Batab facts for kids

Batab was the name for an important leader in the ancient Maya world. It means 'local village chief' or 'chieftain' in the Mayan language. A batab was in charge of a town or village, which was called a batabil. If there was more than one batab, they were called batabo'ob, and many towns were called batabilo'ob.

What Was a Batab?

A batab was like the mayor or governor of a Maya town. They were very important people who helped manage daily life. These leaders usually came from important families. Sometimes, their family name was even used as their title, like Ah Canul or Tutul Xiu.

How Batabs Led Their Towns

Each batab had helpers to make sure everything ran smoothly.

• The Ah Kulel was like a special assistant or attorney. They made sure the batab's orders were carried out.
• The Tupiles were similar to police officers. There were many tupiles, and they helped keep order in the town.

Batabs and Bigger Maya Kingdoms

Sometimes, several batabilo'ob (towns) were part of a larger area called a Kuchkabal. This was like a small kingdom or state.

The Halach Uinik's Role

In some Kuchkabals, there was a very powerful leader called the Halach Uinik. This person had the highest power in the military, religion, and society. Everyone in the Kuchkabal obeyed the Halach Uinik.

The Halach Uinik often worked with a council of batabo'ob. These batabs would meet regularly to make big decisions for the entire Kuchkabal.

How Batabs Were Chosen

If a Kuchkabal had a powerful ruler, like an ahau (a supreme lord or king), that ahau would choose the batab. The batab was usually picked from noble families, often people who were closely related to the ahau. This helped keep power within important families.

See also

In Spanish: Batab para niños