freedom and the activities of the Catholic Church in Mexico. The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian church, and its largest religious grouping. The 2020 census reported that Mexico had some 97,864,220 Catholics, which equates to approximately 78% of
7644-582: Was historically the main center of what is now the Mexican state of Quintana Roo , and it acted as the de facto capital for the Maya during the Caste War of Yucatán . Before Spanish colonization, the people in the land that would become the Chan Santa Cruz state were predominantly indigenous descendants of the Maya . Its northern reaches were likely part of the state of Coba during the Classic Period . After
7735-638: Was laid out in the pre-Columbian Maya style, with a central square containing the Balam Nah, the 'Patron Saint's House', surrounded by the school to the east, the Pontiff's house to the west, the General's houses to the north, and the storehouses and market to the south. The regional capitals in Bak Halal, Chun Pom, Vigia Chico, and Tulum were probably laid out on the same plan as the capital. At its greatest extent, from
7826-575: Was led by Miguel Barbachano , who leaned toward reintegration with Mexico. The other faction was led by Santiago Méndez , based in Campeche. He feared reintegration would expose the region to attack by the United States, as tensions loomed on the northern border that would soon break out in the Mexican–American War . By 1847, the Yucatán Republic had effectively two capitals in the two cities. At
7917-531: Was likely a continuation of native beliefs that reemerged when the Spanish colonists' civil war released the Maya from the Yucatán Hispanic population's religious repression. The indigenous priests had maintained their ancient religious texts and their spiritual knowledge, as they continue to do today. When Friar Jacobo de Testera arrived, leading the first of the Franciscan Missions to the Maya in
8008-399: Was officially opened on 4 September 1905. With their capital lost, the Cruzob split into smaller groups, often hiding in small hamlets in the jungle. Their numbers were seriously reduced by deaths from epidemics of measles and smallpox , endemic diseases carried by General Bravo's troops. Inspired by the persistent Talking Cross sect, the Maya of Chan Santa Cruz remained actively hostile to
8099-470: Was the largest of the independent Maya communities of the era but not the only one. José María Echeverría, a sergeant in the army taken captive by the Maya, resided in the town in 1851–1853. He reported later that it had about 200 Maya and 200 whites, all well-armed and apparently fighting together. The whites were under their commander, "a man of reddish complexion". They also had several outlying communities under their control; one contained about 100 people and
8190-599: Was to search for food.. Governor Miguel Barbachano of Yucatán sought allies, sending representatives to Cuba to seek Spanish help, to Jamaica to gain aid from the United Kingdom , and to the United States , but none of these foreign powers would intervene. In the United States, the situation in the Yucatán was debated in Congress, but there was no will to fight. Subsequently, Barbachano turned to Mexico City and accepted
8281-789: Was victorious at Valladolid and Iz'amal. The second General of the North was Venancio Pec, who served from 1849 to 1852. The first General of the South was Jacinto Pat, who served from 1847 until his assassination in December 1849, and who was victorious at Peto, Tekax, and Tikul. The second General of the South was Florentino Chan, who served from 1849 to 1852. Other military ranks have included Ah K'atun (Captain) and K'atun (Private or Soldier). Catholic Church in Mexico The Mexican Catholic Church , or Catholic Church in Mexico ,
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