Cochuah facts for kids
Cochuah (also called Kock Wah) was one of the sixteen important regions of the Maya civilization in the central Yucatán Peninsula. This was around the time the Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s. The name Cochuah in the Mayan language might mean "Our food of bread."
After a major city called Mayapán was destroyed (between 1441 and 1461), the Maya people started having big rivalries. This led to the formation of 16 independent areas. Each area was called a kuchkabal, which means "province" or "region" in Mayan. Each kuchkabal had a main leader called a halach uinik. This leader had the most power in the military, justice, and politics. They lived in the main city, which was the capital of their region.
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Where Was Cochuah Located?
The Cochuah region shared borders with other Maya provinces. To the north was Cupul. To the west were Sotuta, Tutul Xiu, and Chakán Putún. To the east were Ekab and Uaymil. This information comes from maps made by a historian named Ralph L. Roys.
Important Cities and Leaders
Some experts believe that Tixhotzuc was the capital city of Cochuah. However, other writings suggest that Chunhuhub was the main city. Today, Chunhuhub is in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo. This city was much closer to the Uaymil province. East and south of Chunhuhub, there were large forests with very few people. These areas stretched all the way to the Bay of Ascension. Some writers think these forests were also part of Cochuah.
The main leader, or halach uinik, of Cochuah was likely Nakahum Cochuah. In 1579, he lived in Tihosuco. This fact supports the idea that Tihosuco was indeed the capital. Nakahum Cochuah and his council had strong connections with the Cupul and Sotuta provinces. These three regions often worked together against the Spanish explorers.
Besides Tihosuco and Chunhuhub, other important villages in Cochuah were Tiholop, Tinum, Ichmul, and Chikindzonot.
Yo'okop: A Significant Site
Recently, archaeologists have been exploring a place called Yo'okop. This site seems to have been very important during the later Maya period. It also played a role much later, in the 1800s. During a big conflict, native people who were fighting for their rights found safety in this region of the Yucatán peninsula.
Today, this historical region is located in the municipality of José María Morelos, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
See also
In Spanish: Cochuah para niños
