Tutul-Xiu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kuchkabal Tutul Xiu
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| 1441–1547 | |||||||||
Kuchkabals of Yucatan after 1461.
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| Capital | Maní | ||||||||
| Common languages | Official language: Yucatec |
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| Religion | Maya religion | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Halach Uinik | |||||||||
| Historical era | post classic / Early Modern | ||||||||
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• Established
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1441 | ||||||||
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• Disestablished
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1547 | ||||||||
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The Tutul Xiu (also known as Tutul Xiues or Mani) was an important Maya kingdom in the central Yucatán Peninsula. Its capital city was Maní. This kingdom existed before the Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s.
The Early History of the Tutul Xiu
Long ago, the Cocom family was said to have started the city of Mayapan in the Yucatán Peninsula. However, older stories say that the Xiu family were the first rulers there. They were in charge of Mayapan for about 100 years, from around 1180 to 1280.
During this time, the people of Mayapan put up more and more stone monuments. These carved stones marked the end of special 20-year periods called k'atun. This practice might have been inspired by the city of Uxmal. Mayapan also worked together with Uxmal and Chichen Itza, which was becoming less powerful by then.
Over time, the Xiu family lost control of Mayapan. By 1300, the Cocom family and their hired soldiers, called Canul mercenaries, were in charge. Around 1400, the Cocom family forced many Xiu people to leave Mayapan.
However, the Xiu family planned to get their power back. In 1441, they started a rebellion against the Cocom. A group led by Ah Xiu Xupan, with help from soldiers from other parts of Pre-Columbian Mexico, fought against the Cocom family in Mayapan. This event led to the decline of many cities in Northern Yucatán. The important families of Mayapan left to start new towns. The Yucatán region then split into 18 smaller kingdoms. The Chel settled in Tecoh, the remaining Cocom family went to Tibolon, and the Xiu family made their home in Mani.
The Tutul Xiu During the Spanish Conquest
The Xiu were some of the first Maya groups to become friends with the Spanish. The Spanish saw the Capul and Cocom families as their strongest enemies. The Xiu later said they joined the Spanish because old prophecies had predicted their arrival. But it seems they also hoped the Spanish would help them against their old rivals, the Cocom family.
The first representatives from the Xiu met with the Spanish leader Francisco de Montejo the Younger around 1539. This meeting happened in a place called Tuchi-caan. In 1547, a Spanish mission was set up in Mani, the capital city of the Xiu. In 1557, a special agreement called the Mani Land Treaty was made. This treaty helped solve a disagreement about borders between the Xiu of Mani, the Cocom of Sotuta, and the Copul.
See also
In Spanish: Tutul Xiues para niños
