Spanish conquest of the Muisca
Spanish conquest of the Muisca | |||||||||
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Part of the Spanish conquest of New Granada | |||||||||
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, the leader of the strenuous conquest expedition from Santa Marta to the Muisca territories | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Conquistadors of the Spanish Empire |
Guecha warriors of the Muisca | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Gonzalo de Quesada Hernán de Quesada Gonzalo Suárez Rendón Baltasar Maldonado |
Tisquesusa † Sagipa (POW) Eucaneme (POW) Quiminza Sugamuxi (POW) Saymoso † | ||||||||
Units involved | |||||||||
162 | >30,000 | ||||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||||
unknown | unknown |
Part of a series on |
Muisca culture |
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Topics |
Geography |
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The Salt People |
Main neighbours |
History and timeline |
The Spanish conquest of the Muisca took place from 1537 to 1540. The
The main part of the Muisca civilisation was concentrated on the
Although gold deposits were not abundant on the Altiplano, through trading the Muisca obtained large amounts of the precious metal which they elaborated into fine art, of which the Muisca raft and the many tunjos (offer pieces) were the most important. The Muisca raft pictures the initiation ritual of the new zipa, that took place in Lake Guatavita. When the Spanish who resided in the coastal city of Santa Marta, founded by Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1525, were informed about this legend, a large expedition in the quest for this El Dorado (city or man of gold) was organised in the spring of 1536.
A delegation of more than 900 men left the tropical city of Santa Marta and went on a harsh expedition through the heartlands of Colombia in search of El Dorado and the civilisation that produced all this precious gold. The leader of the first and main expedition under
The conquest of the Muisca started in March 1537, when the greatly reduced troops of de Quesada entered Muisca territories in Chipatá, the first settlement they founded on March 8. The expedition went further inland and up the slopes of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense into later Boyacá and Cundinamarca. The towns of Moniquirá (Boyacá), Guachetá, and Lenguazaque (Cundinamarca) were founded before the conquistadors arrived at the northern edge of the Bogotá savanna in Suesca. En route towards the domain of zipa Tisquesusa, the Spanish founded Cajicá and Chía. In April 1537 they arrived at Funza, where Tisquesusa was beaten by the Spanish. This formed the onset for further expeditions, starting a month later towards the eastern Tenza Valley and the northern territories of zaque Quemuenchatocha. On August 20, 1537, the zaque was submitted in his bohío in Hunza. The Spanish continued their journey northeastward into the Iraka Valley, where the iraca Sugamuxi fell to the Spanish troops and the Sun Temple was accidentally burned by two soldiers of the army of de Quesada in early September.
Meanwhile, other soldiers from the conquest expedition went south and conquered Pasca and other settlements. The Spanish leader returned with his men to the Bogotá savanna and planned new conquest expeditions executed in the second half of 1537 and first months of 1538. On August 6, 1538, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Bogotá as the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada, named after his home region of Granada, Spain. That same month, on August 20, the zipa who succeeded his brother Tisquesusa upon his death; Sagipa, allied with the Spanish to fight the Panche, eternal enemies of the Muisca in the southwest. In the Battle of Tocarema, the allied forces claimed victory over the bellicose western neighbours. In late 1538, other conquest undertakings resulted in more founded settlements in the heart of the Andes. Two other expeditions that were taking place at the same time; of De Belalcázar from the south and Federmann from the east, reached the newly founded capital and the three leaders embarked in May 1539 on a ship on the Magdalena River that took them to Cartagena and from there back to Spain. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada had installed his younger brother Hernán as new governor of Bogotá and the latter organised new conquest campaigns in search of El Dorado during the second half of 1539 and 1540. His captain Gonzalo Suárez Rendón founded Tunja on August 6, 1539 and captain Baltasar Maldonado, who had served under de Belalcázar, defeated the cacique of Tundama at the end of 1539. The last zaque Aquiminzaque was decapitated in early 1540, establishing the new rule over the former Muisca Confederation.
Knowledge of the conquest expeditions in Muisca territories has been provided and compiled by
Pre-Columbian history
The
Herrera Period
During the Herrera Period, that is commonly defined as from 800 BCE to 800 CE, the
Archaeological evidence of the Herrera Period has been found in numerous places on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, among others in
The site in Soacha is one of the most important finds from the Herrera Period, dating from 400 BCE onwards, into the age of the Muisca.
Muisca Confederation
The Muisca Confederation is the accepted name for the territories inhabited by the
Other than the other great civilisations of
It was in this circular lake, located at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) within the boundaries of present-day municipality of Sesquilé, that the initiation ritual of the new zipa was performed. This ceremony, where the new zipa would cover himself in gold dust and from a raft would jump into the ice cold waters, is represented in the famous Muisca raft. The festivities of this ritual were surrounded with music, singing and dances and accompanied by large quantities of chicha, the indigenous alcoholic beverage made of fermented maize.[35] Also during the construction of the houses, overseen by their god Nencatacoa, the people drank chicha.[36] The golden ritual formed the basis for the -not so much- legend of El Dorado; the "Man of Gold", also interpreted as "The City of Gold". The specialised goldworking of the Muisca was known far outside the Confederation and many golden offer pieces (tunjos) have been found in various sites, making them the most common objects in museums around the world.[37][38][39] The area of the Muisca did not contain many gold deposits and their gold was obtained mostly through trade with their neighbours at the frequent markets they organised in various settlements throughout the Altiplano.[40][41][42][43]
Emeralds were other precious pieces both extracted within the Confederation in the Tenza Valley and traded with their western neighbours, the Muzo, called "The Emerald People".[44] The legend of El Dorado, the fine goldworking, abundance of salt and emeralds, and the advanced status of the Muisca society formed the main motive for the Spanish conquistadors to leave the relative safety of Santa Marta and commence the strenuous expedition inland.[7]
Spanish exploration
The first time the mainland of the continent of South America was sighted by European eyes, was at the third voyage of Christopher Columbus in August 1498. During the first half of the month, he explored the Paria Peninsula, presently part of eastern Venezuela. On this voyage, Columbus saw the mouth of the Orinoco River, which water mass he rightly interpreted as a sign the continent must be large. The Orinoco River drainage basin extends to the west into the terrain of the Muisca, via the rivers Meta and its tributaries Lengupá, Upía and Cusiana. Although the country of Colombia is named after Columbus, he never saw the land pertaining to present-day Colombia, while on his fourth and final voyage, he landed in Panama that until 1903 was part of the current republic.
The second time the Orinoco was spotted, was by
De Ojeda's second voyage commenced in January 1502 and following the same route as his first, he landed on the Colombian mainland on May 3, 1502, founding the first colony in South America; Santa Cruz today part of
While De Ojeda was underway to Colombia, his rival Christopher Columbus started his fourth voyage, with thirty ships from
The first cities
After unsuccessful attempts to establish Spanish settlements in La Guajira and San Sebastián de Urabá (close to the present municipality
Colombian settlements founded before the main conquest
Settlement bold is extant |
Department | Date | Year | Founder(s) | Notes | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Santa Cruz ( Bahía Honda )
|
La Guajira
|
3 May | 1502 | Alonso de Ojeda | [45] | |
San Sebastián de Urabá (Necoclí) |
Antioquia | 20 January | 1510 | Alonso de Ojeda | [47] | |
Santa María la Antigua del Darién (Unguía) |
Chocó | September | 1510 | Vasco Núñez de Balboa | [53] | |
Turbaco | Bolívar | 8 December | 1510 | Alonso de Ojeda Juan de la Cosa Diego de Niquesa |
[48] | |
Santa Marta Taganga |
Magdalena | 29 July | 1525 | Rodrigo de Bastidas | [50] | |
Mahates | Bolívar | 17 April | 1533 | Pedro de Heredia | [51] | |
Cartagena | Bolívar | 1 June | 1533 | Pedro de Heredia | [50] | |
Tolú | Sucre | 25 July | 1535 | Alonso de Heredia | [50] | |
Sincelejo | Sucre | 4 October | 1535 | Alonso de Heredia | [50] | |
Jamundí | Valle del Cauca | 23 March | 1536 | Juan de Ampudia Pedro de Añasco |
[52] |
Conquest of the Muisca
The first expedition into the terrains controlled by the Muisca started on April 6, 1536. The army of conquistadors was led by marrano Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada with his brother Hernán Pérez de Quesada second in command. Other notable captains and soldiers were Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, Juan de San Martín, Lázaro Fonte (who would become the lover of Zoratama), Martín Galeano, Bartolomé Camacho Zambrano, Ortún Velázquez de Velasco, Antonio de Lebrija, Gonzalo Macías, Juan de Céspedes, and Juan Maldonado.[54] Historians usually divide the journey, filled with difficulty in two stages: the first from Santa Marta to Barrancabermeja, and the second from Barranca to the Muisca territory.[7]
Expedition from Santa Marta to Muisca territories
Soldiers of the first expedition
Around 800 soldiers left Santa Marta on April 5, 1536, of whom only 173 survived when the troops reached Muisca territory, 11 months later. Expedition from the east and southwest were undertaken simultaneously.[55]
Name leader in bold |
Nationality | Years active |
Natives encountered bold is conquered |
Year of death |
Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada |
Granadian | 1536–39 1569–72 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) zipa zaque Panche, Pijao (2) |
1579 | [1][54][55] | |
Juan Maldonado | Castilian | 1536–39 1569–72 |
Tairona, Chimila (2), Muisca, Panche, Pijao (2) | [54][note 2] | ||
Gonzalo Macías | Castilian | 1536–39 1569–71 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Pijao (2) |
1571~ | [54][56] | |
Hernán Pérez de Quesada |
Granadian | 1536–39 1540–42 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Lache (2), Chitarero (3), Achagua, Guayupe, Choque, Inga, |
1544 | [1][54] | |
Gonzalo Suárez Rendón | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) zipa, zaque Panche |
1590 | [1][54][57] | |
Martín Galeano | Castilian | 1536–39 1540–45 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Muzo |
1554~ | [1][54][58] | |
Lázaro Fonte | Castilian | 1536–39 1540–42 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Lache (2), Guayupe, Choque † |
1542 | [1][54] | |
Juan de Céspedes | Castilian | 1525–43 | Tairona, Chimila (1, 2) Muisca Panche (1), Sutagao (1) |
1573 or 1576 | [1][54][59][60] | |
Juan de San Martín | Castilian | 1536–39 1540–45 |
Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Guane, Achagua |
[1][54] | ||
Antonio de Lebrija | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche |
1540 | [54] | |
Ortún Velázquez de Velasco | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche, Chitarero (2) |
1584 | [54][61] | |
Bartolomé Camacho Zambrano | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche |
[54] | ||
Antonio Díaz de Cardoso | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche |
[54] | ||
Pedro Fernández de Valenzuela | Castilian | 1536–39 | Tairona, Chimila (2) Muisca Panche |
[54] | ||
640+ conquistadors ~80% |
mostly Castilian | April 1536 - April 1537 |
Diseases, jaguars, crocodiles, climate, various indigenous warfare |
1536 1537 |
[1][54] |
1535–1539 – years of joint expeditions from three sides
In the years around the main expedition of the de Quesadas, two other major exploration routes into the heart of Colombia were followed; one under German order, headed by Federmann from the northeast, and one led by de Belalcázar from the south.
Leaders and soldiers of De Belalcázar and Federmann
Name leader in bold |
Nationality | Years active |
Natives encountered bold is conquered |
Year of death |
Image | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sebastián de Belalcázar | Castilian | 1514–39 | Paez, Pijao (1), Sutagao (1) Muisca |
1551 | [1][55] | |
Baltasar Maldonado | Castilian | 1534–52 | Kamëntsá
|
1552 | [62][63][64][65] | |
Nikolaus Federmann | Bavarian | 1535–39 | Motilon (2), Chitarero (1), U'wa, Lache (1) Muisca |
1542 | [1][55] | |
Miguel Holguín y Figueroa | Castilian | 1535–39 | Motilon (2), Chitarero (1), U'wa, Lache (1) Muisca |
1576> | [54][66] |
1536 – the harsh expedition towards Muisca territory
The first
The difficulties of the expedition only increased when the conquerors went further inland. They reached the indigenous settlement of
The lower parts of the Magdalena River were inhabited by numerous indigenous groups who resisted the Spanish conquistadors with
After eight months of horrible jungle experience where they advanced just 150 kilometres (93 mi), the heavily reduced troops reached La Tora, now called Barrancabermeja. Easier to defend, the settlement was taken as a place of rest for about three months and to bury the 100 more dead soldiers of which many were thrown in the river to become food for the crocodiles.[7] Plagued by the hot climate, mosquitos, and illnesses and conscious that the broad river extended upwards, the expedition continued south. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was convinced they would reach the lands full of gold they heard about at the Caribbean coast and motivated his delegation of soldiers, that at this time had an average age of 27 years old, to walk on.[1][7]
From Barrancabermeja, the troops followed the course of the
The climate of Chipatá, at 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) altitude, was much more pleasant than the hot lower valleys of the Opón River and Gonzalo decided to stay for five months in the town to allow his soldiers to rest and regain strength. The local Muisca of Chipatá brought the Spanish soldiers new mantles, as the ones taken from Santa Marta had worn down due to the harsh circumstances of their expedition. Some of the members of the expedition were already half-naked. In Chipatá, the Spanish for the first time learnt to drink chicha, the fermented alcoholic beverage of the Muisca. Using the enslaved indigenous people of the coast who understood forms of Chibcha, Gonzalo and Hernán were informed where the civilisation producing those fine mantles and salt was located.[1]
1536–1537 – route by the conquistadors
Settlement | Department | Date | Year | Notes | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Santa Marta | Magdalena | 6 April | 1536 | [1][7] | |
Dibulla | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
Riohacha | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
San Juan del Cesar | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
Villanueva | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
Urumita | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
La Jagua del Pilar | La Guajira
|
1536 | [7] | ||
La Paz
|
Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
San Diego | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
Sompallón | Cesar | 1536 | [69] | ||
Chiriguaná | Cesar | 1536 | [1][7] | ||
Chimichagua | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
Tamalameque | Cesar | 1536 | [1][7] | ||
La Gloria | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
Gamarra | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
Aguachica | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
San Martín | Cesar | 1536 | [7] | ||
Rionegro | Santander | 1536 | [7] | ||
Sabana de Torres | Santander | 1536 | [7] | ||
Puerto Wilches | Santander | 1536 | [7] | ||
Barrancabermeja | Santander | 12 October or early December |
1536 | [1][7][72][note 3] | |
Simacota | Santander | January–February | 1537 | [7] | |
Vélez | Santander | January–February | 1537 | [7] | |
Aguada | Santander | January–February | 1537 | [71] | |
Chipatá | Santander | February–March | 1537 | [1][7][note 4] |
1537 – the year of the Muisca conquest
Chipatá was the first settlement of the later New Kingdom of Granada, founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada on March 8, 1537.[73] Shortly after, the rested and reinforced troops set foot to higher terrains towards the south. Different from the scattered and unorganised indigenous groups they encountered before, advancing into the Muisca Confederation, they found a much better organised society and economy. The agriculture of the Muisca impressed the Spanish conquistadors and made them even more curious to find out who was the leader of the civilisation. While the Muisca regarded the European conquerors with distrust, they were also curious about them and where they came from.[1]
The Spanish settlers, still around 150 kilometres (93 mi) away from the southern Muisca capital Bacatá, continued south and reached the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, where they marched through the Ubaté-Chiquinquirá Valley, passing through Barbosa, close to Saboyá. That town would later become the first encomienda of Pedro de Galeano, the brother of Martín Galeano, who were both taking part in the expedition.[74] Saboyá means in Chibcha "Taste of the mantles", referring to the mantles that were elaborated by the Muisca from traded cotton.[75] Following the course of the Suárez River, the army continued south towards Simijaca, the first settlement in the modern department of Cundinamarca. The troops stayed on the eastern bank of the Suárez River and reached Lake Fúquene, presently much smaller than in the 1530s. The water level estimated in the time of the expedition was 10 metres (33 ft) to 15 metres (49 ft) higher than today.[76]
The
The Spanish soldiers beat the Muisca warriors and continued southwest across the Bogotá savanna towards Cajicá. Here they had an overview of the vast plains of the savanna, dotted with farmfields on elevated terraces. The intermontane valley was populated with numerous bohíos, circular houses with a conical roof made of reed. The climate of the high plains was pleasant for the Spanish troops and Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada baptised the flatlands Valle de los Alcázares. The expedition halted in Chía where they spent the Holy Week. After that week in April 1537, de Quesada ordered his men towards Funza, the site of the domain of the zipa. Although the army of the brothers De Quesada was reduced to 170 men, the hundreds of guecha warriors couldn't resist the superior Spanish arms and were defeated. In the meantime, zipa Tisquesusa sent messengers to the caciques in the Muisca Confederation to inform them of the arrival of the light-skinned heavily armed men. The caciques considered the invaders sacred and didn't dare to attack them.[1] Funza was conquered and founded on April 20, 1537.[80] Of the more than 900 soldiers who left Santa Marta a year earlier, only 162 survived the harsh expedition.[54]
1537 – route and foundations
Settlement bold is founded |
Department | Date | Year | Altitude (m) urban centre |
Notes | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chipatá | Santander | 8 March | 1537 | 1820 | [1][73] | |
Barbosa | Santander | March | 1537 | 1610 | ||
Moniquirá | Boyacá | March | 1537 | 1669 | [81][note 5] | |
Santa Sofía | Boyacá | March | 1537 | 2387 | ||
Sutamarchán | Boyacá | March | 1537 | 1800 | ||
Ráquira | Boyacá | March | 1537 | 2150 | [82] | |
Simijaca | Cundinamarca | March | 1537 | 2559 | ||
Susa | Cundinamarca | March | 1537 | 2655 | ||
Fúquene | Cundinamarca | March | 1537 | 2750 | ||
Guachetá | Cundinamarca | 12 March | 1537 | 2688 | [77] | |
Lenguazaque | Cundinamarca | 13 March | 1537 | 2589 | [78] | |
Cucunubá | Cundinamarca | 13–14 March | 1537 | 2590 | ||
Suesca | Cundinamarca | 14 March | 1537 | 2584 | [79] | |
Nemocón | Cundinamarca | March | 1537 | 2585 | [1] | |
Zipaquirá | Cundinamarca | March | 1537 | 2650 | ||
Cajicá | Cundinamarca | 23 March | 1537 | 2558 | [1][83] | |
Chía | Cundinamarca | 24 March | 1537 | 2564 | [1][84] | |
Cota | Cundinamarca | March–April | 1537 | 2566 | ||
Funza | Cundinamarca | 20 April | 1537 | 2548 | [1][80] |
April 1537 – conquest of Muyquytá
The arrival of the Spanish conquerors was revealed to Tisquesusa by the mohan Popón, from the village of Ubaque. He told the Muisca ruler that foreigners were coming and Tisquesusa would die "bathing in his own blood".[85] When Tisquesusa was informed of the advancing invasion of the Spanish soldiers, he sent a spy to Suesca to find out more about their army strength, weapons, and with how many warriors they could be beaten. The zipa left the capital Bacatá and took shelter in Nemocón which directed the Spanish troops to there, during this march attacked by more than 600 Muisca warriors.[86]
When Tisquesusa retreated in his fort in Cajicá he allegedly told his men he would not be able to combat against the strong Spanish army in possession of weapons that produced "thunder and lightning". He chose to return to Bacatá and ordered the capital to be evacuated, resulting in an abandoned site when the Spanish arrived. In search for the Muisca ruler the conquistadores went north to find Tisquesusa in the surroundings of Facatativá where they attacked him at night.
Tisquesusa was thrusted by the sword of one of de Quesada's soldiers but without knowing he was the zipa he let him go, after taking the expensive mantle of the ruler. Tisquesusa fled hurt into the mountains past Facatativá, in the west of the Bogotá savanna, and died of his wounds there. His body was only discovered a year later because of the black vultures circling over it. Upon the death of Tisquesusa, his son Hama and daughter Machinza hid the sister of the zipa, Usaca, in one of the settlements on the Bogotá savanna. When one of the conquistadors, Juan María Cortés, found out about this, his prepared a battle to gain control over the area. At that moment, Usaca appeared and resisted against the Spanish conqueror. Legend tells that he dropped his weapons and fell in love with her, eventually marrying the sister of Tisquesusa and they were baptised in Usaquén, meaning "Land of the Sun" in Muysccubun. This formed the start of the construction of a colonial village, today part of the capital and known for its colonial architecture and parks.[87][note 6]
May–August 1537 – route towards Hunza through the Tenza Valley (Gonzalo)
Settlement bold is founded |
Department | Date | Year | Notes | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engativá | Cundinamarca | 22 May | 1537 | [88] | |
Suba
|
Cundinamarca | May | 1537 | ||
Chía | Cundinamarca | May | 1537 | ||
Cajicá | Cundinamarca | May | 1537 | ||
Tocancipá | Cundinamarca | May–June | 1537 | ||
Gachancipá | Cundinamarca | May–June | 1537 | ||
Guatavita | Cundinamarca | May–June | 1537 | ||
Sesquilé | Cundinamarca | May–June | 1537 | ||
Chocontá | Cundinamarca | 9 June | 1537 | [89] | |
Machetá | Cundinamarca | June | 1537 | ||
Tibiritá | Cundinamarca | June | 1537 | ||
Guateque | Boyacá | June | 1537 | ||
Sutatenza | Boyacá | June | 1537 | ||
Tenza | Boyacá | 24 June | 1537 | [90] | |
La Capilla | Boyacá | June–July | 1537 | ||
Chivor | Boyacá | July | 1537 | [91] | |
Úmbita | Boyacá | July | 1537 | ||
Turmequé | Boyacá | 20 July | 1537 | [92] | |
Boyacá | Boyacá | 8 August | 1537 | [93] | |
Ciénega | Boyacá | August | 1537 | ||
Soracá | Boyacá | 20 August ~15:00 | 1537 | [94] | |
Hunza | Boyacá | 20 August | 1537 | [94] |
August 1537 – conquest of Hunza
When Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada found out the caciques were conspiring against him, he sent out several expeditions of soldiers. His captain Juan de Céspedes went south to conquer
In August 1537 Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada entered the territories of the
When Gonzalo arrived at the main bohío of Quemuenchatocha, he found the Muisca ruler sitting in his throne and surrounded by his closest companions. All men were dressed in expensive mantles and adorned with
September 1537 – conquest of Sugamuxi
After the victory of Gonzalo de Quesada of the important city of Hunza, with some of his men he continued to Suamox, the sacred City of the Sun, ruled by the iraca called Sugamuxi. The Temple of the Sun, built to worship the Sun god Sué, one of the two main deities in the Muisca religion, was a temple filled with gold, emeralds, cloths, and mummies. On his way to Suamox, presently called Sogamoso, the troops spent the night in Paipa. On August 25, 1537, other sources state a date in early September,[98] the troops arrived in the Iraca Valley around Suamox.[1] While Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ordered his men to leave the Sun Temple for the time being, two of his soldiers entered the temple at night and found the mummies sitting on elevated platforms inside. Their torches accidentally set the temple, made of wooden poles and clay, on fire. Before, the conquistadors had looted the temple and taken more than 300 kilograms (660 lb) of gold, worth 80,000 ducats at the time, not taking into account the emeralds, fine cloths, and other valuables.[1]
1537–38 – Bogotá savanna conquests
At the start of 1538, when the troops were exhausted after almost two years in foreign terrain, the soldiers asked what was their payment for the conquest they had done. De Quesada divided the conquered treasures between his men; 40,000 pieces of fine gold, 562 emeralds, and
6 August 1538 – foundation of Santafé de Bogotá
One and a half-year after the victory of the conquistadors on
Later conquest expeditions
1538 – Battle of Tocarema and further conquest
After the expeditions into the Muisca territories and to the north, submitting Hunza and Sugamuxi, and the foundation of Bogotá, various other journeys were organised. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada himself went west and submitted the Panche in the Battle of Tocarema, fought on August 20, 1538 in Tocarema, currently part of Cachipay.[note 7] In this battle, the Spanish had allied with Sagipa, the new and last zipa. De Quesada with only 50 soldiers and Sagipa 12,000[101] to 20,000[102] guecha warriors strong beat the Panche on 20 August 1538 and celebrated the victory.
Sagipa was held by the new Spanish rulers on accusation of his illegal rule. The Spanish demanded the vast amounts of gold of the heritage of Tisquesusa. Initially Sagipa denied and went into hiding. When Sagipa saw the Muisca lost faith in his rule he surrendered to De Quesada. Outraged by his refusal to hand over the treasure Sagipa was tortured with iron bars. In early 1539 the last zipa died in the Spanish camp in Bosa as a result of the torments by the Spanish rulers.[103][104][105]
1538–1539 – further conquest and foundations by Gonzalo
Settlement bold is founded |
Department | Date | Year | Notes | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cachipay | Cundinamarca | 20 August | 1538 | ||
Anolaima | Cundinamarca | 1538 | |||
Facatativá | Cundinamarca | 15 October | 1538 | [106] | |
Bojacá | Cundinamarca | 16 October | 1538 | [107][note 8] | |
Mosquera | Cundinamarca | October | 1538 | ||
Bosa
|
Cundinamarca | 1538 | |||
Cerinza | Boyacá | 1538 | [108] | ||
Paipa | Boyacá | 1539 | [109] | ||
Tibasosa | Boyacá | 1539 | [110] | ||
Garagoa
|
Boyacá | 1539 | [111] |
April 1539 – return to Spain of Gonzalo, Sebastián and Nikolaus
The three leaders of the conquest expeditions; Gonzalo de Quesada, Nikolaus Federmann (in Spanish called De Federmán) and Sebastián de Belalcázar, met in
in 1579.Before embarking on a ship on the Magdalena River to take them to Cartagena, the three conquistadors founded their place of harbour; Panche settlement Guataquí on April 6, 1539.[112]
1539 – conquest of Tundama
To keep the conquistadores away, he sent a delegation of his people with emeralds, gold and mantles to offer the Spanish with the promise that Tundama would surrender bringing eight more of these. Gaining time, Tundama hid his treasures and prepared the defence of Tundama.[113]
On December 15, 1539, another Spanish captain coming from the south after conquering
Spanish conquest in Muisca history
History of the Muisca | |||||||||
Altiplano |
Muisca |
Art |
Architecture |
Astronomy |
Cuisine |
El Dorado |
Subsistence |
Women |
Conquest |
Early colonial period
After the foundation of Bogotá and the installation of the new dependency of the Spanish Crown, several strategies were important to the Spanish conquerors. The rich
The transition to a mixed agriculture with Old World crops was remarkably fast, mainly to do with the fertility of the lands of the Altiplano permitting European crops to grow there, while in the more tropical areas the soil was not so much suited for the foreign crops. In 1555, the Muisca of Toca were growing European crops as wheat and barley and sugarcane was grown in other areas.[122] The previously self-sustaining economy was quickly transformed into one based on intensive agriculture and mining that produced changes in the landscape and culture of the Muisca.[123]
The system of encomienda consisted of handing over terrains and indigenous people to the encomenderos. In 1553, 300 to 500 indigenous people were provided to the encomendero of Cota. The encomendero then had to pay tribute to the Spanish Crown.[124]
Modern historical revisionism
In modern anthropology studying the Muisca and the tales of the conquistadors, especially Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, whose writings are the only primary sources that survived, efforts have been made to revise the descriptions of the Muisca. The early Spanish chroniclers have written about cannibalism of various indigenous groups, stories that have later been refuted by experts.[125] Also the idea that the Muisca were a war-like people has been revised in the modern age, pointing to their successful trading, that even the Spanish scholars, such as first bishop of Bogotá Juan de los Barrios, have praised in their writings.[126] Various other researchers have taken caution in taking the early ethnographic accounts on the warfare status as unambiguously true.[127] In early texts, the Muisca were described as having to pay tributes to the caciques, an idea explained to be misunderstood by anthropologist Carl Henrik Langebaek.[128] All the conquistadors and later writers such as Pedro de Aguado, Pedro Simón, Juan Rodríguez Freyle, Juan de Castellanos and Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita were men, introducing sexism into the history books. Many modern archaeologists and anthropologists of the Muisca are female and have revised the role of the women in Muisca society, with Sylvia Broadbent, Ana María Groot, Marianne Cardale de Schrimpff and many others as notable examples.[129][130][131][132] Also the description of the Muisca Confederation as a stratified empire has been revised, most notably by Jorge Gamboa Mendoza.[133] The "stone fortress" that has been described in Cajicá by Spanish chroniclers may have been built after the conquest.[134] Misunderstandings about the Muisca originated from the difficulties in language; the Spanish used indigenous translators taken captive on their route and brought along from the coast, introducing errors in the understanding of the Chibcha of the Muisca, that in many cases is very different from the other Chibchan languages. The word for "one" in Muysccubun is ata, while in the closest related Chibchan languages of Colombia "one" translates as úbistia (Uwa), intok (Barí) and ti-tasu or nyé (Chimila).[135][136]
Also about the names of the zipa and zaque of the Muisca when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Muisca territory; Tisquesusa and Quemuenchatocha respectively, doubts have risen after investigation in the 21st century. The names of the rulers have their origin in the work Elegías de varones ilustres de Indias written by poet Juan de Castellanos decades after the events of the conquest. The names of the rulers are possibly invented or modified by De Castellanos and taken over into later publications about the Muisca by authors such as Pedro Simón. Modern research, by Jorge Gamboa Mendoza among others, has revealed that when the Spanish troops were entering the territories of the Muisca, the Muisca frequently presented other individuals instead of the rulers to the invaders. This strategy was to protect the Muisca rulers and their valuables, of great interest to the Spanish who were in search of El Dorado.[137] The modern anthropologists maintain that the names of the caciques were different; "Bogotá" for Tisquesusa and "Eucaneme" for Quemuenchatocha, whose nephew was called Quiminza.[note 9]
Gamboa Mendoza mentions the omitting of information in the early Spanish chronicles about the participation of other indigenous groups and leaders in the conquest. What he describes as "enemy"; the cacique of Guatavita, allied with the Spanish to fight their own people.[137][note 10]
One of the most important sources for the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, El Carnero, written by Juan Rodríguez Freyle, son of soldier Juan Freyle who served under conquistador Pedro de Ursúa, has been critically reviewed as a literary creative collection of stories, anecdotes and rumours, mixed with common opinions of the time.[138][139]
See also
-
- Chibchan Nations
- Muisca warfare
- Muisca toponyms
- Conquest of Peru
- Conquest of Chile
- Colonial Brazil
Notes
- ^ While some sources state 47,000 km² as area, that would be Cundinamarca and Boyacá combined and other indigenous groups were living in those areas
- ^ Not the same as Juan Maldonado, who was only 11 in 1536
- ^ "After eight months [since early April 1536] they reached Barrancabermeja and stayed three months here"
- ^ While some sources state they "arrived early October 1536", that is impossible; they only "reached Barrancabermeja after 8 months since April 1536" and "stayed 3 months" in that place
- ^ Date of foundation says March 16, 1537, which is incorrect, as the troops were already in Cundinamarca by that date
- ^ In the list of conquistadors known from the expedition, the name "Juan María Cortés" does not appear[54]
- ^ Some sources put the date at August 20, 1537, which is impossible as that was the date the conquistadors were fighting Quemuenchatocha and conquering Hunza. August 20, 1537 is the commonly accepted date of the conquest of Hunza.
- ^ Year of foundation is 1538, not 1537
- ^ According to most sources the name "Bogotá" didn't exist in Muisca times, yet was a Spanish modification of Bacatá, the name of the area where the zipa resided; on the Bogotá savanna and meaning "enclosure outside the farmfields" in Muysccubun
- ^ Who is described as "enemy"; the cacique Guatavita, ruled over the area of Lake Guatavita, where the initiation ritual of the zipa took place. If the cacique really would be the "enemy" of the zipa, this important ceremony would take place in the heart of "enemy terrain"
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak (in Spanish) Conquista rápida y saqueo cuantioso de Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
- Banco de la República
- ^ (in Spanish) Historia general de las conquistas del Nuevo Reyno de Granada Archived 2016-05-04 at the Wayback Machine – National Library of Colombia
- Banco de la República
- ^ Acosta, 1848
- ^ Zerda, 1883
- ^ Banco de la República
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638)
- ^ Gómez Mejia, 2012, p.153
- ^ Cardale de Schrimpff, 1985
- ^ (in Spanish) Herrera Period agriculture at the Thomas van der Hammen Reserve Archived 2016-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Martínez & Martínez, 2012, p.68
- ^ Henderson & Ostler, 2005, p.149
- ^ García, 2012, p.27
- ^ (in Spanish) Herrera Period evidence in Sopó
- ^ (in Spanish) Herrera Period evidence in Soacha – El Espectador
- ^ (in Spanish) Largest Herrera Period village in Soacha Archived 2016-06-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Herrera Period evidence in Usme – El Tiempo
- ^ (in Spanish) Herrera Period evidence in Iza and Gámeza
- ^ Schrimpff, 1985, p.104
- ^ Cárdenas & Kleef in Reyes Zambrano, 1995, Ch.2.1.3
- ^ Alsema, Adriaan. 2014. Archaeologists uncover remains of pre-Columbian village in central Colombia. Accessed 2016-07-08.
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Dating of the Soacha Herrera Period site
- ^ (in Spanish) Muisca Confederation area almost 47,000 km2, page 12
- ^ (in Spanish) Muisca Confederation had 300,000 to 2,000,000 inhabitants
- ^ Francis, 1993, pp.36–38
- ^ Daza, 2013, p.21
- ^ Groot, 2008, p.14
- ^ Daza, 2013, p.26
- ^ Francis, 1993, p.38
- ^ Broadbent, 1974, p.120
- ^ Ocampo López, 2013, p.33
- ^ (in Spanish) Templo de la Luna in Chía – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ Ocampo López, 2007, p.226
- ^ Ocampo López, 2007, p.231
- ^ Ocampo López, 2013, p.58
- ^ Muisca collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- ^ Muisca collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Archived 2016-07-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Muisca collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art
- ^ Ocampo López, 2007, p.215
- ^ (in Spanish) Cultura Muisca – Comercio y Arte
- ^ (in Spanish) Los Muiscas – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ Daza, 2013, p.25
- ^ Puche Riart, 1996, p.99
- ^ Banco de la República
- ^ (in Spanish) Descubrimiento y conquista de América. Personajes
- ^ a b (in Spanish) La conquista de Antioquia – 1500–1580 Archived 2022-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Turbaco[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Spanish) El fundador de Santa Marta
- ^ Banco de la República
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Mahates Archived 2015-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Jamundí Archived 2016-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Fundación de Santa María la Antigua del Darién
- ^ Banco de la República
- ^ Banco de la República
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.173
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.84
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.144
- ^ (in Spanish) Biography Juan de Céspedes – Banco de la República
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.69
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.xii
- ^ (in Spanish) Baltasar Maldonado – Soledad Acosta Samper – Banco de la República
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.88
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.93
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.94
- ^ Rodríguez Freyle, 1979 (1638), p.153
- Banco de la República
- Banco de la República
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Exploración y conquista de Nueva Granada
- ^ Acosta, 1848, p.177
- ^ a b c (in Spanish) Aguada, un destino para todos[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Spanish) History Barrancabermeja Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine – Official website
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Chipatá Archived 2015-06-07 at archive.today
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Saboyá[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Spanish) Etymology Municipalities Boyacá – Excelsio.net
- ^ Cabrera Ortiz, 1957, p.3
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Guachetá Archived 2017-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Lenguazaque Archived 2015-05-22 at archive.today
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Suesca Archived 2015-05-15 at archive.today
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Funza Archived 2015-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Moniquirá Archived 2014-03-10 at archive.today
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Ráquira Archived 2015-06-03 at archive.today
- ^ (in Spanish) History Cajicá
- ^ (in Spanish) De Quesada celebrated the Holy Week in Chia
- ^ (in Spanish) Tisquesusa would die bathing in his own blood – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ (in Spanish) Zipa Tisquesusa – Banco de la República
- ^ (in Spanish) Las tierras de la princesa Usaca – El Tiempo
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Engativá celebra hoy sus 458 años – El Tiempo
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Chocontá Archived 2014-03-10 at archive.today
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Tenza Archived 2015-06-02 at archive.today
- ^ (in Spanish) History Chivor
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Turmequé Archived 2016-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Boyacá Archived 2015-05-30 at archive.today
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Soracá[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Pasca Archived 2015-05-22 at archive.today
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Sutatausa Archived 2016-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Biography Quemuenchatocha – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ (in Spanish) Iraca rulers – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ (in Spanish) Tras las huellas judías en Hispanoamérica
- Banco de la República
- Universidad de los Andes
- ^ Groot, José Manuel. 1869. Historia eclesiástica y civil de Nueva Granada – Tomo I. Imprenta de Focion Mantilla.
- ^ (in Spanish) Biography of Sagipa – Banco de la República
- ^ (in Spanish) Zipa Sagipa – Pueblos Originarios
- Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Facatativá Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Bojacá Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Cerinza Archived 2016-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Paipa
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Tibasosa
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Garagoa[permanent dead link]
- ^ (in Spanish) Official website Guataquí[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e (in Spanish) Biography Cacique Tundama – Pueblos Originarios
- ^ a b (in Spanish) Biography Tundama Archived 2017-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (in Spanish) Battle of Vargas Swamp, 1819
- ^ (in Spanish) Animated video about Tundama
- ^ a b Suárez, 2015, p.128
- ^ Segura Calderón, 2014, p.38
- ^ Suárez, 2015, p.125
- ^ a b Suárez, 2015, p.129
- ^ Londoño, 2001, p.4
- ^ Francis, 1993, p.60
- ^ Martínez & Manrique, 2014, p.102
- ^ Segura Calderón, 2014, p.37
- ^ Francis, 1993, pp.14–15
- ^ Francis, 1993, p.48
- ^ Kruschek, 2003, p.240
- ^ Francis, 1993, p.55
- ^ Broadbent, 1974
- ^ Groot, 2008
- ^ Schrimpff, 1985
- ^ Daza, 2013
- ^ Gamboa Mendoza, 2016
- ^ Román, 2008, p.298
- ^ (in Spanish) Muysccubun: ata
- ^ Reichel-Dolmatoff, 1947, p.38
- ^ a b Jiménez Herrera, Juan Sebastián. 2014. ¿Existió o no el cacique Tisquesusa?. El Espectador. Accessed 2016-09-29.
- ^ Bost, 1990, p.169
- ^ Rey Pereira, 2000, p.527
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