Tzucacab Explained

Tzucacab
Settlement Type:Municipal seat
Pushpin Map:Mexico Yucatán
Pushpin Mapsize:260
Pushpin Label Position:right
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Yucatán
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Tzucacab
Established Title:Established
Population As Of:2010
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:9967
Population Density Km2:auto
Coordinates:20.0708°N -89.0506°W
Elevation M:36

Tzucacab is a town and the municipal seat of the Tzucacab Municipality in Yucatán, Mexico. It gained prominence for being the site where the Treaty of Tzucacab was signed, an attempt to end the brutal Caste War of Yucatán that began in the Yucatán Peninsula in 1847. This conflict persisted until 1901 when Mexican federal troops finally reclaimed the last strongholds from indigenous Maya rebels, specifically Bacalar and Chan Santa Cruz in what is now the state of Quintana Roo.

Toponymy

The name "Tzucacab" means "small part of the town" in the Mayan language, derived from the words "tsukul" (portion or part) and "kaaj" (town or hill).

Location

Tzucacab is located 15 km southwest of Peto and 30 km southeast of Tekax, approximately 145 km southeast of Mérida, the capital of Yucatán.

Historic background

Tzucacab is situated in the former territory of the Cochuah chiefdom (kuchkabal), with Chunhuhub as its capital. Archaeological evidence indicates that the area was inhabited before the Spanish conquest of Yucatán. Although the exact date of the town's founding is unknown, an Encomienda was established by around 1612. Following Yucatán's independence and its subsequent annexation to Mexico, Tzucacab became part of the Partido de Beneficios Altos, with Tihosuco as the district's head.

In 1848, the Treaty of Tzucacab was signed in the town between Jacinto Pat, a Maya batab, and Miguel Barbachano, the political leader of Yucatán at the time. This treaty sought, unsuccessfully, to end the Caste War

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Número de habitantes. Yucatán . 2016 . Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía.