Kuchkabal facts for kids

The Kuchkabal (say "Kooch-kah-bal") was a type of government used by the ancient Maya people in the Yucatán Peninsula. These were like small kingdoms or states. In the 1500s, there were about 16 to 24 different Kuchkabals. Sometimes, the word Kuchkabal also meant the powerful family that ruled one of these states.

This map shows the Kuchkabals in Yucatan after the League of Mayapan broke apart. Their borders were similar to older provinces.

How Kuchkabals Were Organized

Each Kuchkabal was split into smaller areas called batalib (say "bah-tah-leeb"). Think of these as towns or districts. Each batalib had its own leader called a batab (say "bah-tab").

The main ruler of an entire Kuchkabal was called a Halach Uinik (say "Ha-lach Wee-nik"). This title meant "real man." A Halach Uinik was often like a king, meaning they ruled alone. However, some Kuchkabals were run by a group of powerful leaders. In these cases, the batab leaders from different batalib areas would form a council or senate.

Often, the batab leaders were related to the main ruler, the Halach Uinik. This helped keep power within certain families.

The Breakup of the League of Mayapan

For a long time, starting around 987, a powerful group called the League of Mayapan was in charge of much of Yucatan. But in 1441, a big civil war broke out within the league. It was between two powerful families, the Cocom and the Tutul Xiues.

Other groups in the league used this war as a chance to become independent. By 1461, the League of Mayapan had completely fallen apart. It broke into seventeen separate Kuchkabals.

Some other regions had already declared their independence even before this time. These included places like Tabasco, Acalan, and the Itza Kingdom.

The Different Kuchkabals

When the League of Mayapan broke up in 1441, there were seventeen main Kuchkabals. These included:

• Ekab
• Chakan Putum
• Ah Canul
• Ceh Pech
• Tutul-Xiu
• Sotuta
• Hocaba
• Chakan
• Ah Kin Chel
• Cupul
• Tazes
• Chikinchel
• Uaymil
• Chetumal
• Cochuah
• Can Pech
• Calotmul

Later, the Tutul-Xiues conquered Calotmul. After the Spanish arrived and conquered the area in 1547, the Maya people rebelled. They formed a new Kuchkabal in the northeast part of Yucatan. Its capital city was Zaci, located in the Cupul region.

See also

In Spanish: Kuchkabal para niños